Las Vegas - Raku, High Roller (Ferris Wheel) and Tableau

Las Vegas is not really my kind of city.  I don't gamble, do drugs, drink or party.  Not really, anyway.  Plus, there is so much static that often times when I touch anything metallic like doors, I get electric shocked, which I truly truly hate.  (I do love the shows though.)  So, when Lingon asked me to go to Vegas with him on his business trip, I was initially hesitant, but I had been in the middle of something super busy and stressful, and I thought, why not.

So off we went.  We stayed at the Encore Hotel, which I was a little excited about because I had heard that it was nice.  And nice it was.  Until I started discovering little awful things around the room.  Like random pieces of hair in the bed covers and the bath tub, and the unemptied trash can.  I called room service in the hope of getting a complimentary night or an upgrade or something, but all they offered was a waiver of one night of resort fee.  Well, something is better than nothing, but I still felt rather disgruntled.  Oh well.  Guess that is what happens when you are not VIP or have any kind of status.

We had gone out for dinner one evening with some friends to Raku, which was an off-strip Japanese Yakitori place.  (Seems like a lot of these very good restaurants in Las Vegas are off-strip.  And in Chinatown or something.  Heh heh love the Chinese.)  What a feast we had!  Tofu, sashimi, uni in broth with soft boiled egg, yakitori, foie gras... OK, the only reason I'm remembering this is because it is in the pictures and you can see the pictures yourself.  But the food was really good.  The boys drank quite a bit too, and I want to say for 3 boys and a girl who were completely stuffed to the brim with really amazing quality food by the time we rolled out of the restaurant, the bill, which I think was less than $300, was seriously inexpensive.  GO HERE.  Take a taxi or whatever.  So good.  Make reservations.

After rolling out of Raku as complete fatsos, we went to Raku Sweets.  Same strip mall, same restaurant.  Fatsos.  Very good innovative dessert, made in front of us as we sat at the counter.  The menu was edible, probably just sugar, not particularly tasty, and that was the most disappointing dessert.  Other than that, everything was great.  I loved watching the dessert chef create the intricate dessert in front of our eyes, ever so meticulously, everything timed to a T.  Loved the glass lighted oven in which we could see what was going on.  We definitely ordered way too much, but it was fun.  Added a picture of the sink in the bathroom since LAGangsta really loved it - I thought the bathroom itself was cool and zen, but not particularly impressed.  Again, really good food, very cool vibe, GO!

After this shenanigans, off we went to the High Roller at the Linq, which may be the tallest ferris wheel in the world.  Expensive (I think almost $50), but I love ferris wheels and this just seemed like a good opportunity.  We got all-you-can-drink tickets, which the boys took advantage of, and I just laughed and took photos.  At the apex, we got a spectacular view of the amazing hotels and the Bellagio Fountain had was dancing.  The Linq entertainment and shopping area was pretty cool, with sprinkles, among other shops and restaurants.  I don't know how they did it, but the boys ordered more food after their drunken turn in the ferris wheel at Haute Doggery.  Yup, you guessed it, hot dogs.  Lingon ordered this one with foie gras.  I think I tried it but at this point was going to throw up and also super sleepy.  Well, good times, I must say.  That was the end of our night out.

I also met up with my friend Tutu at Tableau for breakfast, which was at the Wynn.  We got donut gifts.  I got the French toast and Tutu got the duck hash and eggs, and in true us fashion we split half and half.  It was just not bad but not special.

Lingon and I also had lunch at Tableau, which was also not bad but not special.  I remember the seafood being quite fresh, maybe a crab dish?

This was also the trip we went to Lotus of Siam, which I wrote about in a separate post.  Still figuring out how I want to organize my posts.  Or maybe they will just be what they are.  (Deep.)

I did not do much else in Vegas - took a short run and found a Kid Robot store.  I love all the weird things they have in that store.

Vegas really surprised me to the upside this time.  I think it could be fun with the right bunch, and my Lingon of course.  Definitely looking forward to going back!

Ice Cream Bar, SF

This is my second time at Ice Cream Bar.  We decided to go for a late night date, and this has got to be my favourite ice cream place in the city.  Last time we were there, we got a strawberry shortcake with basil ice cream (I think), and a brownie sundae.  So amazing.  This time I wanted something different (typical me), and Yelp really recommended the KELLER’S FARM (Cornmeal shortbread, creme fraiche and morello cherry ice creams, cherry sauce and rosemary syrup), so that is what I got!  Well, I really loved the cornmeal shortbread, the creme fraiche ice cream was great, but I wouldn't say I loved cherry though for cherry ice cream it was good. Overall very pleased.

Lingon got the SUMMER IN SIAM (Cold-brewed Bicycle coffee, sweetened condensed milk, egg, salt) which tasted just like a coffee drink.  Super boring yawn but he liked it.

I would go back here anytime.  My favourite is the basil ice cream.  I think their flavours are very unique.  I suppose some would say that about Humphry Slocombe, for which I have about $130 of store credit, but for some reason the Ice Cream Bar flavours appeal more to me.  Please visit!

Toy Boat Dessert Cafe and Loving Cup, Dessert in SF

After a savoury dinners, the urge for something sweet presses.  Who you gonna call?  Erm... no one?  It's no secret that San Francisco's dessert scene is somewhat dismal.  Plus the fact that things close early, and dessert occurs after dinner, the choice is sparse.  Faced with the brain's screaming for dessert and the limited choices, we hit up Toy Boat Dessert Cafe and Loving Cup (on separate occasions).

Toy Boat Dessert Cafe is an interesting place.  It looks like a diner with a bunch of toys.  Yes, exactly that.  We had a chocolate cake and an olallieberry pie.  I wasn't impressed.

Loving Cup is a fro-yo and rice pudding place.  I have tried both on 2 separate occasions.  While both are fine, they are by no means great.

No pictures of these, unfortunately, but you're not missing much.

Side note, when we went to Sweden, the supermarket sold rice pudding that was really good.  I'm going on a supermarket hunt tomorrow for this!

Other NYC Eats

I really want to close out the NYC section and focus on more current things.  So I lumped a few food experiences into one.

My second to last night in NYC, I had the pleasure of dining on my own, so I went to an old favourite that I had not been to for a long time, The Halal Guys.  What surprised me was across the street, there was another Halal Guys, same colour scheme and everything.  I think it was the same cart.  Anyhow, I ordered the combo plate, and went back to the hotel.  Strangely enough, we entered the lift, and the couple already in the lift were carrying the same coloured plastic bag with the same food.  We asked, and they had indeed gone to the same place.  The food was still good, I think less tasty than previously, so was a bit disappointed.  However for a cheap good meal in NYC, and the fact that I have not found anywhere with a better version of this dish, I guess I will go back.

The next morning, I sort of ran out of cheap fun places I was interested in to visit, so I thought of some comfort Chinese food.  I found some article about cheap eats in NYC, and one of them was porridge at Great NY Noodletown.  Despite reading a kind of creepy article about the chemicals used in the fermentation of the duck egg to make it into pei dan (century egg), I decided this was the dish of choice.  I also ordered a plate of roast meat with char siew and duck.  Hit the spot for a little Chinese craving, but I suppose I wouldn't really particularly recommend this to anyone.

Next stop, I decided to be clever and try to find the famed cronut at Dominic Ansel Bakery.  When I entered the bakery, I was met with this line.  I walked to the back and asked some bakers if there were still cronuts and they regretfully shaked their head.  Well, if you really want a cronut, don't get there at 11.30am!  Off to the next place!

In that same food article where I heard of Great NY Noodletown, I read about a delicious olive oil bread at Abraço.  Since today was a day of exploring maybe what I just invented So14th, I marched on.  The window was out of olive oil bread!  I persevered and asked the dude behind the counter, and he said they had a fresh one.  In luck!  I was 1) hungry and 2) overly excited, so I forgot to take a picture, but here's one I stole from the www.  Dear person to whom the photo belongs to, please let me know if you have an issue with it, and I will take it off.  Please do not sue.  This was a most DELISH piece of bread.  Super olive oil-y, moist, I wanted to finish it, but I was kind and saved half for Lingon.  LIKE!

Last on my stop before I had to head back to the hotel and the off to the airport (sob), I went to another old favourite, Rice to Riches.  Got my favourite cookies and cream, and then the mango peach which I liked but both Lingon and I found it too sweet.  The price of R2R (I'm so witty!) has gone up so much since I first went there.  Too bad it's by far the best rice pudding I've ever had.  Hm, well maybe La Regalade St Honore, but Loving Cup here in SF doesn't hold a candle to it.  I think the quality is still really high, and I really enjoyed my last special treat!  :-)