Familiar can be fun, but there’s nothing more exciting than exotic exploration. When you’re dining around Las Vegas this week, discover different flavors and cuisines at some of these restaurant destinations.
Recently reopened at Treasure Island, Pho (702.894.7111) brings its namesake Vietnamese beef noodle soup and many other flavorful specialties to the forefront of this casual experience adjacent to the resort’s popular Coffee Shop. Crunchy cha gio eggrolls are the perfect complement to that fragrant soup, or you can opt for a traditional pork bánh mì sandwich, pho ga soup with shredded chicken and rice noodles, curry chicken with steamed rice, and noodle bowls with various delicious toppings. Vietnamese food is hard to find on the Strip, so take full advantage of this convenient spot.
Across Las Vegas Boulevard at Palazzo resides one of the most acclaimed Chinese restaurants in the city, Mott 32 (702.607.3232). Taste modern Hong Kong at this ornate destination, including one of the Strip’s best versions of Peking duck. But less-celebrated dishes like sesame prawn toast, crispy salt-and-pepper octopus, fried frog legs with dried chili and smoked black cod offer delicious diversity you won’t experience anywhere else.
Eastern European cuisine isn’t as prevalent on the West Coast as it is in the Midwest and on the East Coast. But Las Vegas has a long-established local restaurant where everyone knows they can enjoy Bulgarian and Hungarian dishes, plus much more. At Forte Tapas (702.220.3876), you can find everything from a Thracian clay pot stocked with sausage, roasted peppers and Bulgarian sheep’s milk feta cheese, to savory pelmeni dumplings stuffed with tender beef or wild mushrooms and topped with fresh dill. This beloved spot is a neighborhood staple and you haven’t taken advantage of the full offerings of the city’s dining scene if you haven’t dined at Forte.
Want another rarity? Egyptian cuisine is well-represented at POTs (702.754.6200), which serves an all-vegan menu with delightfully satisfying results. Share some pickled eggplant, falafel samosas and Egyptian-style hummus to get started, then sample different street foods like ful mudammas (slow cooked fava beans, vegetables and tahini) or cauliflower shawarma. Don’t skip the apricot and coconut pudding mahlabeya for dessert.
International Smoke
If you’re more meat-minded, head over to MGM Grand’s International Smoke (702.891.3922), which deftly combines elements of Southern cuisine and barbecue with global flavors for a truly unique presentation. Smoked potato chowder with Portuguese sausage, spicy Thai beef lettuce cups, Sinaloan-style achiote chicken and Jamaican braised oxtail with red beans and coconut rice are among the standout dishes sure to catch your eye and stimulate your tastebuds.
One of the most buzzed-about off-Strip restaurants specializes in traditional Spanish paella. Valencian Gold (702.776.7707) is putting on a show with a blend of fantastic cocktails and traditional Spanish dishes with innovative twists, such as French fries topped with braised oxtail; paella with shrimp, chorizo and corn; and roast chicken with saffron almond sauce. There’s a lot of personality in these dishes, so be prepared for a memorable meal.
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