crazy white girl with a kitchen

ohgodohgodohgod

At the moment this entry is published I am (hopefully) taking off en route to Tokyo. Three days there, then onto Okinawa and then…?

eeeeeeeee!

This has been my living room for about 10 days. Finally, today, most of it was packed into suitcases. I think I’m overweight on one, but I have squeezed most of what I know I’ll need into the bags. 5 days to go.

Mike and I talked a lot about restaurants going into the wedding. What restaurant were we going to host the reception dinner at? Where were we going to have the rehearsal dinner? Where were our parents going to meet over dinner?

And so on.

However, the most discussion we had was over our “honeymoon.” Honeymoon dinner, that is. Some people go on a fancy vacation. We just spent money on a fancy dinner.

Knowing that we wouldn’t be in Las Vegas for some time, there was only one choice: Guy Savoy. And once we decided (it was one of the simplest eating decision we made the entire trip) we talked about it almost every night going up to the trip. Mike stalked the Guy Savoy website for weeks, waiting for the Spring menu to be released. We discussed the champagne we’d get, the cheeses from the cheese cart and what breads were best with what. It was nearing on obsession.

Luckily the dinner did not disappoint. I was coming off of nearly five days of barely eating. I just lost my appetite – I heard it’s common for brides. The day of our dinner at Guy Savoy things were returning, though. I had a mai tai by the pool and relaxed, preparing for our meal. We took a taxi over to Caesar’s from the Palazzo, and strolled into the restaurant.

We were welcomed back with open arms. We were given special amuse bouche courses (three in total), Franck Savoy (Guy’s son) came out to greet us. There was an extra dessert course. If our first visit to Guy Savoy was memorable, this one was unforgettable.

The spring menu was fabulous, and featured many special items especially good at this time of year: asparagus, morels, so on. We indulged in the cheese course, though we agreed we would forgo it on our next visit after two tours of it. We got the six course menu elegance.

Although initially I thought I might take a night off of photo taking for the blog, I couldn’t resist once the first large course came out. It was just so effing amazing.

Asparagus “raw cooked” with lauris sauce. Lauris is a mayonnaise, cream and paprika sauce. This dish is a Guy Savoy speciality. I think the most impressive thing was the serving style. The mandolined “trees” of asparagus were stunning. Here’s the recipe. We also got a bottle of champagne to start off the night right.

Squab and morels with a miniature savoy cabbage. Not to be mistaken for a brussel sprout.

Admittedly the dish looks…well, bland. Even after doctoring it a bit in Photoshop. But the flavours were rich and creamy and anything but bland. It just lacked visual charisma, I guess. Sort of like when the snow melts off from Edmonton, leaving that horrible dry brown dead grass, until the spring starts to appear in green grass and trees. Or atleast until the street cleaners appear.

Always the charmer. Back off ladies, he’s mine.

Ah yes, the cheese cart. My old friend who I had dreamt of many times.

Between Mike and I, I think we got one of each kind of cheese. The aged Edam was my personal favourite. The ancient goat cheese (below, at 12 o’clock) was especially intense.

We also got a soup course (the Savoy traditional: truffle artichoke) and a fish course.

Hmm. Some kind of sorbet; lychee? This was a freebie. They were very good about adding in extras that night.

And then dessert.

First, the coconut, six ways.

Coconut shavings on top. Coconut sorbet and granita. Coconut tapioca and julienned coconut meat. Coconut cream. It was best when you hit all the layers and experienced each one. And yes, you could taste each one.

Chocolate praline chicory cake. Super rich chocolate fondant cake with crispy praline layer and roasty coffee flavoured chicory cream on a dish that was made for this dessert.

ALMOST too rich to finish.

Then, the dessert cart.

I went with a trio of all white desserts, because I could. One of my favourite things was the lime marshmallow. Last time they had several kinds of mini macarons available. This visit, many kinds of mini marshmallows. On Mike’s recommendation I tried a macadamia sable, but even one tiny bite was too much for me, and I had to tap out. I was fuller than full. I had to rest in the lobby for some time before being able to get into a taxi.

I got some intensely red tea, an herbal blend. Because who the hell wants to stay up all night in Vegas?

(Seriously, why didn’t I get a latte? I bet they’re incredible.)

Mike poses with a friend in the Bubble Bar of Guy Savoy. He was made up of tiny little … styrofoam bubbles? Ball bearings? I don’t even know. He was pretty cool though.

So: three amuse bouches, four courses, five dessert courses and a dessert cart visit – it capped off a wonderful week. And more than made up for a week of not eating.

Read about the first visit to Guy Savoy here.

The only thing I may love more than restaurant design is hotel design.

Scratch that.

I love hotel design more than restaurant design. Therefore, it was with great interest that I checked out the new hotels of CityCenter in Las Vegas on the last visit. Overall, I found they were all pretty sterile, pretty clean, pretty new…then we went for lunch at Mandarin Oriental.

Angles of CityCenter.

The hotel is stunning. Even just walking around the sparse public areas, it was easy to tell it was something different. The valet was friendly, less frantic. The elevator was plush. Yes, you read correctly: plush. There was a tufted velvet seat in case you were SO weary you could not bear to stand for 10 seconds.

There was calming minimalistic music chiming and droning through the halls. Lighting, reflective surfaces, texture all used to great effect. There is a sky lobby on the 26th floor. It’s a stunning hotel.

THERE IS A FREAKING PUBLIC BATHROOM THAT OVERLOOKS THE STRIP.

I’m easily impressed though.

Anyhow, we went for lunch at MOzen bistro, which is the “casual” restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental. I will admit it wasn’t high on the list of places to visit, but after six days of wedding shenanigans I was tired of making decisions.

MOzen does pan Asian cuisine well. Their menu, at first glance, is a jumble of random Asian foods. Indian curries, Singaporean hawker food, Japanese sushi, Thai noodles… it looks like a nightmare.

I’m happy to report, as with many restaurants, the pleasure is in the execution. There aren’t many places that do an amazing curry on the Strip, but I can fully support the curries that MOzen makes.

It’s not the cheapest restaurant – fitting for the hotel with some of the highest standard rack rates on the Strip right now as well.

High ceiling-ed dining room overlooking the other hotels and condos of CityCenter.

An amuse bouche of pickled daikon, pork tenderloin and curried potato salad.

Grilled stingray with sambal and lime, wrapped in banana leaf.

Sashimi and sushi rolls made to order. The mackerel was sliced a little thickly, but was still quite fine.

Mike got the lamb shank curry with naan. It came with a side of lentils and rice, and house made pickles – it was bloody huge.

I got the tandoori chicken tikka wrap with cucumber mint raita, a house salad and super crispy fries.

Mike’s parents joined us part way through. His mom got this gorgeous looking cocktail, made with gin and gold flakes. That’s all I remember.

At the end, peanut butter jelly macarons. The server called them macaroons which made me twitch a bit, but other than that and accidentally being sent a vegetable wrap (which they came back for quickly) there were no mistakes in service. It was attentive and kind, but sort of forced. The food is what shone.

I’ve heard they do a great breakfast, and they’ve just started a Sake brunch which looks like a classy (if drunken) dim sum.

Afterwards, we did a little tour of the public parts of the hotel and visited Pierre Gagnaire’s Twist. Next time, my friend, next time.

Then onto the monorail to travel to the Bellagio and visit the spring gardens. They were extra impressive this year. I enjoyed the giant ant sculptures and rose snails.

—

MOzen Bistro at Mandarin Oriental
Las Vegas
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner daily

Because I’m moving to Japan, we thought we’d check out the Kasugai Japanese Gardens in Kelowna. Kelowna’s sister city is Kasugai, and the garden was built to commemorate that. They’re really beautiful and peaceful.

Along with obese koi, there was a cute turtle swimming around!

We stopped at a new retro antique and furniture store, Object Orange. They had some cool stuff in there that I might have bought if I wasn’t trying to downsize my life and belongings.

Ogopogo made an appearance.

I stopped by a local chain of coffeeshops called Bean Scene for a London Fog. There was a musician playing there that I honestly thought was CD at first, he was so on.

I love this sign so much.

Wings, nachos and draft Okanagan Springs 1516 at Tonics Pub.

The nachos were okay. Great cheese coverage on top, but serious lack on the interior, as per usual with ‘chos.

These spicy honey wings were some of the best wings I’ve ever had. Right mix of meaty and cartilaginous with not too much sauce, and super fresh. Plus they gave me about 16 wings for what was supposed to be 12.

We went for ice cream sundaes one night at the Okanagan Fudge and Sundae Company. Two scoops of ice cream, two toppings and a big dollop of whip. I found the whole thing a bit saccharine and could barely finish. Kids would love it. We ate it on the water front.

I hope someone has asked for a fudge and ice cream sundae. Sick, right?

Another sunny day in Kelowna

The flight to and from Kelowna is well worth the $300 for the drive time it saves and the beautiful view of the Rockies.

Sad to say, but the semi truck was not my ride

You know the hotel in “Dirty Dancing?” The old school one that’s crazy busy in the summer with vacationing families, teenagers falling in love, people trying their hands at sailing or kayaking and packed to the gills dining rooms? That’s kind of what the Hotel Eldorado reminds me of.

It’s a really quaint hotel set built in 1926 on a particularly beautiful spot of waterfront property in Kelowna. And that’s saying something because EVERYWHERE is beautiful in Kelowna. It’s hot, it’s sunny, it’s green and there is fruit everywhere.

The hotel itself is like a big waterfront house with wood everywhere, touches of whimsy in the decor and a gorgeous view of the marina from the Lakeside Dining Room, which is where we ate.

Lakeside dining room. Does anyone happen to know if there is a story behind the missing pair of shoes in the boat?

View of the Marina on a rather unsually dreary day in Kelowna

The hotel has got quite a history. After being built in 1926 as a spot for travelers to rest in the interior of B.C., it was saved from demolition in the late 80s by a developer. It then burnt to the ground in an arson, but was reopened just a year later after being completely rebuilt. One of the coolest things remaining from the original building is the awesome retro sign out front.

I arrived in town to visit my brother early Sunday morning; 7 am. I had planned on having brunch at either one of the many wineries in town or buffet at the “El” as it is affectionately known around town. It seemed difficult to get a reservation on OpenTable for Sunday, but I eventually made two bookings. I cancelled at Quail’s Gate to eat the El. We had planned to arrive as the brunch buffet started, but turns out we were too early as the buffet starts at 9 a.m.

Instead of waiting 45 minutes for the seemingly small buffet to get set up and going, we ordered off the menu. They had the traditional offerings; pancakes and benedicts, among other things. The prices were a bit high, but reasonable. (An $8 fruit smoothie? They better bring the entire blender out for that.)

The buffet was a whopping $29.95; even though he wasn’t paying my brother refused to indulge, just on principle based on the excellent spread he’d experienced at the post-wedding brunch buffet at the Wynn in Las Vegas. I have to admit, he had a point. Even compared to the Post Hotel’s buffet, the El’s buffet was a bit lacking.

It wasn’t legal serving time, so we couldn’t get mimosas. (And they call this wine country!) With free flowing $4 Van Houtte drip coffees, we tucked into our food. Originally all three of us planned on getting the same dish but I changed my mind at the last minute and sprung for the Eldorado Benedict, which came with salmon.

Tory and Bruce got the mascarpone lavender blueberry pancakes. My brother complained the final taste was “bitter” but after having a bite I just explained it was the overly floral lavender flavour he was picking up. Lavender is a great taste to include in pancakes; it really lightened them.

The boys polished off their plates, and I think they got the better dish to be honest.

Lavender butter and saskatoon berry compote

Salmon benedict

My benedict (please, do not call them “bennies”) was ripe in flavour; the fish permeated and overpowered every bite. It was almost enough to make me wish I had kept the ham benedict they’d sent out by accident at first. The eggs WERE perfectly poached, however. The hash browns were passable. The fruit was ripe, but not particularly flavourful, which disappointed me. I think I just ordered wrong. I really do think the boys picked the best dish that day.

As we left I peered at the buffet and took some photos, since I canNOT believe there aren’t more Kelowna food bloggers who have written about it. It was quite difficult to find any non advertorial information on any restaurants in the area, actually.

The brunch had live action stations for omelettes and crepes, hot trays, and a lot of seafood such as pre-cracked Alaskan crab, salmon and such. Seemed kind of standard fare to be honest. I’m still not convinced it was worth the $29.99 charge, but it was filling up as we left. I’ve heard it’s one of the most popular brunch destinations in the Okanagan. This is probably due to the atmosphere.

The crab is always the most popular at buffets for some reason. They prepared well at the El for the contingent of crab cravers.

I was impressed with the pastry chef’s work with desserts, however.

I enjoyed our early morning breakfast at the “El”, but mostly due to company and atmosphere. Thanks to colleague and fellow blogger Shaughn Butts for the tip!

—

Lakeside Dining Room at the Eldorado Hotel
500 Cook Road
Kelowna, B.C.
Open daily for breakfast from 7 a.m.
Reservations for the Sunday buffet recommended

I really like where my brother lives in Kelowna. He’s got a great patio and lives within three minutes walk time to downtown Kelowna and among some interesting little shops that are popping up.

Although Kelowna is kind of an odd place with trashy transients clash with the tourists, blue hairs and yoga moms downtown and big box stores and chain restaurants may be more popular than in Edmonton, it’s got an artsy independent vibe you can’t deny, and some excellent ideas and people.

Chai Baba is one of those ideas. I was quick to write it off after my first visit last year. I strolled in when the owners were in, and I’ve never felt so unwelcome in a shop in quite some time. I wasn’t acknowledged, there was all sorts of nasty gossip going on and it was like some sort of chai clique. However, I was pleased to walk by on this last visit and find the shop empty. It was hot and sunny and I had planned on getting an iced drink from Bean Scene, but Chai Baba was four steps closer and I wanted to give it another chance.

The shop is bright and tidy, and features all sorts of loose teas as well as feature drinks. They also feature tea workshops on tea tastings and how to make matcha in a tea ceremony. I enjoyed the matcha I had last time I was in, but wanted something colder this trip.

Free samples of Rooibos Provence and Raspberry tea sat by the door

Drinks are on chalkboards

Cute clerk makes my iced tea

The clerk (tea barista?) told me they make any of their drinks iced, so I got the Yin Yang Ting Tang ($4.50). It was a lemonade based drink and had lavender syrup, ginger tea and raspberry syrup. It was tart and refreshing.

Next time I’m in Kelowna I want to try the Caramel Apple; creme caramel rooibos tea with vanilla and apple juice. Yum!

—

Chai Baba Tea House
1289 Ellis Street
Kelowna, British Columbia

As you can imagine, I’ve been a bit busy. Posts have been sporadic, and I have not had much time to consider blogging as I’ve been busy with other things like Japanese lessons, packing and visiting my brother one last time.

So, I’m going to do things backwards and bypass Vegas posts for now. Last week I visited my brother in Kelowna, and had an awesome time. We hung out, his cats didn’t scare me or make me sneeze (much), we had some wine, I watched “Glee” for the first time and we ate some great food. Because these posts are already queued up and I’m still working on wedding photos, I’ll blast these and some other food related posts out before any wedding/Vegas ones, and hopefully I’ll get them all done before July rolls in.

I’ll start off with the meal I was looking forward to most while I was in Kelowna…dinner at RauDZ.

First things first. It’s pronounced “Rods.” Yes, it’s weird. But it becomes more clear when you find out that it’s a combination of the co-owner’s names: RoD (Butters) and AUdrey (Surraro). He does the food, she does the wine.

RauDZ opened in 2008 in the space occupied by a restaurant called Fresco – also owned by Chef Butters and Surraro. I think they have a good handle on what makes a restaurant successful. The focus at RauDZ is on fresh regional foods, which is perfect for a place like Kelowna because it is located in the epicenter of one of Canada’s best produce regions and is very close to other food producers like ranchers and farmers. They are extremely supportive and proud of locally made items and list their producers in columns on their menu.

Even the dining room features the work of local artisans. Heartland Millworks made the long 21-foot harvest-style table and the substantial pine door. The bar top was made from Vancouver fir. The photographs of local farmers hanging on the walls were taken by Kelowna based photog and film maker David McIlvride. The chefs go picking fresh morels in the nearby forests with each other ahead of dinner service. There’s a lot to love about a restaurant like this.

But how was the food?

Well, we’ll get to that.

We started off with some drinks, first. The “liquid chef” behind the bar prepares fresh fruit purees to use in feature martinis each day, and there is a long list of other cocktails to try. Add to that an extremely extensive Canadian wine list, and the bar is certainly impressive. We tried a series of local beers and various martinis and fresh sangria and enjoyed each one. I highly recommend the gingery “Cold Snap” beverage.

We started with chicken confit poutine and gnocci, fulfilling the starchy component of the meal. The chicken poutine was savoury and cheesy and some of the best I’ve had west of Montreal. The dish it was served in prevented all of the fries from becoming soggy with gravy, but my brother commented that he thought the chicken was a bit slimy. It was, indeed, a bit too tender from confiting, but I enjoyed the savoury poultry depth it provided for the gravy and dish as a whole.

The gnocci were fantastic. My brother and Bruce said that they had seen gnocci in the grocery store but didn’t know what they were. Every culture has a potato dumpling, and gnocci are among the best. These were no exception; boiled and pan fried, salty and crispy and a bit chewy. They came with a zingy rocket salad and curls of parm cheese. Our appetizers made us excited for the mains and they did not disappoint.

Bruce said he was going to be “boring” and get a “plain old burger” but was very impressed with his dish. Seasoned fries lay alongside a ground-to-order stacked burger with fresh pickle relish and slaw. The burger was juicy, but not so out of control that Bruce couldn’t put it down, which is always nice at a classy restaurant.

Tory got the hand made pasta with veal bolognese. Some people fear veal, such as Bruce, and he wouldn’t try it, but I think it did a lot for the bolognese, making it taste a bit earthier and more complex than just plain beef would have been. The sauce was tomato rich and bordering on creamy, even without any added dairy other than cheese. The serving was substantial, but Tory polished it off.

I got the fish special. On a Tuesday! Anthony Bourdain probably woke with a cold sweat from whatever far off country he was traveling in. I couldn’t resist the halibut cheeks, and with halibut a dish on their regular menu, I felt confident I wasn’t getting weekend left overs. I found the vegetables were a bit too finely diced, making for a very mixed up flavour in every bite which may have been the only misstep. However the butter and fingerling potatoes helped balance it out. The fish was tender, not dry and meaty, not flaky. Pretty perfect, if you ask me.

Because I am a glutton, I insisted we get dessert. Although they offer a full sized RauDZ special dessert at $10, the majority of the dessert menu is reserved for sweet martinis, ice wines, special coffees and dessert “tastings” at $4 each. I’m all for this. Sometimes, I just want a bite or two. Instead I pack down an entire dessert after I’m done enjoying it, but want to clear my plate. (see: glutton statement, earlier) We all appreciated the smaller bites, and got a few different ones to share.

The overall winner was probably the espresso vanilla bean creme brulee. The crispy burnt shell top gave way to a creamy coffee-y custard. Next most popular was the Valrhona fudgesicle. My brother asked what Valrhona chocolate was, and I drunkenly replied “chocolate…on ‘roids” He said it was an apt description.

The fudgesicles came coated in small crispy orange flavoured balls. Tory ate those first before going in for the kill on the chocolate, but Bruce ate his all together. I got the apple fritters which were the weakest offering I think. They were filled with Okanagan apples which can never be wrong, but the dough on the fritter was cold and soggy, made even soggier by the addition of a plop of ice cream on top. They weren’t my favourite.

Service was well paced and knowledgeable, despite increasing amounts of diners in the space. I spied both Audrey and Chef Butters in the restaurant, working hard. This restaurant is their baby, and it shows.

After an extremely satisfying meal, we strolled home out of the PACKED restaurant to Bruce and Tory’s downtown condo just minutes away. It could be some time before I’m back in Kelowna again, but I hope not because I’d love to visit RauDZ again.

—

RauDZ Regional Table
1560 Water Street
Kelowna, British Columbia
Only open for dinner, 5 pm on every night
Dinner for three, with two appetizers and five drinks each came to $150

I have mentioned this before, but it took me a long time to get my Science degree. Over a decade, in fact. Throughout the genetics labs, English classes, late nights of studying and hours of time in the stacks at Cameron Library, I had one end result in mind: moving overseas.

I blame my parents for the influence. From a young age my family always took risks and challenges in stride, moving to places were things were fascinating – but not easy.

We lived in several different countries, each with their own culture and nuances. We moved home from overseas assignments in 1996, and I’ve been steadily accumulating friends, a mate, pets and belongings for the last 14 years. Now I’m about to give it all up again and go on the road.

In November, I submitted an application for a job overseas with the JET programme in Japan. I jumped through hoop after hoop, submitting a long personal essay, going through health and background checks, accumulating references and surviving through an interview in Calgary in February. And also waiting. Waiting a lot. At least I had the wedding to take my mind off of things.

Finally I was offered a job in April and I’ve accepted it. JET is a Japanese government run program that places teachers from around the world in Japanese classrooms as a sort of cultural exchange. The teachers learn Japanese and experience Japan, and the students learn English and learn about our home country. We get paid well and are offered extraordinary support from the Japanese government, board of education members and other JET participants. I’ve heard things ranging from great to mediocre about the program. Nothing really terrible, though. And a lot of people write and blog about their experiences. There’s only one way to find out what it’s really like, I guess.

It will be incredibly hard to leave what I consider my dream job at the Edmonton Journal as a photo editing assistant and web producer. Working at a newspaper has been a fascinating experience and one I never expected myself to have. I can say nearly every job I’ve had has been a dream on in one way or another, and I hope that Japan offers the same. If I could do my current job from Japan, I would. It’s not the job or the people – it’s the city. It’s time to go.

Just another day at the office, scowling at stealthy photographers snapping photos. Credit: Ryan Jackson

Standing with Journal staff photographers and other photo deskers, 2008. Credit: Walter Tychnowicz

So, finally, my dream comes true. I’m not sure what changes this blog will undergo yet, but I expect them to be somewhat major. Obviously I’m excited about the Japanese cuisine, but I’m a bit nervous over the changes cooking at home will undergo. All my cooking appliances and cookware will be given away here. Our spice collection will be pared down to the absolute must brings.

Everything I hope to use in the next year will come in two suitcases with me or shipped via boat. Mike will join me a few weeks after I get settled. The initial contract is for a year, but could be extended for as many as five.

My new home: Okinawa. It offers tropical beaches, treehouse restaurants and exquisite uniquely Japanese experiences like sakura/cherry blossom viewing parties

We’ll be living on Okinawa which is kind of like the Hawai’i of Japan. It has a culture unique unto itself even compared to the already unusual Japan, and for this reason is a tourist attraction to “mainland” Japanese. There is a heavy American influence with the US military presence on the island. The climate is tropical and the days are hot and humid, and there are many island diversions we hope to avail ourselves of such as diving, fishing and rock climbing. We’re actually closer to Taiwan than Tokyo, and so I hope to finally begin forays into China.

I’m a naturally nervous person at heart, but I can honestly say that although moving nerves do keep me up from time to time at night, I’m ready to spring into action and start down a new path. I will be leaving Canada July 30…so not long to go!

The wedding was a week long party filled with the best people imaginable, and a wild time. We were up late every single night, eating insane food every day and doing it with the people we love most. What more can you ask for?

I have a longer recap of the wedding typed out, but it’s not quite ready. Nor are all the photos, so here’s a little taste. All shot by the fantastical Mr Ryan Jackson.

You can click these photos to make them slightly larger.

The bridesmaids are ready…

Another morning of running around, and then this afternoon Mike and I are on a flight to Las Vegas with my mom and dad as well as man and maid of honour, to meet up with 40 other friends and family members to get married on Friday!

I’ll be back next week, hopefully with lots of food stories to tell, including some new restaurants and some old favourites.

Oh, yeah, and some wedding stories too, maybe.

(It took a while, but this is my last Vegas post from the trip in early March. In another month we’re back there again! Not sure how much food blogging that trip will garner though… -K.Z.)

For a long time, Italian was my favourite cuisine. In recent years, it’s really become Japanese food though. I’m not talking sushi or drive-thru restaurant rice bowls. I mean the good stuff: miniature octopi, pig ear, fish roe, dashi broth, tendon and above all, fresh noodles. It’s impossible to find in Edmonton, so I often save up my cravings for a mammoth meal when we get to Las Vegas. We chose to eat at Raku this past visit.

Raku, like Lotus of Siam, is a notoriously busy restaurant. I don’t know if there are any restaurants more buzzed about online in the Vegas food community than Raku, except perhaps Joel Robuchon’s Mansion. Odd, considering the two are at very opposite ends of the food spectrum. One is on Strip, the other off. One unearthly expensive, the other cheap (well, okay, maybe just affordable.) One French, the other Japanese. But they do share a very common thread: incredible cuisine.

Again, we arrived without a reservation (we’re terrible!) and were told we’d have 30 minutes to eat at the bar. If we were lucky. I was gung ho, but some members of our party were not. I thought we wouldn’t get another chance for some time to eat at Raku again, so we’d scarf and run. Turns out, they did find an actual table for us, and we took our time eating. All that worry for nought.

Aburiya Raku is a robata restaurant…mostly. It’s a dark cozy restaurant that appeals to a wide range of clientele. We saw a couple on a date, sharing a sake flight and Sapporo beers. A family with a child gobbling down chicken thighs on sticks. Businessmen, young, old; all brought here by the food.

Fresh tofu, green onions, dried onion and fresh ginger and dipping sauce

The menu takes some time to work through, and requires an imaginative mind. A plain sounding “tofu” belies what the dish actually is: fresh housemade tofu, creamy and sweet and salty and firm, lick-the-dish good. So, think outside the box and get something that might sound ordinary. Trust me, it will not be.

In addition to the menu the are, of course, nightly specials. These are brought round on a chalkboard. They threw our group into a tizzy and doubled our already substantial food order.

Kobe beef liver

Hell if I can remember. Roe of some kind, with tuna I think

Mackerel. Our server came over and deftly extracted the bones with just a set of chopsticks and a single carefully placed finger.

Pig ear: gelatinous, chewy and salty. The perfect savoury snack.

Baby octopi. I kind of felt guilty eating them, since they always grow up to be so cool and intelligent.

Raku is really fantastic. A wide selection of hot and cold dishes, from small to large, encompassing all palates and wallet sizes.

A sake flight. There are many to choose from, and they all come with detailed descriptions. As with the food specials, there is also a special sake flight selection that changes monthly.

Be warned that Raku only serves wine, beer and sake, not hard liquor like Ichiza just down the street.

Our problem was solved by hopping across Spring Mountain Road and going for dessert, more food and drinks at Ichiza after. I just had to have the honey toast…

Ichiza’s honey toast. On our last visit I saw this as we were leaving and had to pick my jaw up off the floor. It’s like a little bread fort, toasted, filled with ice cream and honey.

..and Evan just had to have the shochu.

Evan, pleased with his “mystery greens” shochu. Still no word on what the mystery green came from.

Both Raku and Ichiza are in the same vein, but with different execution. Ichiza does the lax party atmosphere well, with more pub food on the menu. After all, it IS an izakaya.

Raku is a bit more refined (in ambiance and decor), with simpler, yet tastier, dishes. I would never refuse either, but Raku is my personal favourite after trying both. It is also said to be the favourite of local chefs getting off work late as well.

It’s open until 3am every night but Sunday. Perfect for late night snackers.

–

Aburiya Raku
5030 Spring Mountain Road
Las Vegas, Nevada
Open 6pm to 3am every night, closed Sundays

Ichiza Izakaya
4355 Spring Mountain Road
Las Vegas, Nevada
Open for lunch noon to 2:30pm weekdays
Dinner 5pm to 3am every night

Reservations recommended for both, lest you be prepared to wait or be turned away.