the best pho i have ever had

so this was my last dinner with p, since she's only able to spend a couple of days with me and not the entire trip. anyway, we both had the same thing in mind. we want asian!!! i dunno what's with american/western food in the us but somehow it feels so cloying and i always end up eating more asian fare which is so ironic.

we were supposed to go to noodle asia at the venetian but it was under renovation. tao, which is a bar and restaurant was already full. we just kept on walking thinking on where to eat, i was about to give up and settle for cajun which i deem would be more bearable compared to regular western fare and we were supposed to get our cajun fix in one of emeril lagasse's restaurants. then i opened my mini guidebook went directly to the back where all the restaurants are listed and noticed that there's one more restaurant which is asian! woohoo!

so we found zine, tucked in the corner of the casino floor in the palazzo. we settled in, ordered some spring rolls for appetizers to fill our grumbling tummies while waiting for our pho. and yes, we both ordered the same thing. so funny, how p and i agree on almost the same kinds of food.

this was my satay, tendon and oxtail pho. oh yeah, i don't think this can be found anywhere else. pho is usually served with a clear broth. this one is satay flavored...think barbecued skewers with that flavorful peanut sauce dip, it's not a thick soup but it is aptly flavored. we couldn't finish the noodles but just filled ourselves with the soft tendons and tender oxtail. i know some of you might be squirming right now, but if you love tendons and oxtail and satay or kare-kare then this dish is for you. the herbs bring that freshness that i love about a bowl of pho. if i'm not mistaken this bowl costs about 20USD. a pretty steep price especially if you come from the other side of the world but definitely a must try...i'll have this again when i visit vegas, hopefully.

p.s. this is not just the best pho i have ever had, but the best meal i had in vegas...oh gheez i can't believe i said that especially with celeb chef resto reviews coming up

zine

the palazzo

las vegas blvd.

i dreamt of cannoli

i have always been interested on cannoli. it's a tubelike pastry that has been fried and filled with ricotta or mascarpone well i don't know which cheese it is traditionally made of but basically it's crispy pastry filled with cheese, so who wouldn't love that???

when i realized i was going to the us, i searched for places where i can get it. because of the italian theme of the hotels/resorts in vegas, it wouldn't be difficult to find an italian resto or bakeshop which sells it. read about tintoretto at the venetian, so when we were there my friend and i grabbed desserts before heading back to our hotel.

that's my cannoli, i think it cost me around 6USD. well i wasn't impressed. i believe there are better ones out there i just have to keep on looking. the pastry shell wasn't that fresh, i hate candied fruits and unfortunately their version has it and i was surprised they drizzled chocolate sauce on top of it when it should just be dusted with sugar. anyway, i hope to try other ones in italy or new york or wherever there's an italian community so i can find the cannoli i am looking for.

tintoretto bakery

the venetian

las vegas blvd.

las vegas: taqueria canonita

canonita is a mexican resto in the venetian right by the grand canal. it was a perfect place to have lunch, we could see the the gondolas pass by and hear the gondoliers sing italian songs at the mouth of the canal which is at one end of the resto.

here's what we got.

Pork A La Talla (Guajillo seared Pork Tenderloin, Pecan Succotash, blackened Serrano Skillet Bread and Apricot relish) - loved the serrano bread and the succotash was very refreshing both had great flavors

Santa Rosa Barbacoa de Puerco (Marinated pork slowly roasted in a banana leaf, served cilantro rice, black beans and chipotle barbecue sauce) - the pork was so tender, but unfortunately the flavors doesn't that much have oomph as the other dish

note: got the names and description from the website, prices are also stated there

taqueria canonita

grand canal shoppe level

the venetian

las vegas blvd.

las vegas: lombardi's

i went to las vegas last month, and here's my first foodie experience there. flew into vegas on a saturday night and after checking in, my friend and i decided to have dinner. our hotel had a free shuttle and it was going to the miracle mile shops. whenever i go on vacay, i always do my assignment of finding out the restos i wanna try out. in miracle mile, my options were pf chang's and pink's hotdogs. unfortunately, there's a 1.5 hr wait in pf changs and we were already famished that i don't have enough will to look for pink's. so we ended up in lombardi's.

it's an italian restaurant in miracle mile shops and we just opted for it. here's what we got.

complimentary bread and dip - i liked this one, there's an addition of parmesan and chilli flakes with the usual balsamic and olive oil dip

warm crusty bread with red wine for my friend and white wine for me...i wanted something sweet.

greek salad with grilled chicken - i actually ordered grilled shrimp but i didn't complain and the chicken was a bit dry :(

i forgot what fish this was but it was good. i'm sorry i forgot the actually dishes and the prices but i believe our total damage was around 70USD including tip.

lombardi's

miracle mile shops

planet hollywood, las vegas

24/7 at the borough

i have always wanted to try the borough and when i saw vouchers i knew i had to buy them. i decided to have breakfast here as soon as i flew into manila. so straight from the airport we went to podium.

i was disappointed to find out that they only serve breakfasts items in the morning. but i asked if i could have the cheese injected portobello pita pocket and luckily they obliged. it was good, really good but unfortunately i forgot to take a picture!!!

here's my mom's omelette. nothing extraordinary...she didn't finish it it was too huge and it was too rich for her.

my dad's steak and eggs, it was a disappointment. why? can you see that it isn't a steak? it's sliced up beef and this doesn't compare to mr jones which my dad appreciated.



though i was happy with my pita pocket, my parents weren't happy with their meals so it was a major downer. because i hate it when people dining with me don't enjoy their food. plus, we saw small cockroaches crawling over our table. we reported it to the wait staff and i hope they did something about it. the dark atmosphere in the resto makes me wonder how clean it really is.

borough

the podium

kl: a german fare

my cousin and a friend were both in kl for a visit. they just wanted western which is so much cheaper in kl compared in sg, i was clueless and been wanting to try weissbrau.

steak with spaetzle and sauerkraut

steak with rosti and veggies


i forgot! this was mine...after some googling i realized this is stroganoff...not even german!

the spaetzle we all liked, rosti is the potato pancake, how can you go wrong with that? the meats are tough. yes the steaks are not that great according to my friends and cousin who all ordered it. my stroganoff wasn't tender as well :(.

dined here a different time and we had the german pizza and sausages and pork knuckles which are far better than the food we had on my first outing. so i guess stick to the sausages and pizza and you will be fine and don't forget some hoegaarden.

weissbrau

pavilion, bukit bintang

kl

kl: the living room at westin

the support team lead from the uk was on vacation in kl and i was asked to organize a team lunch, the best and most sulit buffet is at the shang and we've been there several times so i wanted to try something new. tried the westin hotel's buffet.

appetizers - melon with cheese on top, fennel with dressing, chicken and peppers salad, veggie terrine (i liked this) and some chicken coldcut

grilled lamb, spring roll, carbonara, salmon and mussel...nothing extraordinary


fried shrimp with a special sauce - yummy! i forgot what the other one is, i think it's oxtail curry it was also good, the meat was tender.



i love bread pudding i got a huge serving :D, the vanilla sauce has visible vanilla beans, a mocha/cappuccino mousse of some sort and pistacchio ice cream - i should stop getting pistacchio i don't like it.



the living room

westin hotel

bukit bintang, kl