ViVa Elvis

by Rex, Visited 6/27/2010

(picture linked from Cirque Du Soleil)

太陽馬戲團在Vegas可以說獨霸現代的秀場, 與美高美集團的聯手(MGM), 當最新的旅館推出同時也會展現他們最新的編劇. (他們出新秀的頻率剛好和我想回到拉斯維加斯擁抱的腳步同步, 我甚至認為他們的頻率就是為了我們這些老顧客設計的)

說到獨霸秀場我們不免想到在50s也是有史以來第一個超級巨星 - Elvis.

這齣戲的演出是為了稱頌(tribute)這偉大的巨星, 也正因為Elvis, Vegas 才能永久的成為了世界的娛樂舞台, 憑著他一首 " Viva Las Vegas" 就把整個城市唱的色彩繽紛, 如今在這個不夜城裡, 不難找到他留下的蹤跡.

太陽馬戲團的特色是不會以模仿來表達他們的敬意 (其實在拉斯維加斯有許多貓王的模仿秀) 它們相信, 傳奇被複製還是不足以表現出傳奇的韻味. 他們是以太陽獨特的舞蹈, 特技, 還有精湛的音樂扮與著貓王的歌聲與原影, 訴說著貓王的傳奇及他經歷的背景.

伴隨著歌舞的氣氛, 貓王的剪影, 太陽馬戲團把整場的氣氛炒的非常的高昂, 讓現場有種正在迎接貓王出場的興奮, 而最終又有著一股貓王剛演唱結束的歡樂, 完全把貓王精神復活了起來!

我相信在場的觀眾都有種期待貓王忽然現身的心悸...

大家有機會可以到最新的City Center Aria 來享受貓王的魔法性的張力



原價: $99~175
舞蹈: 8/10
音樂: 9/10
故事: 8/10
效果: 6/10
舞台佈置: 6/10
推薦票價: 30% OFF

Note: 我在觀賞這個show之前, 在地的朋友跟我說並沒有太好看, 但我覺得整體的表達非常完整. 但在效果與舞台的創意上, 比起其他大作, 太陽這次是比較低調一點, 不知道是不是受到經濟蕭條所限制, 也缺少了太陽一貫的小丑(丑角, 不一定是真正的小丑). 特技上面也沒有太大的特技, 但整個搭配非常的流暢, 我想重點應該放在貓王上而不是太陽馬戲團畢竟, 貓王是 KING of Rock and ROLL!

Reference:
Video from cirquedusoleil.com
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/viva-elvis/default.aspx

Mystere

Visited 02/15/2009

很多朋友去Vegas之前會問我到底要看哪一個表演, 拉斯維斯既然是娛樂的首都, 這個問題的答案當然是見仁見智. 每個人都有不同喜好, 所以很難找到一個可以滿足全方味的表演. 如果是沒有接觸過太陽馬戲團的旅遊者, 我會推薦在金銀島(Treasure Island)的 Mystere 給朋友們.

Mystere 雖然並不是太陽馬戲團, 最昂貴的大戲, 但是卻能豐富的表達他們的精神.  已創意以及想像力, 加上美妙的音樂搭配各個成員精湛的特技能力表演出夢境般的美. 它也是一第個太陽馬戲團在拉斯維加斯的第一個resident show, 不僅如此他是第一個擁有自己的舞台戲院的表演. 專門設計的舞台, 投資特別的大. 所已在1990年卡薩飯店撤離了這項計畫, 還好在1993年 Treasure Island 與 Mirage 合作終於讓太陽馬戲團有機會推出這項表演.

Mystere 的票價是各個駐場的表演中最低的, 但票價便宜並代表表演不精彩, 淺顯動人的故事情節, 可以說是接受度最高的表演.  也難怪他門奪得連續好幾年的Best Vegas Show 第一名, 沒看過太陽馬戲團的朋友們也可以藉由此秀了解太陽的精隨, 用最少的投資得到你對太陽馬戲團的感覺, 畢竟太陽馬戲團並不是所有人都喜歡的.
總結, Mystere 劇情夢可愛, 串插的小丑非常的好笑, 舞蹈非常有活力, 開場的超級大個太鼓表演開發了整部戲的味口, 是最適合闔家觀賞的一部好戲.
原價: $69~100
舞蹈: 9/10
音樂: 10/10
故事: 8/10
效果: 7/10
舞台佈置: 8/10
推薦票價: 0% OFF

Love

Serendipity 3 @ Las Vegas

Visited 6/28/2010

An  New Yorker’s all time favorite desert spot has turn into a tourism hot spot after the movie “Serendipity”. The place is so popular in New York that even during a 20 degree F winter night there is a 3 hour line up just to try out its famous frozen hot chocolate. Now the craze has spreaded to Sin City Las Vegas, where on a summer days like this afternoon, any one would really kill to have nice cool frozen chocolate to fight off the heat.

   

It is located at the front court yard of Caesar's Palace. The location is absolutely stunning. Roman building decorated with bright pink awning sitting right off the strip, easily grabs every one’s attention.  The interior is simple with a pinkish shade and decorated with many cute pictures and tiffany style lamp just like its predecessor. It is however a lot more spacious than its New York store but in my opinion not as cozy and cuddly, which is what it famous for.

The food portion is quite generous, ranging from 12~18 dollar a meal.  The foot long nacho cheese hot dog instantly grabs my attention but turns out to be an disappointment.  There is nothing special about the cheese and the hot dog isn’t even better than the street vendor in Toronto.  The bread however is quite delicious with thick texture and packed with wonderful aromas.  The Caesar’s salad on the other hand is a bit over dressed.  The garlic bread that comes with it is crunchy and tasty. 

The server almost forgot our reason to be in this place. The “Frozen Hot Chocolate”. It is absolutely delicious. Delightfully sweet and you can taste much of the cocoa  flavor with the right combination of the milk. The whip cream is a bit over the top but once everything is mixed it is actually still quite enjoyable.
This is definitely a great hang out place for the afternoon or at night where you could enjoy the view of the strip and cool down with their wonderful desert.
Food: 18/30
Interior: 20/30
Price: $20
Frozen hot chocolate: 21/30
Note: I wouldn’t come here for their food but you definitely need to try out the desert.

Canter's Delicatessen @ Treasure Island

Visited 2007~6/29/2010

For some reason I always end up here in every Vegas trip. It could be because I always try to take advantage of the open bar at the latest Christian Audigier night club in Treasure Island. (well it is opened at least 2 year) The night club is always looking for crowds to fill the space. The girls always end up having free champagne or open bar with no entrance fee, making TI a great pre drink spot.

Canter’s is a landmark in LA since 1931, its deli is consistently good. Mountain stacked of thick sliced, tender, and savory deli meat with its amazing mustard sauce would definitely satisfy your craving for meat! I recommended the Viva Las Vegas sandwich, which is packed with pastrami and corned beef with Swiss Cheese and coleslaw. The combination is unbeatable.

Canter’s is definitely one of my favorite sandwich shop just next to Schwartz's in Montreal, ON. This is a great spot for breakfast or late night! This time I was there I noticed they open another store right beside the poker room in Mandalay bay.
Food: 21/30
Interior: 20/30
Price: $20
Notes:
Don’t over order. Once I had take out 2 combos and the take out bag literally feel like at least 5 KG.
The turkey sandwich isn’t as extraordinary. Go for the Red Meat!
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中文介紹 By Richard L

Canter's Deli 在美國是一個相當有知名度的餐廳, 本店位於 LA 市中心從1931年開幕到現在已經超過70年, 如果想要體驗一下傳統的美式三明治, 來 Las Vegas 一定不能錯過位於 Treasure Island 內的 Canter's Deli.
Canter's 的價位以一般三明治來說, 其實有點偏貴, 一餐下來含飲料大約 15~20 USD. 不過份量絕對是非常的十足, 不過重點當然是他的美味. 如果你是紅肉的熱愛者, 千萬不能錯過他的Viva Las Vegas Sandwich (以pastrami and corned beef為主), 當然除了牛肉以外, 你想得到的肉類三明治都可以吃得到, 如上圖的 chicken club (雞胸肉總匯)也是相當好的選擇, 除了三明治以外, 隨餐附送的薯條也是很多人的最愛.

如果你逛街逛累了, 想找個地方坐下來聊天休息, 或是想要在看 Mystere Show 之前吃頓輕便的簡餐, Canter's 會是個很棒的選擇 !

Note: (其實 Treasure Island 內其他的餐廳都不怎麼樣, 所以個人強烈建議如果你要來這邊看 Show, 別錯過 Canter's Delicatessen ! )

食物: 21/30 裝潢: 20/30

Julian Serrano @ Aria (Prologue)

Visited 6/29/2010

 


    Julian Serrano is one of the biggest celebrity Chef in Las Vegas. He is the magic behind the 5 diamond restaurant Picasso at Bellagio, and has build up royal followers through out 11 years.  His new restaurant J.S. at Aria is going to be the next hot spot in Las Vegas.
  The restaurant has a great location compared to the rest of fine dining restaurants in Aria. It is located next to the hotel registry, and on the passage way to City Center’s upscale shopping gem – Crystal.   The color setup of the restaurant has a full gamma glow, orangey and bright, harmonized to Spanish’s warmth and passionate cultural food.  It is almost impossible to ignore its existence as you walk by the restaurant.
 
  Even though, it is described as classic Spanish tapas.  It actually has elements from all over the
world.  It has round table that allows ease of sharing.  Due to flight schedule, I didn’t have time dive deep into the menu and think about what I want.  I start the meal with apple manchego salad.  Sliced green apple with manchego cheese is dazzle with chives and mix in balsamic vinaigrette.  It is such a refreshing dish for the summer.  The sourness in the vinaigrette instantly activate your appetite. This reminds me a lot of the famous Thai papaya salad. If there is a spicy kick to this dish, I think it can goes into another level. 


  Next is the Ahi tuna tempura. Ahi tuna tempura is Tataki tuna wrapped with crispy battings and seaweed.  The fish was fried til perfection. You can still taste the tenderness of the raw fish while the battings is wonderfully crispy. However, the avocado mango ensaladila on the side isn’t as spectacular.



 

This is a lunch special going on when I visit, “Seafood rice”. We were here mainly for their paella (which required 35 min of prep, so make sure you have enough time) but again due to time constrain I ordered the next closest thing. The seafood risotto is wonderfully flavored, the sweetness of the seafood is brought forward and all the fishy smells are left behind, this makes great contrast to typical Spanish restaurant.



I will be looking forward to visit this restaurant again, and go for the more advanced dishes. By the way, compared to the rest of the fine dining in Las Vegas. J.S. is priced very affordable. Therefore, it is definitely worth it to make a trip to here if you are visiting the new City Center, Las Vegas.
 

 

Food: 23/30
Interior: 27/30
Price: $20~50
(based on appetizers and lunch special)

B.B. King’s Blue Club @ Mirage

Visited 6/25/2010

The Legendary B.B. Blue Club sits at the back of the one of most classic hotel Mirage is greatly honored by many visitors. The stage it self has the most classic southern jazzy look to it, just like Legend used to play it on.

The music played by the PJ Barth does not lived to the standard of B.B. King on the night I visited. The band is very skilled but somehow lacks charisma.
The restaurant offers comforting southern food which basically means that everything is fried. (Especially at the late night menu). I was drawn to this place by a Review I saw on the airplane naming its appetizer fried pickle “Epic” and recommended the sampler.

The fried pickle as you can see in the picture above is an interesting experience. Sourly with the texture of a potato chips in combination with the rich ranch sauce makes it a wonderful drinking treat. But it is hard for people who are not used to eating pickles to take on a whole basket of it. (Unless you are very drunk). I would recommended just get the sampler and have a few pieces of it and be sure you are accustomed to it.


The other two dishes I had are B.B.Q wings and the Prawns. Though they claimed the southern styled food are packed with spices all over the world. I really didn’t feel the Zing from it.

The drink menu is really limited in the restaurant as well. You have a option to ordered an 22 oz beer and bring home the glass. It’s a little bit pricy but at least the glass has a very classic B.B. King logo on it. I actually really like it.
Food: 18/30
Interior: 18/30
Price: $30
(based on late night menu only)
Notes: Not recommended as a great late night eaters.
Definitely check the event calendar before going.

The Gem of Las Vegas – Ellis Island Restaurant

Visited 6/29/2010

Las Vegas is no longer a place with cheap eats, crazy comped or special promotion. It is now officially a high-end resort capital that wants you to pay $ for everything. All hotels now include something so called the “Resort Fee” which charging a big waping of $10~20 + tax DAILY!!.
If you are a budget traveler that are here just for the shiny neon lights and paying your tribute to all the spectacular hotels. And you don’t particular enjoy the overpriced foods. Forget Denny’s or Fast food! Ellis Island will be the oasis for your budget. By the end of the meal you will feel you just experienced a Mirage phenomenon.
When you arrived to Ellis Island, which is on Koval street two blocks behind Paris and Planet Hollywood, don’t get shocked by how run down the place looks like. (beside a super 8 hotel) I am not trying to trick you. This may be the best steak experience you ever have.
Grab a sit at one of the leather sofa booth or a table. It is a typical old fashion family restaurant setting. A waiter would hand you a typical family restaurant menu which includes all sorts of items from sandwich, pasta to breakfast items.  The waiter here may look intimidating but they are very friendly and sweet.
 
You may be tempted to order some regular items from the menu or even the 3 dollar breakfast special. But Just ignore all those and order the “Steak and Beer dinner”. (Which IS NOT on the menu, and again Yes they have it) The waiter would ask you if you want soup or salad, then choice of bake potato, mashed potato or rice. I typically go for soup + mashed potato but the salad is nice too. (The baked potato is a bit plain so i don’t recommend it). Then you will need to choose a beer that you want. Ranging from light to dark you can see the “Beer chart” on the dining table.  They actually have similar taste it just the darker the beer is the stronger the taste it is. For those who absolutely don’t drink you can have root beer as well. (Why are you in Vegas?)
 
The beer is very tasty and smooth with a strong accent of rye taste. As you can see this is no small glass of beer.

The soup is always rich and flavorful and not over Iodized. I say it is 50x better than your typical Campbell soup. You also get a nice dinner roll to go with it.

Last but not least the Steak. I have to apologize that I already devoured well more than 1/2 of the steak before I realized i forget to take a picture. The steak is weight more than 10 oz and it is not your typical Denny’s or Sizzler’s dry up steak. It’s tender and nicely aged. The only down side is with the strong air conditioned room the huge steak gets cold quite easily. If you like your steak to be hot for a longer period you might need to order medium-rare.
Oh I haven’t mention all these are only $6.99????? Is this a Mirage or what!
Food: 26/30
Interior: 13/30
Price: under $10
Notes: Highly recommended as a late night go-to spot. Opens 24/7! Hack it is a Must go spot, your Vegas trip isn’t complete without this. After your night out in the town you need your piece of quiet here.

The American Fish (lounge)

Visited 6/28/2010

I am never big on the western seafood cuisine. I believed seafood must be hot and only be steamed. Dressing should be minimal to reflect the original flavors of the freshness of the seafood. However, the latest Michael Mina establishment in City Center might just be the turning point for me.

I came across this restaurant while I await for the newest Cirque du Solei innovation "Viva Elvis". I have about 1.5 hour to spare so I thought venture into the American Fish's lounge area and sample Michael Mina's creations.

The interior is modern with a very calm vibe. It felt like you are in a mysterious lake side ready to reel in some fish. We only ordered some appetizers from the bar menu and a dessert.

($8 for each appetizer but if you are here from 5~7pm, the food is $5 a dish)

I have ordered the "Blue prawns baked in Sea salt" as well as the "Truffled Mac & Cheese" with two drinks "Suffering Bastard" and "Peach blow".

The blue prawn is simply baked with a touch of sea salt. Then presented on top of pickled bits and aioli sauce brings out the sweetness of the shrimp completely. The sourness of the pickled bits harmonize with the juice from the shrimp making it a interesting combination.

The Mac and Cheese on the other hand is just superb. The creaminess of the cheese in combination truffle oil along with perfect tenderness of Mac. I have to say this just might be the best Mac and Cheese I have.

A meal is hardly complete with a desert. I thought we tried the Mascarpone Cheesecake.

It looks very delicate and simple. Yet it delivered a shocking experience for me. The cheesecake melts away your whole body as soon as you take a little bite. The cheese cake taste almost like Amuse Bouche, very milky and soft. As my friend has commented that it might easily surpassed the famous cheese cake shop Eileen's in New York.

After the brief introduction to Michael Mina, I now think I have to make a trip to San Francisco for his legendary main restaurant which is rewarded 1 Michelin star.

Food: 25/30

Price: $30~$50

Interior: 25/30

Notes: Highly recommend as a quick hang out spot before events