Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
portions and then set out at other buffets. There are also excellent crème brûlées,
cookies, brownies, gooey pastry bars and glory be, puffs of cotton candy (which I
take out with me; there's nothing that makes you feel quite so debauched as hit-
ting the craps table with a cone of cotton candy in one hand and a margarita
in the other. It also makes it a bit difficult to throw the dice, but that's another
story . . .). Of course, man can't live on dessert alone (well, actually, this woman
thinks she could), so you'll want to hit the regular part of the buffet first, which
does very well with the Asian food (nice sushi and wok-sautéed fare), has a sand-
wich bar that's great for kids, excellent BBQ, and a make-your-own pasta station.
The disappointments here—and aren't there always some?—are in the veggie
department, with the side dishes lacking oomph and the salad makers needing a
bit of extra training in how to properly toss and dress (my last salad was paddling
around the plate, thanks to all the vinaigrette that was glopped onto it). Though
it's not as swank looking as its next-door-sister, Cravings at the Mirage, the seat-
ing area—done up in dark browns with touches of orange—is attractive and mod-
ern, with a somewhat Brazilian feel to it.
THREE SMALL SPLURGES
Overspending a bit is not all that hard in this area, and I have three places to rec-
ommend that are nice for a special occasion dinner (an anniversary, or perhaps
just a great day at the slots), but with careful ordering won't do much more dam-
age to your wallet than the rest of the offerings in this chapter.
$$-$$$$
In the Forum Shops at Caesars,
Sushi Roku
55
(in the Forum Shops
at Caesars;
%
702/733-7373; www.sushiroku.com; Sun-Thurs noon-10pm,
Fri-Sat noon-11:30pm; AE, DISC, MC, V)
embodies what most Vegas first-timers
probably think the town is like after watching such slick entertainment as
Vegas
(the TV show) or the film
Oceans 11
. Diners here all look like they've come from
Central Casting—the type of tan, buff-bodied, glossy-haired folk that you rarely
see off the silver screen. And they look all the better under Roku's moody lighting,
sinking into the dark soft leather banquettes and framed against the walls, a high
design patchwork quilt of ornate concrete blocks, fine woods and light boxes.
Heck, you could probably look like Jon Lovitz and still boost your sex appeal ten
points just by hanging here. This is particularly true in the back room where huge
windows offer up a panoramic sweep of the Strip (it's actually a great place for a
private party as it features the only private room in the middle of the Strip with
windows that open to these sorts of views). As you guessed from the name of the
place, the fare here is Japanese, and while not all that creative, it does all the clas-
sics quite well, thanks to Shima, the master sushi chef recruited from Japan. He
flies in many of the ingredients from there daily. Sushi pieces must be ordered in
sets of two and range in price from $6 to $10 (with four pieces of sashimi from $4,
and rolls for $7-$14), so order carefully, as tabs do add up quickly. I'd stay away
from the sushi appetizers; not only are they overpriced, too many of them come
doused in a very sharp, vinagery ponzu sauce, making one indistinguishable from
the next. If you're on a budget, you won't be depriving yourself if you stick with
the noodle dishes, which at $10 to $15 are the cheapest items on the menu and
actually quite scrumptious, especially the Ramen with pork, egg, radish, and green
onion ($14) that features wonderfully springy noodles and a deep, complex broth.
