A Touch of Asia ...
Just Steps Away

	Moongate at The Mirage

The best Asian restaurants create an irresistible convergence of cuisine and décor to virtually transport their guests to the other side of the world, even if only for one magical evening. Inside MGM MIRAGE hotels, that special kind of journey is often just around the corner.

Some of the finest Chinese regional cuisine in the city can be found at the tables of Moongate at The Mirage, Pearl at MGM Grand and Noodles or Jasmine at Bellagio, each with its own treasure chest of fantastic signature specialties. What's more, all have mastered the fine art of satisfying not only Western vs. Asian tastes, but also the varying preferences within both.

One of the greatest discoveries was servers that are not only gracious and knowledgeable, but also talented at accommodating both folks in a hurry and those inclined to linger over course after course. My dining experience unfolds in a context of fine Asian design that is distinct at each of the four restaurants.

Moongate
The sharply polished plank walkway that leads to Moongate widens out to deck-size at the doorway, where clever lighting and colorful floral arrangements give the illusion of entering from outdoors. Executive Chef Billy Cheng's cooking experiences in China, Hong Kong, Canada, and LA give his Cantonese and Szechuan menu extra flair. Abalone, a rare find locally, checks in here as an appetizer platter and four clay-pot combo dishes. In a nod to the varied crowd drawn to Moongate, Cheng offers several seafood selections sashimi style, sautéed or steamed and all equally delicious.

My favorite dish, the hot and sour soup, is a very popular choice and that's easy to understand after just one spoonful of this complex and deeply flavored medley. As for chef's specialties that bring folks back time and again, he singles out the beef tenderloin with asparagus and the mandarin pork, a take on sweet-and-sour without the deep-frying.

General Manager Thiem (Tim) Tran says for those seeking a purely Asian flavor, the regular menu features an appetizer platter of Far East favorites and also live fish, usually Goby or rock cod. There's also a separate Asian menu. No matter what your main course, you will want to conclude your evening with Moongate's famous "red bean" ice cream dessert.

Pearl at MGM Grand

Pearl
The ambiance of Pearl is a contemporary setting with vast planes of cool colors and bold splashes of red surrounded by a sophisticated palette of black and ivory furniture, for a strikingly handsome setting.

The menu at Pearl tells you immediately you are in for a wonderful evening of dining with an array of Chinese dishes such as sharkfin soup, live seafood and clay-pot dishes. For Western-friendly choices, Pearl offers excellent options as well, such as clams in broth and a number of veggie selections. I dabbled on both sides of the world by sampling a little of each. The main menu showcases what General Manager Sam Chung calls a purist, contemporary manifestation of "East meets West." It comes to life as a roster of elegantly prepared seafood, poultry and meat plus such signature dishes as the superb almond-crusted lemon chicken, all preceded by a couple of tasty gifts from the Chef.

An enlightening way to step into both worlds is with the "tasting menu" crafted by Executive Chef, Kai Wa Yau, who comes to this kitchen from Empress Court, named one of the "10 Best Chinese Restaurants in the United States." His sevencourse extravaganza starts with the signature appetizer of spider prawns and abalone (yes, here too!) with jellyfish, and progresses through a bounty of crab and corn soup, wokfried beef tenderloin, Maine lobster fried rice, and more. To conclude your dining, a roll-up cart presents Frenchstyle tempters from the restaurant's own pastry chef. Warm Valrhona chocolate cake with jasmine ice cream or a combo plate of lemon tart, rum cake and chocolate crème brûlée? The choice was difficult for sure.

	Noodles at Bellagio

Noodles
On the slightly more casual end is Noodles, with its name commemorated in Chinese characters in the floor tiles and also in an amazing display of seemingly every kind of noodle on earth tucked into jars standing lid to lid along back-lit shelves.

The scene is busy, bustling, full of noisy fun that eclipses the crooned tunes of Sinatra, Cole and the like.

If you like your food fast, Noodles delivers, but the quality is nothing but top notch as the star ingredient takes center stage in a dazzling array of hot noodles, cold noodles and soup noodles, with meat or not, spicy or not, and in a travelogue of international flavors.

Noodles' authentic Malaysian cuisine features rice dishes, rice porridges (some with that elusive abalone), BBQ items, and the assembly known as Hainanese Chicken. That's a bowl of soup, a bowl of rice, tender chicken topped with carrot shreds and cilantro, plus soy sauce, hot sauce and pickled ginger all nestled in a specially designed platter.

For dessert, Noodles refreshes the palate that's probably just savored a very substantial dish with a nice selection of fresh fruit and fresh fruit sorbets.

If you are hitting the tables into the wee-hours, noshers will be happy to know that Noodles serves its full menu until 2 a.m. nightly.

Jasmine at Bellagio

Jasmine
Across the Bellagio casino floor, Jasmine welcomes a well-dressed throng to a haven of quiet beauty, symbolized by its butterfly and floral motif. Guests enter through a wide corridor that is home to both the congenial hostess and a handsome, compact bar that curves into an artifact-laden anteroom.

Just beyond an explosion of flowers lies the serene, window-walled dining room, fantastically tiered for viewing Lake Bellagio and its magnificent fountain shows. Your brocade-attired servers move gently through the room, with a seeming sixth sense about what's needed and when.

Cantonese cuisine finds new forms of expression here, thanks to the Hong Kong-inspired modern interpretations of Executive Chef Philip Lo, named one of "America's Outstanding Chefs."

Lo's gourmet kitchen offers a pair of tasting menus, or individual selections of upscale entrées, vegetarian dishes, appetizers, and soups, with a truly unusual entry in the latter category. My meal began with yummy clam soup that warmed my body and soul with a lemon and wine-infused broth that harbors Manila clams and tiny mushrooms, all served in a young coconut tender enough to be scooped out with spoonfuls of this heavenly creation.

Lo also prepares a very special chicken dish that must be special-ordered. The four-hour process involves removing the skin intact, dicing and cooking all the meat, mixing the meat with sweet rice, sausage, and seasonings, stuffing this mixture back into the skin, and roasting until it's golden and crackling. Mmmm. But according to General Manager Tony Siu, Lo's version of Peking duck is the best in town, and that would be hard to deny.

To conclude my meal, I treated myself to the specialty, a signature chocolate upon chocolate creation of Bellagio Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Philippe Maury, whose creds include "Best Pastry Chef in France" and a gold medal from the most recent World Team Pastry Competition.

Actually, it's all sweet from start to finish and beyond because these exceptional Asian restaurants serve not only fine cuisine, but also lasting memories of a special culinary journey.

Drink Recipes
Bellagio Breeze	Ginger Snap