I am gambling with a fistful of cash, a martini and a Momofuku pork bun. The pork bun is the only winner. The malevolent slot machine spitefully chews dollars, celebrating my losses with self-satisfied beeps. In my rage against the machine I knock over most of my martini. The pork bun, though, straight from Chef David Chang’s little hipster haven Momofuku in trendy Cosmopolitan casino is delicious.
Over five days in Las Vegas, I quickly learn that dining out is infinitely more rewarding than shaking my fist at the roulette table. I am not alone. Sin City has been steadily changing its brand. Now it is a shiny entertainment capital, offering visitors a galaxy of stars to choose from — from artists like Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga and Calvin Harris to culinary legends such as Joël Robuchon, Nobu Matsuhisa and Wolfgang Puck. Not to mention the TV celebrity chefs: Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay and Giada de Laurentiis.
Given the pool of talent, Vegas offers an endlessly evolving culinary landscape. With so many options, where do you brunch? Here’s our pick.
Wicked Spoon
At The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Level 2, The Chelsea Tower
Cost: $28 (Mon-Thurs), $36 (Fri-Sun)
Let us stick with tradition and begin with a bombastic, extravagant, over-the-top, typically Vegas style buffet. Except, this is a gourmet version. No clunky chafing dishes, reheated spuds and wilted bacon here. Modern and spacious, the Wicked Spoon buffet is vast and inventive. Which could explain why customers patiently wait in long queues to get in.
Styled like a trendy global food hall, the focus is on creative presentation. Most dishes are served in small, individually plated portions. I try dinky bowls of steamy mac and cheese. Then pause to admire the carving stations, and nod hello to an assembly line of chefs who systematically set out little baskets of freshly fried chicken, steamy dim sum and Korean-style kalbi beef ribs. The buttery bone marrow is a favourite here, as are the skilfully made scrambled eggs, which are sunshine yellow and impressively creamy.
Dessert is a Willy Wonka fantasy featuring imaginatively styled puddings, cake and gelato. I am so overwhelmed by the choices I circle it three times, and end up eating a coconut cookie!
Giada
At 3595 Las Vegas Blvd S, The Cromwell
Cost: $55 for the tasting menu
Emmy Award-winning celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis’ smile is as bright as her sunshine-flooded restaurant. Brunch begins with cheery mimosas, but you can posh it up with Veuve Clicquot if you prefer. Set in elegant Cromwell hotel, this is possibly one of the best restaurant views in Vegas: the Bellagio Fountains, theatrical Caesars Palace and all the drama of the strip.
Giada’s around, chatting with guests, posing for fan selfies and signing cookbooks. Between it all, she explains her style — simple Italian home cooking. However, while easy recipes may have made her a star on the Food Network, Vegas’ steak and Champagne audience is more demanding. Hence her food for the restaurant has been carefully tweaked while leaving its easy, breezy core intact. The antipasto, for instance, features ricotta crostini, prosciutto and sweet baby peppers, as well as a powerfully fragrant truffle burrata.
I eye Giada’s fluffy polenta waffles served with sunny side-up eggs, pancetta and maple syrup, then settle on a crisp Romaine salad, dewy with citrus vinaigrette followed by pesto-puddled cavatelli, tossed with roasted mushrooms. And a lobster hash. The vibe is stylish but artfully casual, like a Woody Allen rom com: all perfect lighting, bursts of laughter and beautiful people. To Rome with love, and a lemon ricotta cookie.
Jardin
At Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 S Las Vegas Blvd
Cost: Approximately $60 (a la carte for two)
This is where I collide with Popeye. I have spent 20 minutes wandering around Wynn’s labyrinth, art-studded corridors, hopelessly lost and desperately in need of a Bloody Mary. Like any good intrepid explorer (well, as intrepid as you can be with GoogleMaps, plush carpeting and shimmering chandeliers) I study my surroundings. The Popeye sculpture, which weighs about 2,000 pounds was reportedly purchased at auction by Steve Wynn for $28 million.
Then there are the flowers. Designer Preston Bailey has used tens of thousands of them to create a carousel in the lobby, complete with its 10 horses, Pegasus and a unicorn.
So not surprisingly, when I finally find Jardin, it is like walking into a movie set, strung with dramatic floral installations. The main dining area is bright with sunlight, making it feel more like a conservatory than a restaurant. I sit by the quietly elegant poolside in the midst of meticulously manicured greenery.
The food is “approachable American”, basically comfort food that has undergone a makeover to emerge lighter, fresher and a lot more stylish. There is a strong focus on seasonal ingredients. I try lobster Benedict served with sautéed spinach, tomato hollandaise and hash browns. There’s buttermilk-soaked, fried chicken set on thick French toast. As well as brown butter crepes topped with Chantilly cream, caramelised banana and Nutella. And yes, a rolling Bloody Mary cart.
Primrose
At Park MGM, 3770, South Las Vegas Boulevard
Cost: Approximately $60 (a la carte for two)
After a $550-million revamp, the legendary Monte Carlo has become MGM Grand. From flashy casino chic to European elegance, this restaurant is typically ‘new’ Vegas. We sit outside soaking in the ‘South of France’ vibe in a garden dappled with sunlight.
Over multiple cups of darkly aromatic Columbian coffee, Marc Guastella, VP Food and beverage at Park MGM, says they wanted to take the café concept and give it a twist. “It has multiple facets depending on the season, so we can activate the space,” Guastella says, adding that they are deliberately moving away from the typical hustle of neon-lit Vegas.
We eat warm doughnuts served with whipped cream and tart lemon butter followed by sesame bagels topped with smoked salmon. There is French toast streaked with sticky maple syrup and a garden scramble of organic eggs with mushrooms, spinach and gooey Gruyère cheese.
There is more to come. NoMad will open next this year, marking the Vegas debut of Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park, currently hailed as one of the world’s best restaurants. Italian chain Eataly will launch. And Korean American Chef Roy Choi, celebrated for his “food that isn’t fancy” style and Korean taco truck, Kogi, will open a Koreatown-inspired concept.
Eggslut
At The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Level 2, The Boulevard Tower
Cost: Sandwiches between $7 and $14
When you wake up with bleary, mascara-smudged eyes and last night’s lipstick, be like the hipsters. Just whip on sunglasses, call for a limo (try Bell, which sent us sleek SUVs with friendly chauffeurs and an impressive list of A-lister Hollywood clients) and pick up breakfast from Eggslut.
In the setting of over-the-top Vegas, Eggslut has chosen a small format setting with a short menu. And been extremely successful (they can serve up to 1,500 people every day). This is more of a takeaway counter than a restaurant, ideal when you want to crawl back into bed with a warm brioche and cold brew coffee. Be prepared to wait in line, probably along with a dozen excited, frantically-Instagramming millennials.
A spokesperson from Eggslut calls their short menu “simple, but effective,” stating that when they opened they wanted to offer a product that was missing from the market. The menu, launched by Chef Alvin Cailan, who built his reputation on decadently oozy egg sandwiches served out of a food truck, stays true to its roots. Try the Fairfax, a cage-free soft scrambled eggs and chives, cheddar cheese, caramelised onions and sriracha mayo in a warm brioche bun. On your way out, do not forget to grab a dark chocolate chip cookie, topped with grey salt. It’s baked fresh every morning and sells out quickly.
