Abriya Raku and Payard Patisserie, Las Vegas NV

In my (maybe not so) humble opinion, the best thing about Las Vegas is the vast number of great restaurants on a single street – really, outside of Washington Street in Yountville where can you find so many Michelin Stars in such a small area? Noting the above, when I started planning my most recent trip to Las Vegas I knew where three of my four dinners would be – the last was a decision that underwent serious debate. Trotter? Puck? Serrano? Mina? I considered them all. Reading reviews and talking to fellow foodies, however, one name kept coming up – Mitsua Endo, the Chef at Abriya Raku – and his name wasn’t just coming up from fellow foodies, it also came up from Paul Bartolota, Wolfgang Puck, and the young Japanese hostess at Robuchon.

For a restaurant nearly 2.5 miles off the heavily populated Strip to get so much attention from so many individuals I opted to make the trek and after reading a few great reviews by respected fellow bloggers (ulterior epicure and food, she thought) I had some idea of what to expect. Calling ahead and making 6:30 reservations for one I was told (in almost unintelligible English) that the table would be held for 15 minutes. Looking into the road maps and bus schedule I first thought I’d just catch the bus down Spring Mountain Road and arrive in plenty of time – little did I know how confounded the schedule is – instead I just caught a cab at the Fashion Show Mall and made it to Raku in 6 minutes for $11.

Making my way into the small restaurant (I counted a total of 32 seats counting the bar) I was greeted by one of the 5 servers working the room – a very impressive server to diner ratio that would play into my continuously filled water, frequent visits to see how everything was going, and…honestly, just really friendly, grateful, devoted, and unpretentious service. First pulling out a chalkboard of approximately 15 daily specials (uniformly more pricey than the menu items – but all sounding impressive) and explaining each dish at length I was next given the “regular” menu which contained – well, a number of dishes that seemed anything but regular. Appetizers, Oden, Robata Grill, Noodle/Rice Dishes, and Desserts – I knew I’d have to temper myself in order to try as many things as possible without getting stuffed too quick – thankfully dishes were allowed to be ordered one or two at a time and were brought slowly which allowed plenty of time for digestion.

Beginning first with some appetizers my first choice was Poached Egg with Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe. Arriving after a short wait and in an ample portion the dish consisted of a cool broth with a warm poached egg paired with a creamy Uni tongue and given a myriad of flavors and textures from a “soup” of snappy mountain yams, earthy hon-shimeji mushrooms, salty salmon roe, and pungent green onions. Breaking the egg and stirring the broth it thickened quickly giving the whole dish a mellow and creamy texture that paired beautifully with the fresh uni and other ingredients – at $7 this may have been the most affordable uni I’d ever experienced with such great taste and honestly I would go back to Raku just to experience this dish again.

Arriving shortly after my first plate was finished – and with an explanation of all the little jars and bottles in front of me (a matcha sea salt, a house made soy, a japanese pepper + rice vinegar, and a chili infused oil) - Seafood with Bonito Guts Pickled in Salt looked and smelled much better than the name would arouse in one’s imagination. As others have mentioned, I really do not understand how this dish was a mere $6. A heaping bowl filled with a mix of sashimi yellowfin, jackfish, salmon, mackerel, and sprouts each fish was extremely fresh and the sprouts lent some texture to the fleshy-melt-in-your-mouth fishes. Topping the dish, according to my young server, was a combination of the house soy and the vinegar. Adding a bit more soy to the already salty mix made the flavor perfect, in my opinion, though I do believe the dish could have benefited from some daikon or perhaps a crisp starch to add a bit more texture.

The next dish – well, let’s just say it was so good that I ordered a second portion as my main course. Entitled simply Steamed Egg Custard with Foie Gras the dish looked simple enough – a miso broth with scallions and a piece of Robata duck floating in the broth. What laid beneath the broth, however, was the true treasure of the dish – a rich and hearty chawanmushi (egg custard) laden with ample accents of foie gras. When stirred up with the wooden spoon the foie tones rose amply to the palate with the whole dish tasting like the combination of a sweet egg custard and an unctuous foie gras terrine. While the grilled duck added a fine degree of texture to the dish, I personally thought the duck was a slight bit gamey – not bad, just not perfect.

Seeing this dish also offered in the noodle section as an Udon accompaniment I inquired from my server as to whether I could get that dish as a main course, but instead substitute the robata foie gras for the duck. Not quite understanding my question my server went and got another server who understood perfectly, asked the chef, and assured me this would be no problem. Receiving this dish after my robata choices and just before dessert I would strongly suggest anyone who attends Raku try this substitution for two reasons – number one, the manner in which the robata grill’s high temperatures crisps the foie gras exterior while leaving the center fatty and smooth is unlike anything I’ve previously experienced – the charring actually mellows the foie all on its own and the texture is more “firm,” not unlike the roasted version I had at Blackbird in Chicago, actually. Number two – those udon noodles served thin and cold to be dunked into a broth of foie gras, egg custard, and more foie gras…think “chicken soup” in its perfect form. (as a humorous aside – I also asked to add the bite sized chicken and egg bowl as a main and the server told me “no no, that will be too much, you are too skinny and foie gras sits in the belly and makes you too full!” – while I didn’t order it, she was wrong – I’d have eaten it and still had room for a couple desserts.)

Between my two foie dishes I decided to indulge in a couple of Raku’s robata skewers – three to be precise. Served individually with “dressing suggestions” regarding the soy, salts, and vinegar for each the first dish to arrive was Chicken Breast with Skin. Fresh organic chicken wrapped in its own skin and cooked to crispy this dish presented some of the most juicy chicken I’ve had in some time while the addition of the skin added a crisp “crackle” without any breading – better than the Colonel without all the carbs and oil. Adding first the soy and then the salt I have to say I was quite impressed by the manner in which the matcha’s bitter texture worked with the savorieness of the chicken and salt.

Robata course two was Kurobuta pork cheek and it, like the chicken, was excellent. Typically quite fatty the high heat of the grill managed to melt the collagen perfectly while burning off some of the fat and only mildly crisping the skin. The ‘rarest’ pork I’ve had since the chop at Babbo I found this to be my favorite, tastewise, of the robtata items and would compare it favorably to some of the better pork belly dishes I’ve had in terms of taste, texture, and fat to meat ratio.

The third robata course was something I’ve never eaten – Pigs Ears. Sure I’ve had trotters, tail, tete, belly, cheek, and all the standard cuts – but not ear. As others have stated – wow. Crispy and salty on the outside, fatty next, and a thin chewy layer of cartilage in the middle – almost a 5-layer sandwich with each layer giving a different taste and texture experience. Pairing these with the different condiments, particularly the chili oil, was a lot of fun with each tasting, oddly, like a different variety of buffalo wings – hot, sweet and sour, and soy. At $2.50, try it – even if you don’t like it, it is worth saying you tried and like myself you might love it.

Following my main I was offered dessert – a limited menu for sure, but an interesting one. First served a potent black tea as a digestif my dessert choice, Brown Sugar Bubbly Pudding arrived shortly thereafter. Essentially a flan my server informed me that this dish was a tradition in Japan – made with what I believe she stated was cane sugar. Small and not super-sweet, the custard itself had a woody/maple tone to it and the “bubbles” were actually steamed milk – think cappuccino. Mixing the broth I rather liked the dish, though it certainly wasn’t an “American” dessert by any means.

When the meal was all said and done the bill arrived - $54…only a dollar more than I’d spent for lunch at Carnevino – and while Carnevino was good, the experience at Raku was just so much more unique, tasty, and satisfying. Dining with only two other native-English speakers in the middle of Las Vegas in a restaurant staffed by an entirely traditional Japanese staff is simply not something most people think of when they think of Las Vegas, but as the fact that diners walking in were told it would be a 2-3 hour wait for a table of two, maybe it will be soon. Settling the tab and leaving a generous tip I made my way to the door and was bid farewell by half the staff – two of the ladies even made their way outside to say goodbye – now that is service.

Opting to walk back from Raku mostly because I wanted to check out the area in the dimming light I made my way past Ronald’s Donuts which was closed and Hot n’ Juicy Crawfish – with a line of about 25 out the door – perhaps there is a new movement in the Vegas dining scene. Wandering past myriad oriental eateries – Japanese, Chinese, Cantonese, Thai, and Korean I was surprised that as I got closer to the strip I saw less and less people – actually the area was downright dark and kind of scary. Making my way along and talking with my buddies they told me they were gambling over at Caesar’s so I diverted down a side road and continued along until I came to the valet of Caesars and made my way up to the gambling floor. (I’d not advise walking back from Raku after dark, by the way.)

Finding my friends around 9:00pm they were just on their way to get some dinner – a random Mexican place at TI, I guess. Calling another friend who was in town for the Olympia who was staying at Caesar’s I suggested we meet up for coffee – a suggestion he was definitely up for. Fortuitously as I was making my way toward to the entrance to meet my friend I happened past Payard and decided to stop in just to browse. Speaking with the friendly young lady behind the counter I was informed that since they were getting close to the end of the day anything left in the case was buy one get one. “Bogo on amazing french pastries?” I thought – I’d be a fool to pass that up. Selecting two they were packed into a pretty plastic container and I went to meet my friend. Offering my pal his selection he told me he had just finished dinner with his wife and was stuffed – but he did try a bite of each.

Starting first with the Tiramisu – not French, but a must almost anywhere I see it – the dish was served fancifully in a plexi-glass square. Layers of vanilla mascarpone, rum soaked lady fingers, cream, and dusted with cocoa and a bit of chocolate drizzle the dish actually hid a surprise – a core of Raspberry. While my sister would have been greatly upset by this unannounced guest I have to admit I liked the manner in which the fruity sweetness balanced the dark cocoa tones and heavy rum.

The second dish, one of Payard’s signatures, was vastly more impressive than the tiramisu – it was called Louvre. Featuring “Chocolate mousse and hazelnut mousse with a hazelnut dacquoise” and topped with a thick 72% dark chocolate shell I can only compare this dish to one thing (something that doesn’t do it a bit of justice,) a nutella version of a peanut butter cup. With the gelatinous shell giving way to a milk chocolate mousse, then hazelnut mousse, then a hazelnut cookie…a beautiful blending of textures, tastes, and not heavy at all.

All said, Raku with tax and tip, a cab ride, coffee, and two pastries from Payard cost me less than Colors of Caviar would cost a la carte at Guy Savoy – sure “Colors” has vastly more ingredient cost, but that just goes to show that for the discerning foodie you can indeed do some fine dining in Vegas without totally breaking the bank. While I’m certainly not going to say that a split meal at Raku and Payard is in any way comparable to dinner at Savoy or Robuchon, I do believe that during future culinary trips outside of Ohio I’m going to make sure at least one place is “off the beaten path” – and I’ll remember Raku for starting that trend.

Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro, New York NY

Classically trained and hailing from a line of pastry chefs and restaurateurs there is no doubt that Francois Payard is a talented man – he has spent time in Michelin three-starred kitchens, helped to open Daniel, and won Beard awards himself. Having had a great breakfast featuring luxurious chocolate waffles and the best almond croissant of my life (along with somewhat bland service) at Payard’s Las Vegas branch back in September, when I was looking for something “to-go” en route from Midtown up to the M-60 bus stop in Harlem I just so happened to note Payard’s New York bistro fit the bill perfectly - Plenty of fresh pastries and portables that would keep well on the bus and while I waited for my plane at LaGuardia.

Walking up to the small shop the first thing that struck me was how quaint it appeared – doors open with people sitting inside drinking tea or cocktails while eating small cookies, a back dining area with all the bustle of a French bistro, all casual yet refined. The second thing – the pastries, what else? Stretching both sides of the room were cases full of wonderful looking breads, macarons, cakes, cookies, croissants, and tarts – none of which looked bad and many of which looked superb. Browsing the selections and taking some pictures I noted a large man who looked somewhat like Djimon Hounsou pointing at me from the back – odd, I thought.

Wanting a savory to go with my sweets I noted a nice looking Croque Monsieur in the case and asked for it to be prepared – “this is a full service cafe, sir, you’ll have to take a table so a waiter can bring it to you” was the response I got. “Well, I wanted it to go so I could catch the bus – I’m on my way to the airport.” Exasperated, “Oh, well I guess we can prepare it for you then” as he placed it in the toaster – yes, in the toaster. Further browsing the selections while I waited I asked a couple more questions which were met with somewhat put-upon answers, but despite the poor service I persisted – under no time constraints I’d have likely just walked out.

Approximately 10 minutes later my Croque was finally done baking and as I took another picture of the interior Mr. Hounsou came up and said “sir, I’m going to have to ask you to stop taking pictures or leave – we don’t know who you are, you could be an ‘agent’ for all we know.” Having no idea what to make of this I put my camera away and having already paid my bill I made my way to the street. Honestly, there is no excuse for the “service” I received at Payard – but thankfully the food almost made up for it.

Consuming the Croque first as it was still piping hot I must say that for a pre-prepped version it was quite excellent with two buttery slices of brioche slow toasted housing an ample portion of salty ham. Covering the dish a hefty pile of fresh Béchamel that added a smooth creaminess. While it is difficult to compare a Monsieur to a Madame, I’d say this is easily the best portable Croque I’ve tasted, though not quite as wowing as that at Bouchon or the absolutely transcendent version at the Butler and Chef in San Francisco.

Following the Croque I opted for something sweet – a Raspberry Jelly Donut. Deciding on this one over the more decadent and filling cream custard version, the crispy and surprisingly unoily beignet was perfectly formed and quite light with mild hints of vanilla pulled to the forefront by a dusting of sugar. Inside the doughy shell, the most incredible raspberry compote I’ve ever tasted – and a whole lot of it. Absolutely stuffed from front to back and top to bottom, the pure essence of raspberries gushed forth as I bit in and each bite seemed to yield more than I’d expected to be in the entire pastry. While many may want to brag Donut plant, I’m gathering Payard doesn’t use any “unnatural” ingredients either and the results are far more impressive.

Finishing off the pastries for the time being I decided to have some chocolate – this time in the form of a Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookie. Like a dense and chewy brownie mixed with decadent walnut fudge, this rich little item was another winner and is actually featured in Food and Wine Magazine’s recipe section. Clearly using a high quality cocoa and a plethora of fresh nuts I will definitely be incorporating this into my arsenal of “quick dishes that impress friends and neighbors” in the near future – like Keller’s Bouchons this is a dish that is vastly more impressive than one would expect from the simple recipe.

Hopping on the train and making my way up to Harlem I thought back on Payard and was still sort of annoyed by the service issues – not “aloof” like the one in Vegas, but actually rude and arrogant. So it goes, I thought. Off the train and onto the M-60 I went – almost as hilariously “out-of-this-world-compared-to-Ohio” as the 4 train to the Bronx during a Yankees game, I have to admit I liked it more than my supershuttle experience and would definitely do it again. Making great time I arrived at LaGuardia almost 3 hours before my plane was to take off.

Wandering the small airport both inside and out I was unfortunately stuck in a boring terminal without much to shop, browse, or see. After calling a few friends and family (and having my flight delayed 30 minutes due to a “luggage latch”) I was seated near the window waiting and decided to try some more of my delicacies – this time the powdered sugar citrus brioche. Pulling apart with ease and similar to the pistachio citrus version I’d had at Yountville Bouchon Bakery in February, I actually found Payard’s to be superior (though not as good as the maple bacon brioche at Bouchon NY.) Buttery and clean, dissolving on the tongue with hints of both lemon and orange – a great piece of bread that would pair well with tea, but likely not coffee.

Taking home three macarons for my mom (noted to be quite inferior to the others from my trip, per mom, but still “better than anything we have in Toledo”) I figured I’d end my New York food extravaganza while still in New York and I opened up the box containing my final Payard selection - Saint Honore with egg bavarois and whipped cream filling. A buttery pate a choux biscuit topped with three small balls of pate a choux and loaded with fresh whipping cream plus bits of crunchy chocolate and caramel I first wondered where the Bavarian cream was – until I took a bite. Ostensibly using the choux balls as decoration, the three buttery bits were actually used to house the eggy bavarois which was buried beneath the whipped cream – a taste that when sampled as a whole actually resembled the texture and flavor of a creamy vanilla ice-cream, but warm – in many ways a warm and portable profiterole with more nuance and texture. Brilliantly done and quite sweet I finished the pastry approximately 10 minutes before boarding my flight (aka, about 15 minutes before I fell asleep) and awoke just under 2 hours later back home – a great way to finish a great trip, thought I do regret that eating the pastries in the airport is more pleasant than being in the restaurant itself.

Payard Patisserie and Bistro, Las Vegas Nevada

Tucked away in the corner of Caesars Palace it is no wonder that many people do not even realize Payard exists, let alone the fact that it serves up some of the most delectable breakfast items in Vegas. Known for his New York Outpost, Payard himself is rarely found at this location (unlike Jean-Philippe over at the Bellagio) but the shop, scene, and food are no less impressive.

Arriving in Vegas around 8am local time after a non-stop flight, I got checked in and made my way to Payard by 10:05 for breakfast. Though the all-you-can-eat continental buffet was still ongoing, I first stopped in the Patisserie to browse chocolate and dessert selections, and to pick up some candies for my mother and aunt. While everything was beautiful and the crepes appeared wonderful, the prices were decidedly even worse than Jean Phillipe and the selection less impressive. After making my purchase I made my way next door for breakfast.

Seating was readily available and the friendly attendant/waitress seated me near a window next to two rather crude foreign businessmen who preceded to discuss their sex lives quite loudly in public. Though the waitress once asked them to keep it down, it did not really help. So much for class.....thankfully they were easy to ignore as I watched the chef perform his craft at the wide open kitchen station in the middle of the restaurant.

Coffee was pretty standard fare and was served quickly and refilled mostly adequately (I was empty for a good 5 minutes between cups 2 and 3) despite there being multiple servers who appeared to be standing around chatting amongst themselves. For breakfast I opted for the Almond Croissant and the Payard Chocolate Waffles with Nutella and Caramelized Bananas.

Served first, the Croissant was heavenly with a buttery crisp crust surrounding a flawlessly fluffy center stuffed (and I mean jam packed) with almond compote. Sweet yet savory, this was and still is the best Croissant I've ever tasted in terms of texture and second best in terms of taste (sorry, the Almond Chocolate Croissant at Bouchon is a revelation.)

My second dish was the Waffles and all I can do is be amazed. Small yet incredibly decadent, the portion was just right.....any more and I'd have been overly full. The waffles were soft and fluffy (unlike the super-crisp chocolate waffles at Norma's NYC) while the Bananas were perfectly sweet and succulent. The Nutella was more than ample, as well. All said, a beautiful and tasty dish that I'd certainly recommend.

My only complaint aside from my co-diners and the coffee would be the fact that everything felt quite rushed....my whole meal lasting a mere 40 minutes and check delivered without asking if there was anything else I wanted. My server only visited the table when delivering an item or to collect the bill and the to-go coffee I was promised was never delivered. All told, fantastic food in a so-so environment with so-so service. High prices, but absolutely worth it, and a breakfast that would be "best of" in many other cities.