jen "pupu" k.'s Profile

THE +'s: they do international and they do it smart. not two or three dishes from fifty different countries but a mash up of cultural flavors. there's wonton noodle soup, kimchee (kimchee!!), fancy japanese hand rolls, the regular crab and shrimp cocktail standby, and The Best Prime Rib Ever. plus! a gelato counter and omg that is a great salad bar. great attentive staff. love that modern contempo decor.

THE -'s: at the end of the day, it still has tinges of buffet food flavors (stuff sitting under heaters too long).

SUM: look man. they got FISH TANKS mounted on their seafood station. they have KIMCHEE. not the crappy kind of kimchee but the good kind. most asian buffets can't even get the kimchee right. oh yieah, again, The Best Prime Rib Ever. all this for the excellent price of about $25 per sunday brunch. this place is now my bestest favoritist vegas buffet.

THE +'s: love the variety. fluffy cha siu bao. make your own burrito! more than just two types of soup. decent prime rib. omg cotton candy. friendly attentive servers. reasonable price per person (about 30 for dinner).

THE -'s: better than average buffet flavors but still, just a buffet. the entire dining area is below street level so it's kinda dark and yellowy due to the lighting. a family place -- so get ready to see lots and lots and lots of kids.

SUM: one of my top two vegas buffets. plain, unpretentious vegas buffet fun. if you haven't heard of such a thing, you should check this place out.

THE +'s: quality of food was top-notch. classy displays, gorgeous dining areas. fancy-schmancy selections at every food station such as their variety of desserts.

THE -'s: errr, kinda small eh. plus, quality of taste is rather bland. it's nice that the food is all fresh but there's not much exciting flavors to any of it. got seating in the garden atrium and it took forever to snag a server for drinks. and what the heck? i know it's hip to be international and all -- but serving jook at a pricey buffet such as this is just a joke. if the spice market buffet can serve fluffy cha siu bao, you'd think the wynn could keep up with at least that.

SUM: not worth almost forty bucks a person for sunday brunch. there are better buffets on the strip.

THE +'s: the breakfast foods are good. fresh squeezed juice. food quality is above average of standard vegas cafe meals. tables next to the giant window means a great view into their pool and cabana area. otherwise, you get a view into their always blooming conservatory. friendly staff. never too long a wait to get seated.

THE -'s: quality of taste varies on non-breakfast items. sometimes it's fab, sometimes just okay. if you go during the busy hours (e.g. 10:30am on a saturday), food might take a good while to arrive.

SUM: despite it's occasional inconsistencies, this place is an old vegas haunt for me. i'd rather pay a bit more to eat here because of the overall atmostphere than pay less and eat at a dark hole in wall (as is most cheap cafes around the strip). plus, open 24 hours. love that bit.

THE +'s: steve! he's funny, he's genuine, he's charming, he adds just the right bit of snark into the routine. loved his interactions with the audience. also loved how he weaves the tricks into storylines. the theater was small and gave the whole performance a good, cozy feeling even during the big tricks (airplane appear on stage? no problem!).

THE -'s: i ain't got no complaints.

SUM: i love magic even when i can figure how it's done. just don't be a bad performer. steve's not a bad performer. he's so good he makes it look like he's talking to you and not running a routine. not all stage shows are created equal. show's PG so it's safe for the family. tickets are not too pricey either. since it's at the miracle mile shops, you can get your grub on before or after.

review of THEsuite with single bed (non-smoking)

THE +'s: service with a smile. even the housekeeping guy who showed up at midnight was peppy. loved the modern contemporary decor vibe -- from the funky chandelier in the lobby to the actual suite. semi-shag carpeting that was as soft as the terry bathrobe and slippers (a pair for the guy and a pair for the girl!). lots of bath amenities beyond the usual shampoo and soap. a soaking tub that can fit two. cawfee shop downstairs (yay!) and a short walk to mandalay proper.

THE -'s: THIN walls. i heard. every. single. door. slam. there were oil stains on the bolster bed pillows (ew!). net access was 14.99 PER LAPTOP per 24 hours. for a place that caters to the bizness folks, that's, well, not really catering. the palazzo had a fax machine in the room. THEhotel did not. and oh yieah, the classic billing mix-up -- at check-in we found that the snack bar had been used. so i called it in and they assured me it won't be charged. housekeeping on second day left new unopened snack packs but left the open one on the counter. i call in and they say it won't be charged. (same night i called in for 2 extra pillows at about midnight --- they said they didn't have any at that time of night?!). on check-out, i review the bill and found out that (guess what) i was charged for the opened snacks. called downstairs and they cleared it up quickly but come on now, how is that four star service?

SUM: i gave four instead of three stars because the good slightly outweighs the bad. it helps that at least the staff was friendly even when they were telling you they couldn't do something. the main entrace was off-putting because it's within a standard concrete parking structure (where's the grand vegas hotel entrance?). still, the decor and general cleanliness make up for the odd spots and the crowd here isn't the partying kind so the place is more low-key than most strip hotels. i'd stay here again if i can get a good deal.

THE +'s: green onion pancake. house chicken. cha chiang mien (san dong style). and a couple other dishes i simply can't pronounce. friendly staff despite the hustle and bustle. their to-go service is pretty snappy.

THE -'s: the wait. hugely popular so there's a wait pretty much every time i've been there. omg there is always a screaming kid in there. why why why!!

SUM: most of the time i just crave their green onion pancakes. those things taste good even after being kept in the fridge for two days. quite a feat for chinese leftovers. if you have an elderly senior in your party, call ahead and tell them so. they will take that into consideration when planning out the seating. otherwise you wait with the rest of the mortals in the queue.

THE +'s: they serve a variety of foods AND THEY ALL GO GREAT WITH THEIR BEER. i kid not. fusion fish dishes, steak, sausages (kraut!!), burgers, plus a whole buncha other stuff. all this can be paired up with a huge variety of clevery-named home brews (lagers, ales, light, dark). oh yieah, friendly staff and gorgeous outdoor dining set in a water garden.

THE -'s: um, other than the fact that i drank too much and did some embarrassing drunk stuff so that i have to wait at least five more years before i dare show my face there again.

SUM: love this place. works for classy or casual. it helps that any karl strauss brew tastes so delish. be sure to make reservations beforehand. and eat plenty before doing a drink tour. that's what i learned.

THE +'s: good quality shabu meats (i ordered the prime rib). nice cache of veggies per shabu order. there is a variety of soup bases you can select from unlike most other shabu joints. you also get a choice of desserts -- my mung bean soup tasted pretty good. cute decor (there was an interesting light panel art installation at the entrance). friendly staff. accept credit card (!!).

THE -'s: holy crap it's over-priced. i've gotten better shabu meals for 5 bucks less than what they charge. it's nice that dessert's included but dude, i'm pretty sure dessert isn't worth an extra 5 bucks.

SUM: the place is pretty and the food is ok. but unless i'm seriously craving shabu in the middle of the werk week, i wouldn't come here on a regular basis.

THE +'s: all the nian gao dishes. the cold-mix dishes. winter melon tea. scallion fried noodles (not on the menu, you have to ask for it specially). the fact that their noodles all have the scent of fresh flour. the always friendly staff.

THE -'s: parking. man i hate parking at any chinese plaza in rowland. also, the dining room is small so any party greater than 4 will feel pretty cramped. conversation during meals require that you speak above normal voice level due to aforementioned crampness. and oh yes, the entire menu's in chinese. i think theres an english version floating around somewhere but the default handout is all in chinese.

SUM: seriously one of my favorite shanghainese haunts. i'm partial to homey foods and this place fills the belly quite well thank you.