Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres, Las Vegas NV

Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres

Parker House Rolls

Foieffle Air waffles, foie espuma, peanut butter, honey

Foie Gras “Floating Island” Foie gras soup, fresh corn espuma

Morcilla with Uni – Spanish blood sausage, fresh sea urchin

Clover Club – Gin, Raspberries, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup

New York Sour – Rye Whiskey, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Red Wine Float

Wood and Fire – Tequila, Benedictine, Maple Syrup, Angustura

Truffles & Honey – Pear Vodka, Honey, Truffles, Lemon, Bubbles

S’mores Foie Gras, chocolate, marshmallow, graham crackers

Pork-Skin Chicharrón Greek yogurt, za’atar spices

West Coast Oysters – Mignonette, Hot Sauce, fruit vinegar

Beef Carpaccio & Parmesan Grissini – Washugyu beef, espuma, caramelized onion purée

Callos a la Vizcaína – Beef tripe stew with half Maine lobster

Braised Lamb Neck Fried oysters, oyster catsup, fried potatoes

Robuchon – Butter, butter, more butter, some potatoes

Setas al Ajillo – Button mushrooms, garlic, lemon, arbol chile

Catalan Spinach – Apple, pine nuts, shallots, raisins

Spanish-style bone-in rib eye, oak-wood fired from Harris Ranch, CA (4.5lb)

Suckling Pig with Ensalada mixta, lettuce, onions, tomatoes

Bazaar Iced Espresso

Dark Chocolate & Aged Rum Cake, Tiramisu Cream Puff, Tahitian Vanilla & Raspberry Cream Puff x2, Praline Inspired by Pierre Herme Caramelized Puff Pastry, Chocolate/Caramel/Sea Salt Caramelized Puff Pastry, Bacon/Strawberries/Cream Caramelized Puff Pastry, Milk Chocolate/Peanut/Caramel Tart

Salted Caramel Ice Cream over Praline Crunch

  

Self described as a “tapas-style” Steakhouse with an enormous footprint at the recently opened SLS Las Vegas, Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres is perhaps the Spaniard’s most daring concept to date – a sprawling dining room with mismatched furniture and obscure pseudo-taxidermy surrounding a kitchen eschewing any semblance of tradition with simple roast meats and cold shellfish set directly next to high concept tartare, offal, and several plates featuring the chef’s modernist twists. Truly a daunting menu, both in actual size and scope, it was with seven friends that I sat down just moments after 7:00pm and opting for a wide variety of items marched out by a staff that only once failed by forgetting a buddy’s beer I’ll simply say that for such a space, particularly in Las Vegas, the service was superior – a strong credit to GM Yassine Lyoubi who greeted me during the early part of the stay. Perhaps a bit expensive in items listed as starters, snacks, soups, and sandwiches but quick to make up for quantity with quality it was with a few small bites that I began before the rest of my group arrived and with a crispy ‘air waffle’ seemingly made of glass shattering to foamy foie tinged in honey I soon found myself swooning, the aggressively spiced blood sausage topped in creamy urchin that followed an equally restaurant-defining dish. Moving next to things more substantial as I sipped a cocktail of lime, raspberry, and gin it should be abundantly obvious that S’mores laced with creamy duck liver were two-bite bits of decadence but far more surprising was the crispy pigskin, a nearly 2×2 foot sheet cracked at the table with a mallet to be dipped in Greek yogurt heavily spiced in sumac and thyme. Moving next to a dozen fresh oysters as more drinks arrived with another “wow” moment delivered by warm cheese-sticks draped in thinly sliced beef that may have represented the meal’s best bite. Onward we went, to a bowl of tripe that quickly silenced skeptics at the table with snappy lobster juxtaposing soft stomach and then to braised lamb neck paired to fried oysters that drew a similar stunned response, and with both dishes quickly finished serving platters arrived – a trio of sides including “life affirming” potatoes a la Robuchon presented alongside four pounds of steak and 1/4 suckling pig with skin that crackled to the tooth. Felt by some to be ‘underseasoned,’ but particularly impressive from my perspective for allowing the meat’s natural flavors to shine, it was only after polishing off nearly every ounce of the scraps that we ended in espresso and dessert – the later a bit of an afterthought considering the pricetag, though the Chocolate and Aged Rum Cake and Pierre Herme inspired pastry are certainly worth the splurge.

THREE AND A HALF STARS: Undoubtedly one of the year’s splashiest openings, only time will tell whether Bazaar Meat can maintain its early momentum but with an innovative menu and service that shines it already represents one of the best “Steakhouses” in Sin City, the 25+ percent price hike on nearly every item stemming from a Las Vegas Boulevard location aside.

RECOMMENDED: Beef Carpaccio, Lamb Neck, Uni and Morcilla, Chicharrón, Potatoes, Praline Pastry.

 

AVOID: Bang for the buck on S’mores, Foieffle, and Quarter Sucking Pig are questionable, though all were excellent, while the “floating island” is just over a single, dull mouthful for $8 and the spinach side dish was exceedingly bland. Speaking to dessert, save for the tiny $7 Caramelized Pastry and $8 Rum Cake none of it was any better than the sweets at Bacchanal Buffet and as such another cost versus quality conundrum.

TIP: Featuring no less than 250 seats yet booked to capacity on a Friday night diners are well advised to make reservations or be prepared to wait, the far more limited menu at the bar not a ‘bad’ option, but very much focused on items carrying a hefty upcharge for a few small bites.

 

WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor

http://sbe.com/restaurants/locations/bazaar-meat-las-vegas/