Jasmine
Takasago Ginga Shizuku “Divine Droplets”
Shrimp Chips
Dim Sum Trio – Har Gow, Bok Choy Dumpling, King Crab Goldfish Dumpling
2013 La Scolca Gavi Bianco Secco
Coconut Seafood Soup
2014 Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic / 2014 Holdredge Pinot Noir
Sundried Oyster with Sea Moss
Peking Duck Roll
Baked Sea Bass in Aged Soy
Pan Fried Noodles with Vegetables
2012 Morgon Vieilles Vignes
Walnut Prawns
Pork Hock in Sea Moss
Cloud Mushroom Chicken
Dried Scallop and Eggwhite Fried Rice
2012 Novelty Hill Merlot
Beef and Peppers
2014 Caves D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rose
Whole Roasted Squab
Cuvee du Cent Cinquantenaire Grand Marnier
Floating Island – Soft Meringue, Rice Custard, Crispy Rice, Jasmine Pearls, Chocolate Shell, Warm Caramel
In a city blessed by one of the most underregarded Chinatowns in America locals are, perhaps appropriately, rare to consider Las Vegas Boulevard Asian eateries for a special occasion meal, but previously having only visited Jasmine for the now-discontinued Fountains Brunch a recent look spurred by The Year of The Monkey celebration proved that the oft-overlooked destination for foreign tourists remains worthy of its reputation while elevated prices are largely justified by an unmatched view, exotic ingredients and the sort of service befitting clientele with net-worth not infrequently in the millions.
Dining alone and, incidentally, celebrating my sign in the Chinese Calendar it was with a special tasting arranged through the a member of Bellagio’s Department of Food & Beverage that a reservation was made to dine at the 200+ Seat restaurant and arriving minutes prior to a 6:00pm seating the reception could not have been more pleasant, the GM himself attending to much of the night while also orchestrating the menu after confirming personal dislikes and preferences, a request for nothing more than authenticity seeing sixteen different items presented along with wine pairings that were exceedingly well coordinated despite trios of flavor that frequently proved quite discrepant.
Seated at the left edge of lower-rim seats overlooking Bellagio’s Fountains, the “performance” music piped in and admittedly a bit bracing when featuring Uptown Funk or Proud to be an American at high volume, service began with a small plate of Shrimp Chips that reminded me of a childhood favorite from a small place back in Ohio while a crisp glass of Sake immediately prepared the palate for a visually stunning trio of dim sum, a rare case in which form thankfully did not supplant function as the Bok Choy was expectedly a bit bitter while snappy shrimp mouse and sweet crab goldfish were delicate in wrapping and full of flavor.
Asking for small splashes of wine, the complimentary service certain to outlast my tolerance if provided in full 3oz pours, a dry white was selected to accent seafood soup served in a hulled out coconut, the piping hot broth not particularly exciting on its own but gaining complexity as it melted the soft flesh, later bites particularly impressive as the pulp was scraped from the inside and mixed with scallops, squid, shrimp, and fish.
Nicely paced and well staffed, plates delivered with ample descriptions of their constituents and relevance to the Chinese New Year when applicable, course three featured a trio of entrees sized for individualized tasting, the Vouvray’s residual sugars helping to balance saline funkiness from the dried oyster beneath sea moss while the Pinot Noir worked equally well with shredded duck rolls and the flaky sea bass glazed in aged soy sauce.
Offered a plate of hand pulled noodles along with the first set of entrees and gifted fluffy fried rice with bits of scallop to compliment round four it was a fruity 2012 Morgon Vieilles Vignes that joined a second entree trio and although the requested Walnut Prawns were exactly what one would expect from superior shellfish presented in sweet mayo the braised trotter with thread fungus and juicy chicken over cloud ear mushrooms trended far more interesting, the former a bit tough to manipulate considering the bones needing removal atop a limited working space.
At this point asked if I was full, the answer “I can eat” eliciting an ear-to-ear smile from the man running the show, an impromptu plate of sizzling beef was served with a hefty red to bide time before the grand finale, a whole roasted squab presented as “finger food” along with two salts and a warm towel, the skin shattering like glass overlying flesh as soft as foie gras with a rich funk finding its foil in a glass of 2014 Whispering Angel Rose.
Well sated and harboring only modest expectations for dessert, considering the sort of things I had seen at Asian restaurants in the past, it was with a small glass of Grand Marnier that the meal came to a close and with the fountains now dancing to the sounds of a classic it was almost as though Jasmine had saved its greatest surprise for when one may least expect it, the tableside presentation of hot caramel melting a chocolate dome into rich rice pudding centered by an ethereal marshmallow with beads of boba and crispy rice added for contrast.
FOUR STARS: No doubt pricy, the cost nearly quadruple some of the mid-range offerings on Spring Mountain Road, it would be difficult to say that Jasmine is any less an ‘experience’ restaurant than any other fine dining establishment within a Las Vegas Casino while the service and view are almost impossible to beat.
RECOMMENDED: Coconut Seafood Soup, Baked Sea Bass, Chicken and Cloud Mushrooms, Floating Island.
AVOID: With large portions and high prices solo dining outside the Tasting Menu is likely to run up quite a tab without allowing customers to sample more than one or two plates.
TIP: Having done away with the Fountains Brunch the restaurant still offers special event Dim Sum brunches centered around both American Holidays and the Chinese New Year, a call to the Bellagio Concierge the best way to learn of dates, times, and costs.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
https://www.bellagio.com/en/restaurants/jasmine.html
