Emeril's N.O. Fish House, Las Vegas

> Location : 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109
> Cuisine : New Orleans
> Tel. # : (702) 891-7374
> Website : http://www.emerils.com/restaurants/
lasvegas_fishhouse/index.html

This restaurant is one of MGM Grand's many fine dining establishments. Reservations are required, but it's not too difficult to get one. Now, on to the experience.

As we are seated, we are introduced to our team of servers. We had 3 people helping a table of 3. I like the numbers already. I ordered a chocolate martini to start off the night. The martini was very strong. It was just an okay martini, not very special. I think the chocolate martini over at New York, New York's Gallagher's is better.

Besides the normal menu, they offer a tasting menu of 7 courses that has been reduced to servings of 3-4 oz each course. The cost was $75 per person. If you wanted wine pairings to go with it, it was an extra $25 per person. Seemed lovely, but probably too much food for one person. We decided to just go for appetizers, entrees, and dessert.

We started the evening with an order of the Avocado and Blue Crab crabcakes with some sort of slaw. The slaw and the crabcakes made an excellent combination, as well as the avocado and the crab. There was tons of crab in the cakes and the avocado helped to bind the meat together very effectively. I liked it, but didn't love it. On the other hand, I loved the Seared Scallops over a frisee salad with bits of walnut. The bus boy brought a round of breads for each person. Each of us got a corn bread muffin and a piece of onion loaf. Each was delicious. The corn bread was perfectly sweet and moist while the onion loaf was flavorful and not overly strong. Perfect bread.

My mother ordered the Salmon with some sort of mango sauce. It was grilled perfectly - not overcooked and not undercooked. My father had the fish of the day, which was a Hawaiian Spearfish (Hebi). It was also perfectly cooked. But I have to say, the fish was just fish. Not that crazy or anything. I, on the other hand, went for the Louisiana Cedar Plank Campfire Steak, which was Creole spiced (think: Emeril's Essence), served with Trinity (traditionally celery, carrots, onions), Warm Remoulade (gotta ask Emeril what the heck that is), and Country Smashed Potatoes. The steak was pretty good. I liked the Trinity over it. But I loved the mashed potatoes. Potentially the very best mashed potatoes I've ever had. Yeah. That good. Needless to say, I at only half of the steak and a few spoonfuls of the potatoes because I was pretty full already. I happily took a doggy bag home because I was saving room for dessert.

I had some espresso to help wash down my food. My mother had plain coffee. The coffee was not spectacular. I think the buffet had better drip coffee. The espresso was just fine, but again not great. What was great was the dessert: Emeril's signature Banana Cream Pie with Banana Crust, Chocolate Shavings and Caramel Sauce. Heavenly. It was not too sweet. It was not too creamy. It was perfect. The crust was also delicious.

Overall, I would say a 4 out of 5. However, the service was really excellent. They were on top of everything. As soon as you put your silverware on the plates, they came right away and knew you were done. They pull out the chairs for you and let you take your time without you feeling forgotten. So, I'd say the service alone pushes it to a 5 out of 5. I highly recommend the place.

We gave a hefty tip, and all in all, the total was $200 for 3 people (no wine, just 1 martini and 2 sodas).

Krispy Kreme

> Location : 51 Elgin Street, SoHo, Central, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : American Doughnuts
> Tel. # : (852) 2580-8338
> Website : http://www.krispykreme.com.hk/

What else do I need to explain? Krispy Kreme in Hong Kong is the same old goodness from the states! Starting off at the Causeway Bay location on Lee Garden Road, Krispy Kreme Hong Kong has expanded to Central (address listed above) and also at the Times Square MTR station.

Various selections of doughnuts, coffee, chilled drinks and also early bird specials, Krispy Kreme Hong Kong serves it all! Some of the selections they serve besides the infamous original glazed are caramel kreme crunch, strawberry shortcake, New York cheesecake, and glazed raspberry filled. There are 11 other choices for you to choose!

Pricing wise, for each original glazed, it costs $10 HKD and $88 per dozen. For everything else, it's $12 HKD each and $110 per dozen. There's also a two dozen deal of original glazed for $168 HKD! A good choice if you want to treat your co-workers to some doughnut goodness.

As for their coffee, this is what their advertisement has to say, "Krispy Kreme ensures that our coffee meets the same exacting standards as our doughnuts, We believe that the perfect doughnut deserves the perfect cup of coffee. That is why we are proud to serve Illy premium blend coffee in all our stores, Illy coffee produces a single, unique and unmistakable blend of traditional coffee that will complement your Krispy Kreme experience." Illy coffee? A famous Italian coffee company for over 70 years, you can't go wrong with that!

So what are you waiting for? How does it taste? It's a world wide thing, don't waste time reading what I have to say anymore! Just go now to your nearest location and enjoy some doughnut goodness today!

< 4 out of 5 >