Lucky 8 places in Vegas to eat for Lunar New Year
Celebration of Chinese New Year — calculated according to the lunisolar calendar — began Feb. 10 and concludes with the Lantern Festival on Feb. 24. Here are eight (lucky) places serving dishes to start the Year of the Dragon.
■ Genting Palace in Resorts World is offering a dim sum brunch, with a new menu each day, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Monday. Cost: $128.88.
■ Hakkasan in the MGM Grand is featuring, through Feb. 24, a menu created by Hakkasan chefs from around the world. Among the dishes are a dim sum duo, smoked eight-treasure duck, wild red king prawn with braised dragon beard noodles, and Auspicious Dragon cayenne chocolate mousse with spicy raspberry compote. Cost: $158.
■ Mott 32 in The Venetian is showcasing, through Feb. 24, a menu of six dishes. These are whole lobster salad with abalone and house sauce ($198); bird’s nest in bamboo pith superior broth ($168); crisp yellow coriander chicken ($78); clear pot with crab meat, scallop and radish ($78); romaine heart casserole with minced pork and shrimp paste ($38); and lotus leaf rice with duck, chicken, prawn and conpoy ($48).
■ The Noodle Den in the Sahara Las Vegas is preparing, through Sunday, a menu of nine dishes. Among them are garlic snow pea leaves ($28), deep-fried flounder ($28), braised abalone with mustard greens ($58), beef bitter melon in black bean sauce ($28) and bird’s nest soup ($138).
■ Noodles in Bellagio is serving, through March 2, a dim sum lunch or dinner at The Garden Table in the property’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, now with a Year of the Dragon display. The private table seats up to four diners for up to 1½ hours. Cost: $98 lunch, $138 dinner. Reservations: bellagio.mgmresorts.com/en/restaurants/the-garden-table.html.
■ Ondori Asian Kitchen in The Orleans is presenting, through Feb. 24, an à la carte menu of dried oyster and black moss soup, sautéed green beans with dried fish, minced shrimp in white sauce with black mushrooms, and pork feet in oyster sauce with black moss, each $38.99, and steamed whole fresh bass for $48.99.
■ Send Noodles in the Palms is offering, through Monday, six specials. These are tangyuan rice balls ($10), lotus root and spare rib soup ($15), baked abalone casino ($48), wok-fried Nigerian prawns ($54), Chilean sea bass ($45) and beef shank ($25).
■ WuHu Noodle in the Silverton is sending out, through Feb. 25, special dishes. These are braised sea cucumber in oyster sauce with baby bok choy ($88); steamed king crab leg in supreme sauce with ginger and green onion ($88); jellyfish salad with cucumber, sesame, cilantro and pickled radish ($24); and sautéed turnip cake with spicy sauce ($24).
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Caramá, from chef Wolfgang Puck, quietly opened just before Super Bowl weekend. The restaurant occupies the former Lupo, which the chef closed last year at Mandalay Bay after 24 years. Caramá pays homage to Puck’s mother, who was a pastry chef and his first cooking teacher. The menu features the confluence of southern Austrian and northern Italian cooking; the chef’s family hails from the border region.
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Matthew-Lorèn Lindsay, lead sommelier and founder-owner of HireASommelier.com, is presenting a wine tasting and the Vegas premiere of “Somm: Cup of Salvation” on Monday at David Saxe Studio, 5030 W. Oquendo Road. VIP reception runs from 6 to 7 p.m., general admission runs from 7 to 8 p.m. and the screening begins at 8 p.m.
The documentary, called “absorbing” by The New York Times, tells the story of a winemaker and his daughter as they seek to revive ancient vineyards in their native Armenia and in Iran against a backdrop of violence and political repression.
Besides the screening and a tasting of wines from the film, the event features a red carpet walk, gift bags, giveaways, photo opportunities and networking. Tickets: $50-150. Details/purchase: cupofsalvationlv.com.
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Christie Vanover of Las Vegas, the award-winning pitmaster and creator of the popular GirlsCanGrill.com, recently debuted her “BBQ Tips Podcast” that aims to help people improve their barbecue game. The podcast drops every Thursday and streams through Apple, Amazon, Spotify and iHeart Radio. It also streams on Embers TV and is available on YouTube. Visit girlscangrill.com/category/bbq-tips-podcast.
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Outback Steakhouse just launched its Cocktail for a Cause promotion in which $1 from the sale of every Aussie Blue cocktail is being donated to CORE, or Children of Restaurant Employees, a group that provides financial support to restaurant families in need. The promotion runs through April 9. The $11 Aussie Blue is made with vodka, blue curaçao and citrus.
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