Dining Pick of the Week: Taiga Modern Japanese & Thai

3130 E. Sunset Road at Tomiyasu Lane; 702-388-8884

Good food becomes even better when presented artistically, and that is the secret to Taiga. It just seems to taste better. Featured entrees include cognac duck with lemongrass and homemade sweet tamarind sauce, grilled mahi mahi, spicy salmon, grilled jumbo squid and wild-caught cod pan-roasted with green and red bell peppers, garlic, soy sauce and Thai chili. Several rice bowls are garlic and pepper pork, unagi (eel) and chirashi bowl with fresh fish. Popular vegetarian dishes are oyster mushroom salad with lime chili dressing, tofu salad, panang tofu curry in peanut red curry sauce, vegetable roll (asparagus, cucumber, avocado, carrots, sprouts) and Summer Breeze with green papaya, cucumbers and carrots. Among the sushi rolls are Caterpillar, Tiger, Dragon, Double Albacore and Taiga (no rice) with salmon, shrimp, tuna, crab and yellowtail wrapped with cucumber. There is miso soup, beef salad and appetizers such as shrimp tempura, beef tataki and tako wasabi (preserved octopus). Two desserts are Mango Sticky Rice and Crepe Cake, thin crepes layered with Thai tea cream and topped with green tea ice cream. Entrees begin at $10.95. Taiga Modern Japanese is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

— Jack Bulavsky