M & I stopped here for breakfast (or well I did, he got Earl’s) before we left for the airport. After spending forever trying to decide what to get, I settled for the Scrambled Lobster & Tater Tots.

To be honest, there was nothing special about these eggs or the lobster in them. They didn’t even taste like real lobster. The tater tots were good though lol. But I’m not going to completely bash this place over one meal. I do plan on trying it again next time I’m there!

So you would think that lobster ice cream would be awful, right? WRONG.

Lobster pieces in delicious Butter Maple ice cream. It was so good. The sweetness of the Butter Maple ice cream and the salty of the lobster balanced each other out nicely. Will definitely be coming back for more of this! The only sad part is the first 2 days we were there they were all sold out! So hopefully they won’t be on our next visit!

Lobster Me
Planet Hollywood Casino & Resort
3663 S Las Vegas Blvd
Ste 435
Las Vegas, NV 89109

At the time the only Serendipity was in Manhattan and that’s pretty far from California until they opened up a location in Las Vegas around 2009.

Naturally every time I go to Vegas, I have to stop at Serendipity. M doesn’t even ask, he knows where we’re going!

I’ll be honest. The first time I came here I fell in love. We had amazing service, we ordered the right things… everything was perfect. But though the years, I’ve noticed the service and sometimes the food have been hit or miss.

When we came here for my birthday, it was a miss. A huuuuge miss.

I ordered The Hangover Omelet. Because it pretty much had everything I wanted: bacon, cheese, mushrooms, FRIES.

Yes, you heard right. There are FRIES in my OMELET. But to be honest, it wasn’t anything epic. It was actually kind of bland and disappointing.

M got the Crab & Artichoke Dip which is something we usually get and every time we get it I always remind myself to get it without onions and every time I forget lol. I wish they served it with chips too with or instead of the bread. The dip is so watery that it doesn’t really seem to go well with the bread they provide. So I end up just eating the dip with my fork instead.

The service was so slow (I mean we didn’t see our server once since she took our order) that we decided to just get our check at ordered a Frozen Hot Chocolate (my fav!) to go from the window outside. I’m a sucker for those shaved chocolate pieces!

Serendipity is worth a try but I would suggest going there before noon. Any time after that it’s usually really busy!

Serendipity 3
Caesars Palace
3570 Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109

M and I stopped by for a late dinner before heading back to the hotel. We settled for our favorite — Lobster Mac & Cheese and we also got a side of rice.

I know the Mac & Cheese don’t look like anything epic, but trust me. It’s filling! I didn’t believe the waiter the first time I had either but he was so right.

And because sometimes we like to be frugal, we did this…

We enjoyed a nice little dinner at Table 10 without breaking the bank! I think we just figured out a new secret (:

Table 10
The Palazzo
3325 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109

This review is for the main location in The Bellagio.

The location in The Bellagio is a little smaller than the one in The Aria and I can’t really explain where it is, I still get lost getting there myself. But it looks like this, with a case line and the infamous chocolate fountain that didn’t make it into the shot (that’s on the right).

They have a wide selection of beautiful pastries, some chocolates in cute boxes around the shelves and they also offer crepes and drinks. I settled on this one because it included three different things to try!

The Peanut Caramel Lollipop wasn’t anything special. It was pretty much peanut mousse dipped in chocolate. By the time we got it to the table, it was already starting to melt and not only did it tasteinteresting (as in kinda weird) but the texture wasn’t all that pleasurable either.

The Creme Brûlée was interesting, it was pretty much caramel flavored custard with a disk of white chocolate on top and a thin caramel sauce on top. It still gave you that “crack the shell” illusion and I really liked how it came with its own mini spoon!

The Rose Macaron was my absolute favorite part of the whole thing! The shells were soft and chewy and the raspberries added a nice tart to the rose flavored filling. I’m not someone to reach for rose or lavender flavored things but this made me want to reconsider that!

The platform it was on was made of chocolate and was totally edible too, my husband took a few bites but there’s only so much solid chocolate a person can take even after sampling the 3 things on top.

I’m looking forward to having this again on my next trip!

Jean Philippe Patisserie
Bellagio Resort & Casino
3600 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Now being back on the west coast can be tough when you’ve already established favorite things at a restaurant but then I remembered there was an Earl’s in Vegas, somewhere I visit once or twice a year. And it’s open 24hours?!

For my birthday M and I stayed at Planet Hollywood and no, it wasn’t on purpose. It was actually the cheapest rate I could find at the time, but it did work out nicely

If there’s one thing I’m *most* addicted to at Earl’s it’s their original potato chips. Seriously, I could snack on these forever!

I have two favorite Earl sandwiches, Cannonaballs (which we packed up for later since it’s one of those foods that might taste better cold than warm) and The Hawaiian which is shown here. It has ham, chicken, BBQ sauce and pineapples! It’s heavenly, if you’re into that sort of stuff.

Earl’s also serves various other things like salads, soups, cupcakes (which are huge), cookies, fruit cups, parfait cakes and a whole lot of things. It’s located in the Miracle Mile Shops across from Sugar Factory and when we went it was across from the Batman group slot machine game. The line can be long around lunch but it goes by super quick. After the lunch rush it’s pretty much empty though, so if you’re okay with grabbing a late lunch instead of waiting in line, that would probably be your best bet. And like I said, the place is open 24hours.

Earl of Sandwich
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
3667 Las Vegas Blvd S, Ste 760
Las Vegas, NV 89109

This review is for the one in the Paris Casino.

At the end of our first night in Vegas for my birthday weekend, I was craving something sweet and I wasn’t ready to call it a night yet even though we basically walked the entire strip and my feet were getting very angry. We passed the Paris Casino on the way back (since we were staying at Planet Hollywood and it’s pretty much next door) and I decided to pop into Sugar Factory for… I really didn’t know. I think I had my heart set on one of those super pricey candy cocktail drinks. But that’s not what I ended up with.

Browsed the menu after M rejected the idea of a $36 candy cocktail. Okay, he had a point but one day I will try it! There’s also a case line of truffles and Pâté De Fruit if you come in through the side from the actual casino so I picked out these two pretties — A Lime Truffle and a Passion Fruit Pâté De Fruit. Both were delicious! I believe they were $1.50 a piece, don’t quote me though.

The Lime Truffle wasn’t too tart, it was more refreshing than anything and it was creamy. It was also covered in lime sprinkles.

The Passion Fruit Pâté De Fruit was new to me since I’ve never tried one of these but always wanted to. I’m glad I did! It was chewy sort of like gummy candy but better. It also had a very bold Passion Fruit flavor to it.

I will definitely be back here next time to snatch these two up again!

Instead of the candy cocktail, I decided on this.

The White Chocolate Raspberry Frozen Hot Chocolate was huge for its price. It had a very faint white chocolate taste to it but nearly no raspberry flavor at all. The best part of the drink was the chocolate flakes on top and the freeze dried raspberry garnish.

I was curious to try out another Frozen Hot Chocolate in comparison toSerendipity (which is my favorite) and this one didn’t really compare. It was under $10 so it wasn’t too pricey (especially for its size) but it’s not something I would come back for.

I really liked the feel of the bar/cafe. There’s a doorway to the side for the famous Sugar Factory candy store and the restaurant. But this side of the bar/cafe was much more quiet and as you can tell from my pictures, much more dim. It was a relaxing place to be to enjoy some truffles and a cold drink after spending all day walking.

I hope to try the actual restaurant some day, the food looks amazing and of course my candy cocktail

Sugar Factory American Brasserie
Paris Hotel & Casino
3655 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109

We had a bit of time to spare and I was STARVING (I’m seriously not a morning person). I didn’t want something heavy like a burger so we checked out Wakaba for something lighter.

Excuse M’s head, I should had taken a picture of the menu or something but hadn’t thought of that since I was starving.

Wakaba is located in Terminal 2 for Virgin Airlines at SFO. It’s across from Cat Cora’s place and across from a burger joint.

I ordered the Tempura Udon and M ordered the Salmon Bowl.

Can I just talk about this Udon really quick?

IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!

Seriously, the BEST Tempura Udon I’ve ever ever had!! The shrimps for starters were REAL and FRESH. They didn’t taste fake or frozen. They were delicious. The little fish cakes were also really really good. The broth was comforting and the noodles were perfect. A perfect comforting meal when you’re awake way too early to catch a flight.

I tried searching for another location that isn’t in SFO but came up with no luck .

I can’t really comment on the Salmon since I didn’t bother with it lol. But the service here was okay. The food came out quick and hot.

I will definitely be stopping here again next time I’m in Terminal 2!

I love the dip they provide with your sweet potato fries too! M got a side of normal fries cause you know, he’s boring like that lol.

Ordering at The Counter is a little different. They have their already set menu available for you to choose from OR you can create your own anything! They give you these clipboards and there’s all sorts of sections for you to choose things from. It’s a bit overwhelming at first and it took me a few tries to find something I really really like but I think I’ve got my salad down now!

So this is my usual: lettuce, olives, bacon, tomatoes, artichoke, grilled pineapple and sun dried tomato dressing!

It’s so refreshing and filling!

I also get a side of 1/2 pound beef on the side with cheese (because you’re kinda required to order meat).

Have you tried The Counter? It’s sort of nation-wide. What’s your favorite combination?

Little Mad Fish has some pretty rockin lunch specials that go on pretty much all week. They differ a bit with the days and times, but most discounts are static. We usually get Edemame’s since they’re only $2 and they’re salted to perfection here.

I also usually start off with the Lobster Mango Rolls. They’re pretty close to the sushi I fell in love with while I was living in Orlando (at Kona Cafe inside of the Polynesian Resort) but it’s also very different. These rolls are pretty much California Rolls topped with crab pieces and scallops topped with mango sauce and baked.

Seriously, heaven.

And on this day I decided on the Gyoza Ramen. I’m not a fan of the Udon here simply because I don’t like the broth they use so I stick to the Ramen. A little secret? I’m a sucker for Gyoza!

M got his usual bento box which I didn’t snap a picture of (I have a million pictures of it but I can’t find one, wth right?). Their salad dressing is amazing, seriously addicting! The Bento Boxes also come with a miso soup.

Little Mad Fish offers many other dishes besides Ramen and Bento Boxes and with every passing year they seem to add more and more to the menu.

If you’re ever in the Bay Area and craving comforting Japanese food, I absolutely suggest Little Mad Fish!

]]> http://herloveforfood.com/eatingaroundthebay/2012/05/dine-in-little-mad-fish/feed/ 0 http://herloveforfood.com/eatingaroundthebay/2012/04/suga-suga-mochicream/ http://herloveforfood.com/eatingaroundthebay/2012/04/suga-suga-mochicream/#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:56:48 +0000 zellie http://herloveforfood.com/eatingaroundthebay/?p=36 M and I stopped at Mochicream the same day we stopped at Paris Baguette. Mochicream is located in San Jose, CA within the Mitsuwa Japanese market.

When you walk in the front doors, it’s located on left.

Mochicream takes up a corner of the marketplace. It doesn’t have anywhere to sit down, it’s pretty much just like a bakery in a grocery store.

There are plenty of flavors to choose from. Not only do they serve mochi, but cakes, cookies, marshmallows and soon donuts. After debating for a really long time with M, we finally decided on our two flavors. I got the Peach Yogurt and he got the Double Mango.

We decided to get them in a box to go and headed over to the book store across the parking lot. The person manning the post said to wait 10 minutes for them to thaw.

The Peach Yogurt was okay… the mochi was soft and delicious but the Peach Yogurt filling was a bean paste consistency. I’m not a huge fan of bean paste, but I think this version may help me appreciate bean paste a little more lol.

M’s Double Mango was pretty good. He loved it! The only thing I can complain about is that it was pretty messy. The white part is pretty much whipped cream and the fruit filling in the middle was pure mango filling. I liked it a bit more than my Peach Yogurt!

I also managed to snag these that were sitting prettily by the register. I’ll be doing another post on these on my other food blog!

M and I decided to stop by Mochicream again a few weeks later to try two other flavors we had our eye on.

I settled for the Apple Pie (right) and M got the Chocolate Banana (left).

The Apple Pie mochi had the same whipped cream consistency that M’s Double Mango had. While this was good, the thing that turned me off about it was the, I guess “flaky apple pie” crumbs within the fruit filling. The texture in my opinion threw the whole thing COMPLETELY off. M however loved it and pretty much inhaled it after I said I didn’t want it anymore lol.

M’s Chocolate Banana had the bean paste consistency that my Peach Yogurt had (isn’t that ironic?) and was dusted with bittersweet chocolate on top. This one was a bit messy and I felt like the bittersweet chocolate over powered the banana filling. I wasn’t really digging this one either.

I think I’m done trying mochi’s at Mochicream but I am interested in trying their cakes, Macarons (which I didn’t see either times I was there) and their other sweets. Maybe one day I’ll make the effort to go there during the day and not an hour before they close lol.

Mochicream
675 Saratoga Ave
San Jose, CA 95129