The Bellagio Buffet (Las Vegas) - Caviar and King Crab?!

Soo.... I went back to the Bellagio Buffet. Again. It was way too good the first time for me not to come back again. If you missed my first experience, click here. Otherwise read on... because this one is epic. 

So as you know, Bellagio Buffet is known as one of the classic, a bit boring, typical buffets in Vegas. Their decor is nothing special and it might even look pretty old and outdated at first glance. However, their food makes up for it in my opinion.

The day I treated my parents to this buffet, they had a 'special event' going on so the price got jacked up to about $50 CAD. Crazy, I know. My wallet was feeling a world of hurt so I was determined to stuff my face until I explode. Good thing that had Alaskan King Crab or else I would've been really sad. They replenish the stash quite often so you'll always be able to grab some good ones.

Their desserts were alright. Nothing to rave about.

 Strawberry and cheese tarts. Interesting.

 

I quite enjoyed their kale/butternut squash/lentil concoction, gnocchi (back), and pesto mash potatoes (right).

As I was walking around, I saw the coolest station ever. It was a caviar/tartare/poke station! On the very left is a beef tartare on toast which was quite good and didn't get me sick. For caviar, they had red tobiko (the fish eggs they use in sushi), salmon roe (also called Ikura in Japanese), and traditional English caviar (most likely sturgeon).

The caviar gets served on a pancake or waffle disc with some cream cheese. The pancake was merely a tool to get the caviar in your mouth so it was essentially tasteless. All in all it was okay and made me feel slightly better about paying $50/person because I've never gotten the opportunity to try sturgeon caviar before.

 Watermelon and feta salad.

I have never been to Hawaii before so it was my first time trying 'poke'. For those of you who are not familiar with poke, click here.

 It was absolutely delicious! I already love the individual flavours of soy, sesame, chili, garlic, and seaweed so when this was combined, WITH raw fish, it was heaven.

Some other items include Southern crawfish boil, meat and cheese platter, individual cups of mac and cheese, and creamed spinach.

 The Alaskan King Crab.

Mushroom gnoochi, homemade ravioli, prime rib, and shrimp cocktail.

The chocolate raspberry mouse in waffle cup (right) was to-die for. It's a must get item!!

The creme brulee was solid but nothing compared to the one at Wynn.

Even though this buffet is not a fancy one and is pricey considering how old it is, it's always reliable and the flavours blow me away each time. Also, if you really want all-you-can-eat Alaskan King Crab, you can be sure you'll get it here.

Service Rating: 3/5
Food Rating: 4/5
Price: $$$$+

Overall Rating: 4/5

Happy Eating!


    Anyone else have to roll out of the buffet like me?

Click here to check out my other Vegas post:
 - The Buffet at TI (Treasure Island)
- BurGR (by Chef Ramsey)
- The Cheesecake Factory (Caesar's Palace)

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Top 10 Restaurants to Go to During the Winter Time

When I think of winter, I think of scraping frost from my car in the morning, curling up in my blanket- burrito style (best way to sleep in my opinion), Mariah's 'All I want for Christmas is you" blasting in my car, and eating hot soupy anything to keep my insides warm.

There are so many amazing restaurants in Vancity that serves up delicous hot eats, perfect for combating the nippy air and chilly wind so I thought I'd share a few of my favourites with you. These restaurants are in no particular order. They are all my favourite go-to places during the winter time.

1. Burgoo - Must Get Item: Soup and Sandwich Combo


Burgoo by far makes one of my favourite grilled cheese sandwiches because it's made with an obscene amount of butter and cheese. *Drool*.... and when you pair that with their hot Seafood Potage soup? It's the perfect lunch combo to warm you from inside out.

2. Dinesty - Must Get Item: Soup Pork Dumplings


The last time I blogged about Dinesty was back in 2011 and I wrote about my less than stellar experience. I've returned many times since then, and they've surprised me with improvements each time. Their Xiao Long Baos (soup dumplings) are pretty spot on and if you've never had them before... You are missing out. These little soupy meat purses will change your life. Like legit.

3. Crackle Creme - Must Get Item: Honey Lavender Creme Brulee


Honey. Lavender. Creme. Brulee. Need I say more??

4. Marutama - Must Get Item: THE EGG


Oh god. Their glorious egg still haunts me in my sleep and I'm constantly depressed at the fact that I live so far away from this place. Marutama serves up extremely rich, chicken broth-based ramen with an egg so delicious it'll make you sing to the heavens. Just go and try it.

5. Swiss Bakery - Must Get Item: The Cronut (or Frissant)


It's really hard to explain in words how a cronut tastes but all I can say is... if you like doughnuts, and you like croissants, you will love these cronuts from Swiss Bakery. During my hibernation in the winter, my body craves carbs and this is its calling.

6. CHAU Veggie Express - Must Get Item: Diving For Pearls Pho


What's the first thing that pops into your mind when I say "vegetarian pho"? I can tell you the word 'delicious' was not on my mind. However, after trying their Diving For Pearls Pho, I am now a convert. This particular broth made with lychees and dates is still one of the most flavouful and delicious pho broths I've ever tasted to date. Give this place a try even if you have doubts. Most likely you'll love it.

7. Chez Meme - Must Get Item: French Onion Soup and Bourguignon Baguette


One look at this picture and I'm sure you already know what I'm talking about. In addition to their AMAZING french onion soup, this local mom and pop shop located in Burnaby will surely blow your mind when you taste their baguette sandwiches. Meta Knight and I both love their short rib baguette called "Bourguignon".

8. Gokudo Shabu Shabu - Must Get Item: Hot Pot Combo


Everyone knows hot pot tastes better when it's rainy, snowing, or windy outside. :) During the winter, I like Gokudo because their hot pot combo gives you tons of veggies, tons of meat, a drink, a carbolicious side, and a dessert, all for about $15 bucks. Plus, their individual hot pots mean no-calling-in-sick-the-next-day-when-you're-too-nice-to-ask-your-sneezing-friend-to-hold-off-on-double-dipping-her-chopsticks.

9. House of Tofu Soup - Must Get Item: Seafood Tofu Hot Pot and Fried Dumplings


I'm no vegetarian but these fried dumplings are the bomb. Also, Korean tofu soup is like the modern day chicken noodle soup. A little spicy, hearty, soupy, the perfect medicine to any cold.

10. Forage - Must Get Item: Their Award Winning Seafood Chowder


Soup. Soup. Soup. Soup. Did I mention I like soup? As an avid seafood lover, I can't imagine anything better than this award winning smokey seafood chowder on a cold windy night. As if that's not enough, it's topped with a soft boiled quail egg and pork rinds. Yes. I said pork rinds *wipes drool off keyboard*.

That's it! Hope you enjoyed the post. :) And if you're anything like me in the winter time... you'll relate.



Happy Eating!

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Westender Korean Restaurant - AYCE Samgyeopsal (Korean BBQ)

Wow I'm on a roll with these all-you-can-eat posts! Just yesterday was AYCE Fish and Chips... and now it's AYCE Korean BBQ!!

My good friend BB introduced me to this Korean place I never ever thought about going... the Westender Korean Restaurant on Denman.

It looks super dingy and uninteresting from the outside but the interior was surprisingly cozy and comfortable.

We started off with a bottle of Cass because BB and I both have fond memories of drinking this brand in Seoul. ^.^

I enjoyed their banchans (small complementary dishes) and of course these are refillable.

The Green Onion Salad ($3.99) is a must order dish!! It's huge so you can probably share with someone. But this salad goes amazingly well with pork and brings a good refreshing bite.

I forgot what this tofu soup is called but it was just a couple of bucks and super spicy. Not my cup of tea but definitely great for anyone that likes a spicy kick.

 We didn't opt for the AYCE which would've been $17/person (includes everything from samgyeopsal to sides to lettuce). Instead we got one order of Samgyeopsal ($10) and shared it along with lettuce for the both of us. We were totally expecting to order one more when we were done but it surprisingly filled us up!

All in all, this is a great place for samgyeopsal if you don't care too much about it being served already cooked. The sides are great, the green onion salad is the bomb, and the prices are affordable.

Service Rating: 3/5
Food Rating: 3.5/5
Price: $$

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Happy Eating!


courtesy of laurasofiacruz.wordpress.com

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