[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by TheGreatCurve

I've lived in both NYC and SF for many years and I've been to many Chinese restaurants in Vegas, none of which are anywhere near the strip. You have to go the restaurants where 100% of the other customers are Chinese and no one in the restaurant is speaking English and the menus are written in Chinese. Those are the ones that serve good Chinese food.

My in-laws are Chinese. I speak a little Chinese. I've been to China. Some of the Spring Mountain places serve good food. But not great food. There aren't any Michelin-starred Chinese restaurants in Las Vegas for a reason. Even the joints/mom & pops/greasy spoons (greasy chopsticks?) aren't up to the level of what is easily found in San Francisco.

Originally Posted by pommysmommy

I wouldn't recommend that to people who are particular about the meat that comprises the meal.

That's simply ridiculous. Any Spring Mountain restaurant's meat is more wholesome than a Chicken McNugget. Xenophobic much?

[TheGreatCurve]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

My in-laws are Chinese. I speak a little Chinese. I've been to China. Some of the Spring Mountain places serve good food. But not great food. There aren't any Michelin-starred Chinese restaurants in Las Vegas for a reason. Even the joints/mom & pops/greasy spoons (greasy chopsticks?) aren't up to the level of what is easily found in San Francisco.

Most Michelin-starred restaurants are fancy expensive restaurants, not holes in the wall. Heck, their raters won't even go near holes in the wall to rate the food. But some of these holes in the wall can have really good Chinese food.

BTW, believe it or not, some of the worst Chinese food I've ever had was in China.

[von949]

Originally Posted by TheGreatCurve

Most Michelin-starred restaurants are fancy expensive restaurants, not holes in the wall. Heck, their raters won't even go near holes in the wall to rate the food. But some of these holes in the wall can have really good Chinese food.

BTW, believe it or not, some of the worst Chinese food I've ever had was in China.

Im not surprised at all. I had some of the worst German food ever in Germany. Also had a lot of terrible Italian food in Italy, disgusting Japanese food in Japan, Korea in Korea...and so on.

Only Austria and Slovenia had food where 100% of everything I ate, I extremely enjoyed.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by TheGreatCurve

Most Michelin-starred restaurants are fancy expensive restaurants, not holes in the wall. Heck, their raters won't even go near holes in the wall to rate the food. But some of these holes in the wall can have really good Chinese food.

Good? Sure, I'll agree with that. There are some good Chinese restaurants in the Spring Mountain vicinity. And yes, the best of them don't have many occidental patrons. And their menus aren't printed in English.

But I was responding to the notion that "some of the best Chinese food" can be had there. That simply isn't the case. I've had 20-cent bowls of cabbage soup in China that blow anything Las Vegas has to offer right out of the water.

I can throw a yuan and hit a better restaurant near the intersection of Grant and Jackson in San Francisco. I can toss a $NT and hit either 1) A 7-11 store (there are a million 7-11s in Taiwan for some reason), or 2) a better restaurant than what can be found around Spring Mountain.

I suppose the point I've been failing to make is that we should be careful when throwing around superlatives. There are many things Las Vegas is "best" at. Chinese food isn't one of them.

Incidentally, happy year of the Dragon, which started today.

[pommysmommy]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

My in-laws are Chinese. I speak a little Chinese. I've been to China. Some of the Spring Mountain places serve good food. But not great food. There aren't any Michelin-starred Chinese restaurants in Las Vegas for a reason. Even the joints/mom & pops/greasy spoons (greasy chopsticks?) aren't up to the level of what is easily found in San Francisco.



That's simply ridiculous. Any Spring Mountain restaurant's meat is more wholesome than a Chicken McNugget. Xenophobic much?

Jump to conclusions much?

[macgeek]

Gung Hay Fat Choy

I actually like very much the Chinese place on Spring Mountain, in the "plaza" called Emperors Garden, With family style portions and authentic flavors
(Remember I come from Brooklyn, I have TWO major Chinese food communities) and being Jewish, Chinese food is a staple for me!

I think the biggest issue here is Gourmet VS Good

Ping Pang Pong is GOOD (and authentic)

A push cart on Soi 4 and Sukhumvit is Gourmet

Jonathan

[kimba01]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

I think the gaming companies made a mistake here -- making "theme park" casinos. Back when we tried to pass ourselves off as a "family-friendly destination."

Nobody brags about going to Epcot Center in Orlando as a alternative to foreign travel. Luxor and Paris are just more adult versions of Epcot, and just as badly-done. Las Vegas is a destination in itself. Trying to pass itself off as an ersatz France, Egypt, or Venice doesn't do anything for our image. We should have stuck with a neon and glitz -- the Stardust, Flamingo and Sands. That's what we do. People come for the entertainment, the lights and the action. Not our stately European architecture.

We're not France. Nor are we Venice. Let the Parisians and Venetians do their thing. We'll do ours.

As for satellite restaurants, some are hits. Most are misses. But none of them are 100% as good as the original. I think Bouchon comes closest to it's original Yountville location -- I'd say it's 90% as good as the original.

Rao's Las Vegas isn't even close to the Rao's on 114th Street. But how could it compare? New Yorkers buy a table there for life.

I haven't been to Olives in Boston, so it's not fair to compare.

Bouchon aside, I generally stay away from celebrity-chef-owned restaurants. The more locations a chef opens, the less he or she can supervise any of them directly. I'm looking straight at you, Wolfgang Puck.

I don't know anything about food choices because I am not a foodie, but speak for yourself on the other stuff. There are many people who appreciate seeing the "theme" hotels. Not everyone will ever get to those other countries, so it is fun to see small replicas in your own country. I have heard many people who love Epcot because of that, same with Las Vegas. I, personally, don't want LV to be another NY or SF.

I do agree it would be cool to see LV bring back some of the "old" style places.

[von949]

Have not eaten on Spring Mountain area yet but a friend of mine keeps inviting me to try some pho at some restaurant. One day.

[k28mas]

Originally Posted by cecnj

I planned on posting a personal take on living in Vegas after one full year here....and probably will still do so; however, I couldn't wait any longer to post some thoughts and reflections.

My first two months in town were tough, very tough. Little of it had to do with Vegas specifically, however. I'm not sure I realized that at the time though. I was homesick (for New Jersey? crazy, I know). I felt rather lost, even though I had a job prior to arriving here. I'm glad I stuck it out through those couple months.

I've grown to really like it here:

*Despite posts about it being colder here this year at this time than normal, I still love the fact that cold here does not also mean ice, freezing rain, snow to shovel, etc. The sun is out nearly every day and midday temps are still great for outdoor activities.

*I've made many friends, several great ones. I realize Vegas is somewhat more transient than many other cities, but what helps one to make friends is this very fact---most of us come from elsewhere. We are all new here at some point and immediately recognize that in others.

*There is sooooo much to do (and I'm not even including the strip in my accounting). And much of it is free or cheap.

*Cost of living still beats the east coast by....well, a lot. I earn a decent but modest living (I'm a teacher in an independent school and take home less than 50K per year). I can afford housing, car, utilities and still have some money for fun and for savings. I do live quite modestly---so if you're a shopper, fashionista type, I can't relate.

Part of what helped me to fight the initial feeling that I'd made a big mistake moving here were many enouraging posts and messages from members of this board. The snarky comments also provided motivation---I had to prove someone wrong.

So, enjoy the holiday all. Looking forward to New Year's here in Vegas with old friends from NJ and my great new ones from my new home.

[mod cut-- rude] Private schools don't pay anywhere near 50,000. You used the word independent school, which is very vague. To me that means you are talking about a private school.

[waverunner77]

Can anyone out there help me with this? There used to be a Japanese Doctor in Las Vegas that took only a certain amount of patient's per year. She had charged a "membership" type fee, but she was very well worth it.
If anyone has some information that could lead me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.
Thanks!