HKR Herded Like Cattle at Gordon Ramsay Steak

Heidi Knapp Rinella doesn’t think the waiter should be dressed better than the customers, just one of her random asides from her review of Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Review-Journal food critic was shuttled into a line to wait for a line to stand in another line for her 5 p.m. reservation. Perhaps the staff at the shouty chef’s restaurant didn’t see her photo from the press event debuting the restaurant.

Then the music was too loud to hear the waiter explain the cuts of meat from the “big silvery steak cart.”

Despite the cattle call to get to her table and the music, HKR enjoyed the beef tartar: “The exceptionally coarsely cut (that's a good thing) beef arrived in a domed vessel with the smoke trapped inside, to be released just as it was served.”

For some reason, she always orders a filet mignon, perhaps the least flavorful cut of steak even though it is the most popular. “Wrong again; this was without doubt the best filet mignon I've ever had. It was perfectly charred, the interior red and juicy, with a depth of flavor that was big and beefy, yet subtle and buttery with more layers and nuances than I could imagine.”

Apparently her dining companion was far more astute and knew to order the Beef Wellington, a Ramsay specialty. She calls it “perfection, the pastry and beef equally buttery but with different definitions, of course.”

And lest her dear readers forget, the RJ pays for her meals. “[O]n an evening like this I'm especially grateful for that. But you know what? This was so exceptional that I'd happily repeat it soon, on my own dime, as soon as I've saved enough dimes.”

She gave the food and atmosphere an A, the service a B for an overall A-.

Another restaurant opened at the same time as Gordon Ramsay Steak. Brock Radke at Las Vegas Weekly hit up Mizumi at Wynn Las Vegas. In a very short review that talks more about Alex Stratta and the ornate red decor of the place, he does like the “deliciously playful ‘tacos,’” the yellowtail sashimi with with jalapeño gelée and the Wagyu tartare with chili and black garlic on brioche croutons. “The food is as fun and relaxing as the refreshed look of this stellar new restaurant.” [LVW]

Jim Begley, on the other hand, goes deep into North Las Vegas to find what he calls, “some of the best tacos in town” at Taqueria el Palenque. The Las Vegas Weekly food writer recommends ordering the tripa, fried intestines. “The perfectly fried meaty morsels are less minerally and have more texture than most Valley versions. Don’t be scared.” [LVW]

Al Mancini at CityLife heads over to the eastside of Vegas to hit up E-Jo Korean Restaurant and its two-page menu with 19 dishes. This isn’t a cook-it-yourself barbecue. “E-Jo is a mom-and-pop operation, with simple, traditional food.” Look for beef brisket soup and spicy chicken and pork on the menu. [CL]

Vegas Seven took its annual holiday this week, but that didn’t stop Max Jacobson from checking out King’s Fish House in the District in Henderson. He was disappointed the Coho salmon wasn’t served on a cedar plank. “Apparently, the health code won’t permit the planks to be brought to the table in Henderson.” He also says his wife wasn’t impressed with the cioppino, the San Francisco tomato-based seafood stew. She was “hoping for a dish like she saw in San Francisco. She put lots of Tabasco in it, anyway, and dunked pieces of garlic bread that comes with it repeatedly into the sauce.” [UnicaWorld]