How To Order at Hakkasan Without Breaking the Bank

Al Mancini at CityLife attempts to dine at the pricey Hakkasan at the MGM Grand on the cheap.

"The good news is you can get a very good, affordable meal at Hakkasan, if you consider $70-$80 for two (before tip) affordable," he says.

To accomplish that feat, he suggests drinking water since the martinis go for $15 and the specialty cocktails for $17. Then, don't listen to your server's recommendations on how to order. "For two people, I was told a proper order would be one small plate, two entrees, an order of rice or noodles and a vegetable. His final tip? "Splurge on the small stuff, skimp on the entrees."

Max Jacobson at Vegas Seven says Downtown's Mingo's Kitchen & Lounge appeals to a younger generation, "[B]ut anyone is apt to enjoy the cooking of chef Robert Solano, who manned the burners at La Madonna and Mundo before creating the small, but impactful menu here. Solano loves big flavors." Some dishes he recommends include the Notorious P.I.G., "a terrific bacon-wrapped hot dog with pickled jalapeños topped with horseradish mac 'n' cheese" and the three-cheese baked mac with chipotle. "It's as rich as the law allows." [VS]

Erik Chudy at Vegas Burger Blog checks out the burger at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at the MGM Grand. He says the onion marmalade stood out. "[I]t was sweet and had a good strong onion flavor. This was a very messy burger between the marmalade, mayo below and slaw juices, but overall way better than I anticipated." He gave the burger an 80 out of 100. [VBB]

Jim Begley at Las Vegas Weekly heads to Cafe de Cebu, the Filipino restaurant on West Flamingo Road. He says the star of the menu is the lechon belly de Cebu. Chef and owner Mary Rose Villarante "only prepares about 40 pounds a day, so when the crunchy, meaty treat is gone, it's gone." Dip it in "All Purpose Sauce or, better yet, the vinegary Suka Pinakurat made from fermented coconut sap." [LVW]

Yes, Heidi Knapp Rinella at the Las Vegas Review-Journal reviewed Nacho Daddy. Yes, she gave it a B+. No, she apparently has never eaten nachos. "One drawback: While the chips, piled high in a skillet, were kind of held together because of the interlayering of the meat and cheese, the other ingredients were positioned more precariously, which made the dish the culinary equivalent of Jenga. Every time we pulled out a chip, no matter from what part of the pile, we were afraid the whole thing would come tumbling down, and indeed a lot of the toppings ended up on the table." Yes, she wrote that. [LVRJ]