On the Strip: Tao
Still one of the most dynamic destinations in all of Las Vegas, Tao (The Venetian, 702.388.8338) is the one-stop shop that offers restaurant, lounge, nightclub and dayclub experiences. With all that action, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the wide-ranging and spectacular cuisine served every night in this theatrical dining room. When it opened in 2005, Tao changed the game as far as Asian food on the Strip, and its continued evolution is equally exciting. For every longtime favorite dish on the menu (like yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño, satay of sea bass with miso or the spicy shrimp, king crab and asparagus roll) there’s another modern creation ready to tempt your festive group. Don’t miss the Peking duck spring roll with hoisin sauce, the delicate lobster wontons with shiitake mushroom and ginger broth, spicy chili chicken with pineapple and soy or the Crispy Snapper in the Sand, a whole fried fish smothered in crunchy garlic and ready to share with the table. –Brock Radke
Off the Strip: Niu Gu
Burrito
Jianbing, often described as a Chinese burrito, has been around for centuries, and it’s served off-menu at Niu Gu (3400 S. Jones Blvd. No. 16, 702.570.6363). Short rib and beef tongue are popular. So is back rib, marinated in soy sauce, oyster sauce and bean curd, then simmered for hours, and ginger-soy chicken, fried yet tender without skin. Chef Jimmy Li says jianbing can be done a hundred ways, but he likes to mix in potatoes, pork, onions and the occasional squid ink rice on a pan-fried flour tortilla. The result is more simple, crisp and crunchy than its carb-heavy counterparts. –Rob Kachelriess
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Mr. Coco
Currently stirring up serious buzz is Mr. Coco (Palms, 702.942.7777), a new luxury cocktail hideaway tucked away in the renovated resort’s Fantasy Tower. Once you find the private elevator whisking you up to an intimate, European-inspired, 47-seat space with velvet banquettes, rose gold mirrored tables and an Italian Zanzibar stone and silver-blue marble bar, you’ll choose from a list of highly refined cocktails as well as small-plate snacks created by former L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon chef Steve Benjamin. –Brock Radke
