Las Vegas (Asian) - Tao

Tao
The Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas NE; Phone 702-388-8338
Date of Review: May, 2006

Located in the Venetian hotel, I challenge anyone with any interest in Asian culture to pass by this venue without stopping in for at least a drink. If you can, you have more will power than I. After meandering through the Venetian hotel, I made my way towards the light outside but paused when I caught a whiff of a nice fragrance. After realizing that this aroma was coming from the restaurant I just walked by, my interest was piqued enough for me to turn around and do a bit more investigation. I was taken in immediately as the entrance to the restaurant is lined, on both sides, with large sunken tubs filled with water and various different kinds of flower petals. After a quick glance inside, I knew where I was having dinner on this particular evening.

Tao’s atmosphere begins with bathtubs full of flower pedals which open out into a fantastic Asian accented lounge area that has the feel of a club. The Asian accents are ever present as you move from one room to the next. This is the type of place where you might spot a Hollywood power couple. Tao is that cool. Tao is a 42,000 square foot entertainment complex that features the aforementioned lounge and restaurant, banquet facilities and a nightclub. No worries if the nightclub atmosphere isn’t for you. You probably won’t even see it. I didn’t. With velvet and silk prominent throughout an atmosphere that is accented by waterfalls and a hand-carved 20-foot-tall Buddha floating peacefully above a pool complete with Japanese carp, dining at Tao is much more than a meal. It is an experience.

The menu is varied (Pan-Asian) but Tao specializes in Hong Kong Chinese, Japanese and Thai cuisine. The variety of delicacies available includes sashimi with different types of dipping sauces, innovative sushi rolls, lobster wontons, Peking duck and a Wasabi Crusted Filet Mignon.

During my visit, I dined with my friends Andy and Marcia. We started with yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno and Ponzu sauce. The fish was succulent and fresh and the Ponzu sauce was a nice contrast to the fresh fish and jalapeno flavors. We continued with the Thai Stuffed Shrimp with Garlic, Lime and Thai Chili Sauce and the Lobster Wontons with Shiitake Ginger Broth. I think the sentence above gives enough perspective regarding the flavorful combinations in these 2 dishes. Both were absolutely wonderful. We continued with the Peking duck. We took turns picking different things to eat and this was my choice. I love duck but this was my first experience with Peking duck. I now understand what I have been missing. With the flavors of the crispy and scrumptious duck accented by slivered spring onions and hoisin sauce all combined in a mushu wrap, this was a delectable combination of flavors that I could not get enough of. I put the exclamation point on this entree by disregarding everything I know about health and eating every piece of crispy duck skin left on the plate.

For dessert, we had the Giant Fortune Cookie which was filled with white and dark chocolate mousse. Visions of cracking the crispy crust of this massive fortune cookie with my spoon to delve into two kinds of mouthwatering chocolate mousse are still very much fresh in my head.

It is impossible to really find value at a restaurant as exclusive as Tao. When you walk into the restaurant and take a look around, you know it is going to be very expensive. That said, it is undoubtedly worth every penny spent. We chose 1 bottle of wine from the extensive and impressive wine list to go with four different dishes and a dessert. The cost was $220 plus tax and tip and it was worth every cent.