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Wednesday, July 12, 2000
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Quick Cuisine
Hotels use popular noodle shops to entice Asian customers
By Joan Whitely
Review-Journal
It would rhyme, but still be cliche, to say Las Vegas has oodles of noodles. So let's say, instead, that noodles are another form of Pacific Rim cuisine to make a belated, but strong, showing in our fair city.
In 1996, The Mirage took a tentative stand for noodles by experimentally dedicating a small portion of its coffee shop to Asian high rollers who yearned for Asian noodles. It soon expanded the noodle section from 30 seats to 120.
Since that first move, the food form has flourished here.
At last count, seven major hotels offer either a restaurant that specializes in noodles or a restaurant that permanently dedicates one section to its noodle clientele.
Those spots are: Noodles in Bellagio; Noodle Shop at Cafe Roma in Caesars Palace; The Noodle Shop in Mandalay Bay; Noodle Kitchen at the Caribe Cafe in The Mirage; Dragon Noodle in the Monte Carlo, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd. South; Mein in the Rio; and Noodle Asia in The Venetian.
Most of the restaurants opened originally to serve guests from Asia, but have developed a following among non-Asians, too, hotel spokesmen say.
"Noodles have always been a tradition, a favorite among the Chinese, from the working class to the monarchs of the dynasties," notes Kevin Wu, the restaurateur who owns and operates Noodle Asia in The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
"They want something fast, in and out. Hamburger and fries for an American is like noodles for an Asian," says Isabella Tsang, the Hong Kong-born assistant director of food and beverage at the Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
The Bellagio boasts Noodles, a restaurant deliberately located near the baccarat room, a game that is popular with Asians. But Tsang also had a hand in launching the 120-seat Noodle Kitchen inside The Mirage's Caribe Cafe, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
Speed in getting food to the table is typical of a noodle shop, Tsang adds. "You don't wait 20 minutes for the meal to arrive. It's very reasonable to be done (eating) in 30 minutes from the time they sit down."
The reason is the broth is ready before a patron places his order. But contrary to fare at some fast-food burger joints, the rest of a meal is not precooked. Oriental noodles cook swiftly, and so does the small amount of fresh meat or vegetables that may top a noodle dish.
"I would say we are tapping a trend (in casinos) -- that quick meal right off the casino floor," adds Kurt Ouchida, a spokesman for The Venetian. Most of the noodle shops inside casinos here are open to 3 a.m.
While noodle cuisine may be quick, it's nutritional. Don't lump it in the category of junk food, devotees warn. "It's a meal by itself," containing items from several food groups in a single bowl, says Dennis Khanh, vice president of food and beverage at Mandalay Bay, who is of Vietnamese descent. His hotel's Noodle Shop, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South, is "incorporated together with our Raffles Cafe," Khanh notes.
Another reason for noodles' newfound popularity may be the momentum from noncasino venues. "P.F. Chang's is pushing noodles," according to Tsang. The restaurants are at 1095 S. Rampart Blvd. and 4165 Paradise Road. The new Cafe Noodle and Chinese Barbecue, 4355 Spring Mountain Road, specializes in noodles, too.
For all the similarity in names among local noodle shops -- even the Rio's Mein is derived from the Chinese word for noodles -- the menus vary.
Noodles at Bellagio, for example, takes an ecumenical approach. It has cold Japanese soba noodles and yellow Mee Goreng noodles, as well as noodle specimens representing the styles of Thailand, Vietnam and, of course, China.
Many noodle shops also offer congee, a nondessert rice porridge that Tsang calls the Eastern equivalent to Mom's chicken soup.
But Noodles also offers barbecue, including whole roasted suckling pig.
Caesars' Noodle Shop at Cafe Roma is set to close soon because of hotel remodeling, according to spokeswoman Kristin Koca, but will reopen in new digs at the end of summer. A new menu will accompany the relocation in the hotel at 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
The Mandalay Bay's Noodle Shop specializes in noodles from China, for maximum authenticity, says Khanh. Won tons, pork knuckles, seafood, beef balls, fish balls, barbecued pork and roast duck are some of the components for authentic regional noodle dishes.
The Rio's Mein, 3700 W. Flamingo Road, like most of its competitors, offers two main methods of noodle presentation -- in soup or wok-fried.
Owner Wu says the Noodle Asia menu will change quarterly, so that seasonal soups can be rotated in. Noodle Asia, in The Venetian, also distinguishes itself by offering dim sum, which is available at the Bellagio's Noodles on weekends, too.
For all the latter-day noodle hoopla, some Asian-themed restaurants in Las Vegas have been offering a selection of noodles all along.
One example is Aloha Specialties, a restaurant in the California hotel, 12 Ogden Ave. The California belongs to the Boyd Gaming Corp., which is known for its loyal Hawaiian clientele, many of whom are familiar with Asian noodles.
Another is the one-two punch of Dragon Court for fine dining, and the Grand Wok for quick, casual meals at the MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South. "We have more pan-fried noodles," usually ordered as a dinner side dish, says Tony Lee, Dragon Court manager. "They have more soup noodles."
With the heightened exposure, Asian noodles can be pricey. Charges ranged from a high of $14.95 at several noodle outlets for seafood and roast duck soups, to a low of $6.50 for cold Japanese soba noodles at Bellagio's Noodles. Prices in the midrange of $8-$12 per serving are common.
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Quick Cuisine
Noodle Asia in The Venetian offers an array of noodle dishes including this serving of wok-fried noodles.
Photo by Christine H. Wetzel.
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