Craving Asian? Here are 8 places to check out around town
Each week Neon spotlights a different cuisine in the Dining Guide, with Asian restaurants this week.
Restaurants are rated on a letter-grade scale, from A to F. Opinions by R-J critic Heidi Knapp Rinella (H.K.R.) are indicated by initials.
Price symbols are based on the cost of an average entree: $ = entrees less than $10; $$ = entrees $10 to $20; $$$ = entrees $20 to $30; and $$$$ = entrees more than $30.
1. BLUE FIN SUSHI & ROLL
3980 E. Sunset Road; 702-898-0037
The fact that Blue Fin differentiates between sushi and rolls was a good initial sign that was followed by a great experience in food, atmosphere and service. We loved the Cajun tuna nigiri sushi, the Marisa Special and Golden Tiger rolls and a Screaming Orgasm starter. (2/28/14 H.K.R.)
Overall: A
$$
2. FAT CHOY
Eureka Casino, 595 E. Sahara Ave.; 702-794-3464
You may not be familiar with the Eureka Casino but Fat Choy took a peripatetic path in getting there and it’s worth seeking out. For what? For the fun Amer-Asian diner vibe and especially for the fusion dishes on which chef Sheridan Su built his reputation, like the Pork Belly Bao, Peking Duck Bao, Duck Fried Rice and Fat Choy Burger. (1/24/14 H.K.R.)
Overall: A
$$
3. I LOVE SUSHI
11041 S. Eastern Ave.; 990-4055
I Love Sushi is a “fusion” sushi restaurant, of the genre that are refining and redefining the art to be more in keeping with American tastes. To that end, there’s a heavy reliance on tuna and salmon, but we’re not complaining. We liked the Joe’s Special, Sex on the Beach, the I Love Sushi Special, the Lisa Hand Roll and the Tornado. And a vanilla mochi for dessert. And there’s teriyaki, teppanyaki and yakisoba, in case sushi’s not your thing. (1/15/14 H.K.R.)
Overall: A
$$
4. MOTHER’S KOREAN GRILL
China Town Plaza, 4215 Spring Mountain Road; 702-579-4745
Mother’s succeeded where other Korean restaurants have failed in one major way: It cured us of our fear of kimchi. But the kimchi isn’t the only thing at Mother’s that’s carefully prepared — like your Korean mother would make, probably; we also liked the Dol Sot Bibimbap, bulgogi and dak bulgogi, as well as the various banchan side dishes. (5/16/14 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$$
5. RICE & COMPANY
Luxor, 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702-262-4852
Rice & Company didn’t offer much in the way of surprises, but sometimes that’s a good thing. We liked the innovative sushi fusion rolls the Wock and Roll and the Candy Cane, and the Blue Crab & Rock Shrimp Roll, though we thought the Garlic Chicken With Vegetables would have benefited from garlic throughout instead of in intermittent cloves. (12/13/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: B
$$$
6. THAI THAI
10890 S. Eastern Ave.; 837-6575
Finding little-known gems is the best part of this job, and Thai Thai — a little jewel box of a place — is one of them. We loved the truly exemplary fresh rolls, plus the Tom Kha Gai, shrimp and scallop basil, Pumpkin Curry and sweet sticky rice with coconut ice cream. (2/1/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A
$$
7. TOKYO BOYS
375 N. Stephanie St., Henderson; 702-834-5578
“Fine Japanese dining” in an old diner-style restaurant is a visual non sequitur, but while Tokyo Boys doesn’t quite achieve the “fine” level, it definitely comes close. We loved the braised pork belly, the house-made gyoza and the Tiger Roll and liked the Banzai roll, and the hybrid interior. (4/18/14 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$$
8. WING LEI
Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702-770-7000
Interdepartmental teamwork from the reservationist to our server helped make our dinner at Wing Lei a flawless experience. That was, of course, in no small part because of the excellent food, which included crispy pork belly, Three Cup Sea Bass, Mongolian Beef and walnut semifreddo for dessert. (7/19/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A
$$$$
