Shintaro sushi in Vegas
Mar 4th, 2006, 10:54 AM
#1
Original Poster
Shintaro sushi in Vegas
I finally was able to have sushi at the Shintaro restauant in the Bellagio in Las Vegas last night. Oishii kata desu!
In the past, I've showed up there either too early, too late, or not dressed "smart casual" as the sign out front requires.
Shintaro has a sushi bar up front with 12 seats in a line. Behind the 3 sushi chefs are windows into 10 foot tall aquariums with dozens of jellyfish swimming. Each of the three aquaria (?) had a different colored light for illumination.
While waiting for the sushi bar I could see that there was full restaurant further in. I was seated next to a woman from Iowa who was getting away from her 7 girlfriends (wedding), who was finisihing her meal.
Had good hamachi and salmon and then ordered aji sushi. Aji is a small fish (horse mackerel aka spanish mackeral) and not that common, I think because it goes bad quickly and is hard to prepare. In northern Virginia I saw a guy make a mess of an aji to make some pitiful sushi.
The chef (from Tokyo) said that they only prepare aji as sashimi, not as sushi, which was ok with me. He did a wonderful job with it. After he finished slicing off the edible part, the whole fish was still intact. The head was looking up from the plate! still attached to the body. The body was reduced to the bones in an almost transparent layer of fish and still attached to the tail. The whole whole body was curved and held in place by a stick, tail in air but head looking up. The fish was arranged next to that on a bed of lettuce and daikon.
Had very good green tea that was served in what I think of as a coffee press, though I suppose it was a tea press. It was a good sized pot of tea, but I think they gave me a sake cup to drink it with.
Had more hamachi and samon sushi and maguro, and a bowl of rice and was about ready to leave when they seated another woman next to me. A beautiful Japanese woman who has been living in the USA for several years. Native Japanese speaking fluent English and quite Americanized. Her Japanese name is Julia.
So I decided to try the toro. After the chef mentioned that it was $50 for two pieces I told him that I wanted one piece but he wouldn't do it. After realizing that Julia was not a hooker I decided to go for the toro. It was excellent but I have had better at less than half the cost. Also had tamago sushi for "dessert". Tamago is even less popular out west as it is back east.
Shintaro does take reservations for the sushi bar.
In the past, I've showed up there either too early, too late, or not dressed "smart casual" as the sign out front requires.
Shintaro has a sushi bar up front with 12 seats in a line. Behind the 3 sushi chefs are windows into 10 foot tall aquariums with dozens of jellyfish swimming. Each of the three aquaria (?) had a different colored light for illumination.
While waiting for the sushi bar I could see that there was full restaurant further in. I was seated next to a woman from Iowa who was getting away from her 7 girlfriends (wedding), who was finisihing her meal.
Had good hamachi and salmon and then ordered aji sushi. Aji is a small fish (horse mackerel aka spanish mackeral) and not that common, I think because it goes bad quickly and is hard to prepare. In northern Virginia I saw a guy make a mess of an aji to make some pitiful sushi.
The chef (from Tokyo) said that they only prepare aji as sashimi, not as sushi, which was ok with me. He did a wonderful job with it. After he finished slicing off the edible part, the whole fish was still intact. The head was looking up from the plate! still attached to the body. The body was reduced to the bones in an almost transparent layer of fish and still attached to the tail. The whole whole body was curved and held in place by a stick, tail in air but head looking up. The fish was arranged next to that on a bed of lettuce and daikon.
Had very good green tea that was served in what I think of as a coffee press, though I suppose it was a tea press. It was a good sized pot of tea, but I think they gave me a sake cup to drink it with.
Had more hamachi and samon sushi and maguro, and a bowl of rice and was about ready to leave when they seated another woman next to me. A beautiful Japanese woman who has been living in the USA for several years. Native Japanese speaking fluent English and quite Americanized. Her Japanese name is Julia.
So I decided to try the toro. After the chef mentioned that it was $50 for two pieces I told him that I wanted one piece but he wouldn't do it. After realizing that Julia was not a hooker I decided to go for the toro. It was excellent but I have had better at less than half the cost. Also had tamago sushi for "dessert". Tamago is even less popular out west as it is back east.
Shintaro does take reservations for the sushi bar.
Mar 4th, 2006, 05:38 PM
#2
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How much was your total bill? I can't imagine paying $25 for one piece of toro, but that is me (and I wasn't winning in Vegas as you likely were).
I have a file that I keep of sushi places in Vegas that have been recommended on this board. This post will be archived there. The things is, I have no idea when I would ever make it back to Vegas. I only went once on the way back from a hiking trip in Utah, and I saw Elton John that night in Vegas. If I had had a good sushi recommendation, I would have fit it in then.
There are more than a few good recommendations on this board for other Mom and Pop sushi places in Vegas that I'd like to try. Maybe I'll just go to Vegas to do a "sushi and show" weekend sometime.
Arigato gozaimasu for the review.
I have a file that I keep of sushi places in Vegas that have been recommended on this board. This post will be archived there. The things is, I have no idea when I would ever make it back to Vegas. I only went once on the way back from a hiking trip in Utah, and I saw Elton John that night in Vegas. If I had had a good sushi recommendation, I would have fit it in then.
There are more than a few good recommendations on this board for other Mom and Pop sushi places in Vegas that I'd like to try. Maybe I'll just go to Vegas to do a "sushi and show" weekend sometime.
Arigato gozaimasu for the review.
Mar 7th, 2006, 03:28 PM
#6
Original Poster
"Oishi kata desu" means, approximately, "it is all very tasty", as you might say to the chef at the end of the meal. But that is not correct here. I should have said "deshita", "it was", not "desu". Tell your sushi chef "oishii desu" next time: Oh ee sheeee dess.
No, I didn't share! I was just about done with everything. She ordered the aji sashimi and a tempura dish: oysters, shrimp, and scallops in three compartments of a long dish (which she offered to share after I commented on it). She was a surprise and a delight.
I noted that the 12 seats seemed to hold 6 couples as I (solo) waited. One couple left and the couple before me were seated. A few couples came in and went to the main restaurant. Another couple came in after me to wait for the sushi bar.
I actually thought about leaving since I didn't want to be sitting there with an empty seat next to me while these couples waited. I was surprised when I got the solo seat and enjoyed talking to the lady from Iowa, but she soon left. The women to my left were into there own thing and the sushi chef was a good guy but not talkative, and there was that empty seat next to me. So, I was expecting to be bored. I was so surprised when she spoke English fluently.
No, I didn't share! I was just about done with everything. She ordered the aji sashimi and a tempura dish: oysters, shrimp, and scallops in three compartments of a long dish (which she offered to share after I commented on it). She was a surprise and a delight.
I noted that the 12 seats seemed to hold 6 couples as I (solo) waited. One couple left and the couple before me were seated. A few couples came in and went to the main restaurant. Another couple came in after me to wait for the sushi bar.
I actually thought about leaving since I didn't want to be sitting there with an empty seat next to me while these couples waited. I was surprised when I got the solo seat and enjoyed talking to the lady from Iowa, but she soon left. The women to my left were into there own thing and the sushi chef was a good guy but not talkative, and there was that empty seat next to me. So, I was expecting to be bored. I was so surprised when she spoke English fluently.
