Category Archives: Forking Restaurant Reviews

Honest unbiased reviews based on actual experiences

China Mama 2 Shanghai Plaza Las Vegas NV – Real Chinese Food – Worth a Fork!

China Mama 2 is located in Las Vegas Nevada’s Chinatown in Shanghai Plaza. This restaurant offers mostly authentic Chinese Food but they also offer a few American Chinese Dishes like orange chicken.

It’s always busy here and you wait for your table by signing in on an iPad. The wait is usually 1-2 hours but We got lucky today and only waited eleven minutes.

Whatever you order they start you off with ice water in cold metal tumblers and hot Jasmin Tea.

We started out by trying the wood ear mushroom salad.

It’s crisp and kinda spicy…..

The waiters favorite dish here is the sliced fish filet with ginger and scallions so we went with that.

it’s light and mild and easy to eat.

But the dry pepper chicken is another story.

The chicken is bite sized, breaded and fried. It’s fried well because it seems free of oil but it was fried with MOLTEN HOT dried and fresh peppers and garlic. This dish really is too spicy hot for us……We’ve had this dish before at other Chinese Restaurants and it is always very spicy hot but not MOLTEN HOT like this one. We manage to eat a little of this one but I brought most of it home minus any pepper I came across. At home I made a honey based sauce that took the heat down a couple levels.

We also shared some of the sautéed lettuce.

The lettuce is nice and crisp and only very mildly seasoned.

We also had some steamed rice. The rice doesn’t come with the meals here and you have to order it.

We had plenty of leftovers to bring home.

The food was all very good but for our taste the dry pepper chicken ran too spicy hot.

China Mama 2 (at Shanghai Plaza) is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

China Mama 2

4266 Spring Mountain Rd Las Vegas NV

702-900-8802

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Dish Of The Week – Grilled Salmon from 1228 Main – Las Vegas NV

The Dish Of The Week that impressed me the most was the Grilled Salmon from 1228 Main. This Restaurant is in the family of Wolfgang Puck Restaurants and is located in downtown Las Vegas Nevada. The Grilled Salmon dish impressed me for several reasons.

1 – They didn’t even ask how I wanted it done and prepared it medium-ish

2 – They removed most of the bloodline that gives fish a fishier taste

3 – They crisped up the skin so much that it was like eating a crispy potato chip

4 – the fish was great and sauce and vegetables were unusually FORKING DELICIOUS

Everything we had on all our visits to 1228 Main were all VERY GOOD but I do need to mention that the menu changed on my every visit there. In case you don’t know 1228 serves daily made fresh baked goods, breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, and also has a bar.

The other plates we enjoyed on our last visit were –

Focaccia with provolone cheese and mortadella on the side

Spanish style cheese cake

This time we sat in the bar area

The Dish of the Week came from –

1228 Main – at – 1228 S. Main Street Las Vegas NV

702-602-0531

www.1228MainLV.com

The Forking Truth

My Visit to Thai St Cafe Las Vegas

Thai St Cafe has two locations in Las Vegas Nevada. I went to the Centennial Location. I wanted to come here because I read that they also do the fried Spinach Salad that many Thai Restaurants do here…….WTFork?……We walked in and immediately I knew I was here before……..But last time this restaurant was named Secret Of Siam…….Then I read about Secret of Siam in trouble for accidentally adding THC to their curries and many people got sick. The restaurant closed while under investigation and the judgement concluded Accidental. The Restaurant re-opened and in a short time became Thai St Cafe. I have found out that they are under a new ownership now.

It looks exactly the same inside as before.

The menu is exactly the same as before.

I decide not to get the spinach salad.

Got the eggplant with chicken with a #3 heat out of 5.

It looks exactly the same as before. It’s actually slightly less flavorful and not as spicy so it differs some. It’s good but not my favorite version of this dish. I like when the eggplants are more firm and less oily and more sweet like white eggplants.

My husband tried the drunken noodles with chicken.

He said that his chicken was dry and he got grumpy.

That was my visit to Thai St Cafe.

5705 Centennial Center Blvd Las Vegas NV

702-331-4406

www.ThatStCafe.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Bleu Kitchen Garlic Noodle Bar Las Vegas NV – Asian-Soul-Fusion – Worth a Fork!

Blue Kitchen Garlic Noodle Bar is an Asian – Soul – Fusion sort of restaurant that offers various noodle dishes and also a lot of seafood dishes. They also offer sharable plates such as bao buns, wings, and shrimp fried rice balls. They also offer small plates like Asian style chicken or oxtail tacos, deep fried lobster tails, and jumbo stuffed shrimp. The main dig might be the garlic noodles that come in a few varieties of shrimp, a couple in chicken, salmon, lamb, crab cake salmon, oxtail, ribeye, bbq ribs, and Gumbo Pot pie. Soft beverages and house made lemonades are served here. This restaurant is located in the North-West part of Las Vegas Nevada.

It’s comfortable inside with soft soul music in the air.

We started out by sharing the Chicken Asian Style Tacos.

They are 4 tacos made with fried potsticker skins and are stuffed with juicy Asian style chicken, sesame seeds, chives, sweet garlic aioli, and wasabi avocado aioli. They are crunchy light and delicious with lots of layers of flavors.

I tried the Korean Sticky Chicken with Garlic Noodles and a Pineapple lemonade.

The lemonade is not too sweet and is refreshing and comes with a lot of fresh fruit.

The Korean Sticky Chicken was expertly fried. The exteriors of each piece of chicken are shattering crisp and the interiors are extra juicy and flavorful in a sticky slightly sweet and spicy sauce. The noodles are chewy and tasty and not too garlic-ee. It also an extra generous portion of food…I doubt most people can eat more than half.

My husband thinks he ordered the Pan Fried Garlic Shrimp?

Well anyway he got one of the shrimp dishes that he said was delicious with perfectly prepared shrimp.

Tasty Fresh Food.

Extra large portions.

Reasonable prices.

Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Bleu Kitchen Garlic Noodle Bar – 702-992-3290

7450 W Cheyenne Ave Las Vegas NV

www.TheBleuKitchen.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Oh La La French Bistro Las Vegas NV – Restaurant Week 2024 – 3 Courses $60.

Oh La La French Bistro is located in the Summerlin part of Las Vegas Nevada. They bake their own bread here and I was told nearly everything is made in house. They are open for lunch, brunch, and dinner.

Oh La La French Bistro is also participating in Las Vegas Restaurant Week that has been extended to June 21. They are offering a lunch Restaurant Week 3 course menu for $40. and a Dinner Restaurant Week 3 course menu for $60. A portion of the proceeds benefits Three Square Food Bank.

The Restaurant Week Dinner Menu –

Whatever you order they start you off with their house made baguette and butter.

Course one –

Warm Pistachio Goat Cheese with onion confit jam, honey, and pistachios…WOW! This is BOMBalicious……Who knew?

Escargot – snails, parsley, butter, shallots, garlic – my husband enjoyed this and some of the warm pistachio goat cheese.

Course two –

Sole Meunière – with brown butter, garlic, capers, lemon, and parsley. Fingerling potatoes. The fish seemed fresh as can be and was the lightest sole meunière I ever had anywhere.

Duck with green beans and mustard sauce – I heard that this was good.

Course Three

Chocolate mousse

Chocolate liégeois – chocolate and vanilla ice cream with house made whipped cream and ganache. Both desserts were delicious but the favorite was the chocolate liegeois.

Everything above is also on the regular dinner menu.

Restaurant Week was extended to June 21 2024 for Oh La La French Bistro.

Oh La La French Bistro

2120 N Rampart Blvd Las Vegas NV

702-222-3522

www.OhLaLaFrenchBistro.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Market Grille Cafe Las Vegas NV – Greek Italian Mediterranean Restaurant – Worth a Try!

The Market Grill Cafe is a full service Greek, Italian, Mediterranean Restaurant located in the Centennial Area of Las Vegas Nevada. This is a family owned and ran restaurant that has been voted “Best of Las Vegas” for several years. The Proprietors are Joe and Rhonda Pierro and one is Greek and the other is Italian so the restaurant is a spin on what they know.

Some of the appetizers they offer are saganaki (flaming cheese), tabouli, and baba ganoush. They also offer soups and salads, Greek favorites like moussaka (beef, eggplant, potato casserole), pastitsio (beef macaroni pie), spanakopita (spinach and cheese pastry). They also offer a list of pastas, and offer several entrees including three lamb dishes. Their signature award wining dish is their pomegranate chicken (I’ll describe it in a bit). They also offer a variety of desserts.

You can dine on the patio for outdoor dining but most of the seating is inside.

At night they have live music.

Here’s the saganaki.

They set it in fire before it reaches your table. The Greek cheese is flamed with lemon and brandy and comes with lots of flat pita breads.

This is delicious!

Entrees come with small Greek Salads.

For my main I had to try the Pomegranate Chicken.

This is 24 hour marinated chicken (herbs & pomegranate juice) that was grilled and sliced and topped with pomegranate glaze and crushed walnuts. This also comes with a side of hummus, pita bread, and fluffy basmati rice. The chicken is moist and tasty with a little zing from the pomegranate. I’d get this again.

My husband tried the other dish I was thinking about getting….The white fish scallopini.

The orzo that it comes with is very good but the fish isn’t so great. It’s edible but taste like from frozen fish from any of our local supermarkets and is slightly over cooked. But hey a lot of restaurants don’t do fish as well as their other dishes in the southwest.

Market Grille Cafe is Worth a Try!

7070 North Durango Dr Las Vegas NV

702-396-0070

www.MarketGrilleCafe.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Poke Sushitto North Las Vegas NV Poke Bowls & Sushi Burritos Oh My! – Worth a Fork!

Poke Sushitto is a casual restaurant in North Las Vegas Nevada that offers Poke Bowls and burritos. You can order sushi bowls or sushi burritos “Chipotle Style.” For beverages they offer fountain drinks, bottled water, bubble tea, Asian Fruit Drinks, Asian Teas, and Pokka Coffee. Kids meals are also offered and there are a few additional side orders. If you can’t make up your mind there also are a few suggested bowls.

If you order your way then you can order 2 or three protein bowls. The proteins I noticed were raw or baked salmon, crab, sweet or tempura shrimp, regular tuna, spicy tuna, scallops, chicken, and tofu. If you ordered a bowl you pick rice or salad or half rice and half salad as your base. They offer all kinds of vegetables and sauces and a few toppings.

I tried baked salmon with spicy tuna.

I asked for 1/2 brown rice and half salad…….I guess the girl couldn’t hear me and gave me all salad. For added vegetables I got carrots, cabbage, and corn. I also got crunchy fried strips, some ginger, scallions, yuzu miso sauce and cilantro. On the side I got a sweet soy type sauce, and sriracha mayo. Somehow it turned out flavorful and tasty.

My husband tried a three meat bowl.

I think it was mostly similar to what I got but it had tuna, shrimp, and salmon, pickled, radishes, sushi rice, and jalapeños. I forgot what sauces he went with but he also was surprised that it came out delicious! He also thought that the price was very reasonable for what he got!

Since it was very tasty and the fish seemed fresher that from a lot of neighborhood sushi places I have to say Poke Sushitto is Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

Poke Sushitto – 702-522-9668

2520 E Craig Road North Las Vegas NV

Their website connects to Lotus of Siam……But you can find them on Facebook.

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Restaurant Week 2024 at Al Solito Posto – 3 Courses $50. Las Vegas NV – Very Good!

Al Solito Posto is a richly decorated high quality Italian Restaurant located in Tivoli Village in the Summerlin part of Las Vegas Nevada. They are participating in the 2024 Las Vegas Restaurant Week and offer a 3 course menu for $50. A Portion of the proceeds benefits Three Square Food Bank.

What to pick?

We ordered and they started us off with their focaccia and table side oil that is embellished with smashed beans, dry herbs, and cheese.

We started out with meatballs and squash blossoms.

main meals were rigatoni and chicken marsala (portions were very generous)

Desserts were Italian Lemon Cake and Bombolini

For the most part everything was great and this was a great Restaurant Week Choice.

Al Solito Posto

420 S Rampart Blvd Las Vegas NV

702-463-6781

www.AlSolito.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Restaurant Week 2024 at Spiedini Fiamma Italian Bistro Las Vegas NV – 3 Courses $30.

Spiedini Fiamma Italian Bistro is an Italian Restaurant located in the Rampart Casino that is in the Summerlin Area of Las Vegas Nevada.

Spiedini Fiamma Italian Bistro is participating in the 2024 Las Vegas Restaurant Week that goes from June 3rd-14th this year. Pricing this year runs from $20.- $120. and a portion of the proceeds benefits Three Square Food Bank.

Spiedini Fiamma Italian Bistro has cut their already reasonable pricing to just $30. for three courses.

Inside is a spectacular lavish atmosphere.

They started us off with garlic toasts that were very similar to croutons.

My husband tried the meatballs with polenta.

Maybe someone slipped with the black pepper? The meatballs were extra spicy and a little dry tonight. He didn’t care for the polenta. I asked what was wrong he just said it taste like porridge…..(not sure what that means but I was afraid to taste).

I tried the pear and gorgonzola salad.

This salad ran extra bitter tonight. Bitter arugula, unripe pears, and a very strong vinaigrette. Arugula not the freshest.

My husband tried the vodka rigatoni.

He said that the sausage was good but the pasta was overcooked.

I tried the chicken senape (chicken in mustard citrus sauce with vegetables and potatoes)

They forgot my vegetables so we asked for them.

This is a very large portion of food. The chicken is moist but the skin isn’t crisp and edible. The carrots were rushed and are a bit underdone. The potatoes are a bit over done.

Then we get tiramisu for dessert.

One has a lot of cocoa…one has a little cocoa. Mine is still frozen in the middle.

Tonight they weren’t big on clearing plates.

The next day I noticed my leftover chicken was undercooked.

Mostly Edible large portions that are reasonably priced but not the best.

Spiedini Fiamma Italian Bistro (at Rampart Casino)

221 Rampart Blvd

702-869-7790

www.TheResortSummerlin.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Brunch at the NEW Esther’s Kitchen Las Vegas NV

Esther’s Kitchen is a locally sourced Italian Cuisine Restaurant located in downtown Las Vegas Nevada in the Arts District. They made their own sourdough, breads, pastas, pizzas, and more. This restaurant recently moved from a smaller location next door. The restaurant is named after the chef’s aunt.

WOW! It’s at least triple the size of the old Esther’s.

Past the hostess desk are dining tables and a large bar with more tables. To the left of the hostess desk is part of the open kitchen where I can see they are making pasta.

This is the dining area and open kitchen by the entrance. You can’t see it in my photo but there is a smaller dining area to the left of this area. Wow it is really loud in here…not music either…just a lot of people in conversation.

We started out by sharing a smoked ocean trout toast.

The made-in-house toasted sourdough is very good and so is the creamy thick cream cheese. Silky fresh smoked Ocean Trout, sweet heirloom tomatoes, onion, and fresh herbs complete the toast.

I tried the Cauliflower Alla Romana because it sounded interesting and not too heavy (anchovy, chili, garlic, fried capers, parsley).

It’s different……..The cauliflower has a starchy coating but the cauliflower is almost raw. The pieces on the top are just hard and starchy. The bottom pieces have a lot of anchovy and maybe capers and some are too salty. This is far more filling than it looks. I brought a bunch home.

My husband ordered one of the dishes that they do best……They called it rigatoni (house. made) Carbonara (egg yolk, house made guanciale & peas….((not sure if it had peas in it?)))

Well whatever this pasta is my husband said that it was very good.

That was Brunch at the NEW Esther’s Kitchen.

Esther’s Kitchen

1131 Main St. Las Vegas NV – 702-570-7864

www.EsthersLV.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth