Wynn Seafood Buffet an Eye Opener - Las Vegas

The Wynn Seafood Buffet was our target since the beginning of  the trip.  We knew even before we got to Vegas that we would need to visit them at least once.  I wasn't very excited since buffets arent' my favourite type of meal.  In fact, I thought food would just be sitting on warmers going brown and soggy.  Little did I know what I was getting myself into.  And finally, after walking and walking and walking, looking and looking and looking at all the sights and sounds we arrived at the Wynn. 

The hotel itself was gorgeous but we will talk about that more after we get the food out of the way.

We got there just a tiny bit before the crowd did. From the outside, I still did not see the grandeur that this buffet proved to be.  We barely waited 5 minutes before we were seated.  We quickly put our stuff down and walked to the middle of the buffet where we were greeted by racks of lamb, and a huge slab of prime rib.  My god, the lamb was so juicey! 



 We made our way down the buffet to our left since we started in the middle and helped ourselves to chicken, pork, beef, etc.  Then we saw the giant mound of king crab legs! So sweet and succulent.  I think we went back for thirds after we piled them high onto a separate plate to share.  I dipped the crab meat in cocktail sauce and it tasted even better.

 Going back the other way there were vegetables and salad, a pizza section and the huge plate of Oysters Rockefeller.  They were so tasty.  They were very oyster tasting with some crunch due to the topping.  They were definitely addictive.

In addition to all the main courses, dessert was incredible.  They had chocolate cheese cake, creme-brulee, kiwi and lime mousse, tarts, mini cupcakes, bonbons on a stick, and different types of cakes.  I tried all of them and it was like having a little party in my mouth with all the different sweets.  They even have a crepe station and a gelato station! 

 

After we were more than stuffed we walked around the entire building in an attempt to help digestion.  The beauty of the hotel distracted me from my full stomach.  The Wynn had extremely high ceilings, modern decor and great chandeliers.  Fresh flowers were displayed everywhere along with beautiful and comfortable pieces of furniture.  They had many banquet halls that could be rented out for weddings and ceremonies or what not.  The soundproofing in these rooms were impressive.  We were walking down the gorgeously carpeted quiet hall where even our footsteps were muffled when suddenly a door opened and club music streams down every corridor.  Once that door slips quietly shut, all was silence once more.

The Wynn was definitely a highlight of the trip thanks to Cowie Wowie's wonderful planning.

Studio Cafe Brunch Fat Tuesday Snack Las Vegas

Cowie and his buddies discovered the Studio Cafe the last few times they were in Vegas.  It is actually located in the MGM casino.  All the staff there were very courteous and we didn't have to wait to get a table even though they were quite busy that morning.  Cowie said a must try is the Corn Beef and Hash.  It may look simple but it tastes delicious.  When the dish arrived I really was quite surprised at how simple it looked.  But after trying a few bites, I can see why they loved it.  The combination of the corn beef and hash provides a fork-full of savoury smokey flavour and crispy oh so goodness.  Cowie also said that they have tried corn beef at different places on the strip but this was the best one.

I ordered my own dish so we can try something new so I got the Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce, Pork Loin and Hash.  This was so good on the first couple of bites but then it got too rich towards the end.  Cowie obviously had to help out.

After brunch we walked down the strip. After hopping into a couple of hotels and casinos, we stopped to get a drink.  Instead of getting a coke or whatnot, we decided to get an elevator cup sized daiquiri at Fat Tuesdays.  They have all kinds of flavours swirling around on the back wall.  You can pick multiple flavours or just stick to your favorite.  You can tell them how many shots of rum you want and you can choose from a variety of sizes.  We chose strawberry and peach and oh boy it was thirst quenching and severely spiked with rum!  Just one shot was good enough for me.  Everything was so much more fun! Haha, just kidding.  But we did go on the New York New York Roller Coaster immediately after.

Traveling Executive Class Air Canada to Las Vegas

My company booked us into first class to Las Vegas. This meant we got to hang out at the Maple Leaf lounge before we boarded the plane.  As we walked toward our gate, which was coincidentally right next to the Maple Leaf lounge, we looked up at the map and was surprised at what we saw.  Cowie and I wonder why nobody else is seeing this and why it was even allowed to be posted.  Unless, they wanted it up there as a symbol of how free we are in expressing ourselves in Canada. 

Walking pass this unique map posted high above our heads,  we continued through a glass door and into an elevator by our gate.  Up one floor and we were greeted by a concierge looking desk where we signed in.  We walked in to see rows of comfy chairs to the left and a cafe style seating to the right. 

There was a self serve bar which is similar to AYCE.  There were unlimited juice, wine and spirits. 

There was soup and salad and other light snacks.  I got there just in time for the last bowl of chicken noodle soup.  It was very hearty with big chunks of chicken and vegetables.  They brought out cream of broccoli which Cowie had and it was thick and tasty.

We got down to our gate just minutes before the boarding time.  We actually got to board the plane first because we were in first class, what a change!

When we got our tickets it looked like we weren't going to get to sit together because my seat was 4D and Cowie's was 4F.  When we found our seats, we were indeed sitting together.  In fact, the middle seat was missing because the two seats needed more room.

As soon as we settled into our seats, the flight attendants showed up with water and OJ.  I also didn't think there would be a full hot meal since we were flying out at 2pm but there was.  

Cowie had the Parmesan Chicken with rice and I had the Salmon with creamy rice pilaf. It was really good.

 The meal came with a spring salad with a vinaigrette dressing, warm crusty bread with butter and a piece of strawberry cheesecake. What made the whole experience so different was that everything was real, I mean nothing was plastic! The utensils, plates, bowls, glasses, they were all real! Haha, the service was great too! Wow! I didn't expect this at all even though it was my very first time flying executive class with Air Canada.  After the meal, I slept the rest of the way there which wasn't too long at all.

Western Lake Seafood Restaurant

Western Lake used to be our favourite dimsum place.  Unfortunately they became so popular that even if you make a reservation, you would still have to wait almost an hour for a table.  Their prices have also gone up making it difficult to make it our go-to restaurant.  But the food remains exceptional, so we come here on special occasions like birthdays.

Most Chinese dinners start with a soup and for Rice Bowl's birthday we chose a crab and fish maw soup.  Its our favourite.  It has crab meat, fish stomach and egg whites.  Umm Yumm.

We ordered a couple of other dishes that have become our favourites over the years.  The food came pretty fast and the service was very good.  They refilled our tea when we tilted the teapot lid and cleared away empty dishes as soon as we were done.  After packing up our leftovers, they brought out desert of red bean soup.  Yumyum.

Porkchop with Champagne Sauce

Walnut Shrimp: Deep friend shrimp with a creamy mayo sauce with honey glazed sesame walnuts

Beef and Gailan

Seafood, egg white over broccoli

Coconut Taro Chicken

The food came pretty fast and the service was very good.  The food arrived steaming hot which made my mouth water.  They refilled our tea when we tilted the teapot lid and cleared away empty dishes as soon as we were done. After packing up our leftovers, they brought out desert of red bean soup. 

Western Lake rarely disappoints in terms of tasty dishes.

Yumyum.

Cattle Cafe

Sundays are exclusively reserved for family activities.  Since moving out on my own almost a year and a half ago, I have gone home every Sunday for my Mama's home cooked meals.  And almost every Sunday we would start the day by eating out for lunch.  One of our favourite places to go is Cattle Cafe.  Rice Bowl discovered this place with her friends and one day we took the parents and that was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

There are a couple of things that make Cattle Cafe a nice spot for a weekend bite. 

Number one, most of their meals come with a free hot beverage.  And being an Asian place, they have quite a selection of hot beverages.  My Daddy would go for the Hong Kong style Coffee, my Mama goes for Ovaltine or Almond Milk, Rice Bowl and my brother Gohgoh would usually get a Milk Tea and I would get a Hot Chocolate.

Number two, they have a noodle combo where you can pick your soup,two toppings and even the type of noodle.  Imagine all the combinations and how many times you can keep going back and still be able to try something different.  This is my pick: regular fish soup, special sausage and sliced fish with rice noodles.  It comes in a pretty good size too.

Gohgoh's pick was fish soup with cilantro and century egg, fried fish cake and fish tofu with rice noodles.

Rice Bowl had a bowl of rice! Hehe.  She chose terryaki chicken on rice and |Mama chose terryaki pork chop on rice.  They both come with a side of veggies and a fried egg.

We generally enjoy our meals every time we come here.  The line up can sometimes go out the door but that's because the restaurant is fairly small.  In fact, the restaurant seating wraps around the kitchen in a circular fashion, making seating cramped and limited.  However, we keep going back because of the variety of food they have on the menu. They serve a lot of cafe food such as bubble tea, bubble waffle, chicken wings, mini hotpots etc.   

Quick and Easy Cream Cheese and Shrimp Cocktail Appies

I was sick the other day and Cowie came to visit me after work.  I wanted to make him a snack because he was actually pretty busy today and came over with his laptop just to see me.  He's not fond of sweets so I scoured my kitchen for something to make him.  I had a box of gourmet crackers, cream cheese and some frozen cocktail shrimp.

While he was working in the other room I quickly defrosted the shrimp and dried them.  I creamed the cream cheese to get it to a spreadable consistency and looked around for my piping tips.  Unfortunately Rice Bowl had borrowed them last week and hadn't returned them yet so I just used a small spoon to place the cream cheese on the crackers.  I placed a cocktail shrimp on top of the cream cheese and voila! An elegant yet simple snack that can double as an appetizer at a party.  Perfect!

  And best of all, Cowie loved them.  He had one and put the rest in the fridge in an attempt to stop himself from eating them all in one sitting.  However, the only thing that it accomplished was that he got more exercise walking back and forth to the fridge.  Before the end of the night he had already finished the plate himself.

Birthday Cakes Galore!

Another month another birthday. This month is my sister Rice Bowl's birthday. It is actually just a day after Cowie's brother Meta Knight's birthday.  So this year not only am I going to attempt to make everyone's birthday cakes, I'm going to do 2 in the same week!  Ambitious, I know.

I asked Rice Bowl what she wanted and she said something with chocolate but changed her mind when she remembered that our parents don't like anything too sweet.  I told her not to worry, I can figure it out.  So I decided on a chocolate sponge cake with whipped cream and a fruit filling.  Perfectly simple and more importantly perfectly safe.  I asked Meta Knight what kind of cake he wanted and he said anything was fine.  When I pressed further he said how about a jello mousse cake followed quickly by just joking!  But alas, like Cowie's other brother Wickwicki mentioned later, the challenge had been issued and the ambitious Piggley that I am, must accept.

And so the planning and research started.  I found a really good chocolate sponge cake recipe online and gathered up the ingredients.  Rice Bowl likes cartoon cats so I wanted to decorate the cake with one.  I wasn't sure how to do it yet and decided to worry about it when the time comes.  Meta Knight's cake took more thinking.  I wanted to do a coconut mousse on top of pineapple jello on top of a sponge cake.  The first problem I ran into was that you can't make pineapple jello because the enzymes in pineapples disrupts the formation of bonds needed for the gelatin to solidify.  Darn it, my great idea was foiled by chemistry.

The problem was solved as I was rummaging through my mom's kitchen and found a pack of piña colada jello! What luck!  I just love it when the Chinese think outside the box and makes simulated flavours like this.  And so the coconut mousse piña colada jello sponge cake was born.

I started with Rice Bowl's cake and that went quite smoothly.  So smooth, in fact that it fooled me into thinking that the next one would be literally a piece of cake.  Boy was I wrong!


For Rice Bowl's cake I started with the chocolate sponge.  It came out really light and fluffy.  After cooling, I trimmed the two layers and started assembling the cake. 





I made a whipped cream frosting and drained a can of fruit cocktail. 

On the first layer I placed a generous helping of whipped cream, the can of fruit, more whipped cream and topped it off with the second layer of the chocolate cake. 

I frosted the outside and used the rest of the whipped cream for decorating the cake. 

I wanted to do a black cat but I only had red food colouring so I turned it into a pink cat. 

I needed to make eyes but had forgotten to save some white whipped cream before I coloured it.  I scoured my kitchen for something to use and had an idea when I spotted the cake trimmings from Meta Knight's cake! His cake was white so it was perfect for making the eyes.  I looked around now for something to make it round and my eyes landed on the cap of a bottle of just the right size.  Yes, perfection.  A strategically placed chocolate chip on each eye completed the look I was going for.  For the whiskers I used a tube of red gel.  And to my surprise the result was more than I had hoped for.  Or perhaps I had low expectations to begin with!

Now we turn our attention back to the ambitious jello and mousse cake.  I started with the sponge cake and right away I had problems with it.  The egg whites took forever to stiffen; to the point that I thought I had done something wrong.  As I combined everything and shoved it into the oven, I thought it would come out rock hard!  Luckily it was fine.  In fact, it actually came out lighter than I've ever seen it before.  Which I can tell you is both a blessing and a curse.

As I left the sponge to cool, I worked on the coconut mousse.  As I followed the recipe step by step, as I poured hot water into a pound of dried coconut, blended it and then used my bare hands to squeeze out the liquid because I didn't have any cheese cloth, as I collected the liquid into a bowl, I realized, I could have used the pre-made can of coconut milk sitting on my counter top instead of making my own! Go figure.

Once I had the coconut mousse prepared, I assembled the jello on top of the sponge cake and placed it in a spring-form pan. 

The idea is to pour the mouse over top and out to the sides.  As I poured the mousse in, I had a terrible feeling that something wasn't right.  To my surprise, the sponge cake along with the jello on top came floating up! Apparently my super light sponge was too light.  I tried to force it back down by putting a heavy bowl on top but it worked for about a second when it slipped on the jello and the cake came back up, now sticking up on one side like an iceberg!  I gave up on trying to fight physics and decided to let it set with all the layers now mixed up.  I shoved it in the fridge and hoped everything will work out in the end.

The next day, I decided to just flip the cake over and I would still get the effect of the mousse on top.  I flipped it over onto a plate and as it began to settle down the unsupported sides began to fall. The top layer of the mousse was thin and the whole thing looked like a gooey mess.  Meta Knight's birthday was that day and I had to do something quick.  I scraped off the melting mousse from the sides and tried to rearrange the cake.  I cut the sponge into two and attempted to sandwich the jello and the thin layer of mousse in between it.  It actually looked alright but then the jello and the mousse started to slide! Cowie called and said I had to get going but my cake was a disaster.  I can't give this to Meta Knight.  It didn't even look like a cake, let alone the master piece that I thought I could make.  Why oh why did he challenge me!

I packed up the droopy cake and headed over to Cowie's house along with all the essentials that I needed to fix the cake with.  That's right, I haven't given up yet!  While they were all preoccupied with watching the hockey game I worked quickly to salvage the cake.  I whipped up some whipping cream, opened a can of fruit cocktail and almost screamed with frustration. It was a can of chunky fruit!!!  Okay, I can work with this, in fact, it might work better for structural stability.  I scraped off all of the mousse and left the jello.  I placed the whipped cream then the fruit and more whipped cream in the center and replaced the top of the cake.  By then the sponge was already breaking apart and drooping.  I strategically placed chunks of fruit in and around the cake to level it off.  I then covered it with whipped cream and using blue food colouring on the remainder of the cream, I decorated around the cake.  Finally, I used my red tube of gel and wrote happy birthday on it.  When everyone came out for cake, having seen the mess before, they were quite impressed!  I wonder if they would be as impressed if they didn't see the goopey mess before hand!

Lessons learned:
1. Do not accept jokes as challenges.
2. You can't beat chemistry: pineapple and gelatin do not play well together.
3. You definitely can't beat physics: denser items sink while lighter things float.