Sunday, March 10, 2013

Viva Las Vegas: Encore, Sushisamba, SW Steakhouse, La Reve

Las Vegas is probably my favorite place in the world to visit.  From the endless food and shopping options, to the variety of entertainment, and of course the gambling, I'm always down for a Vegas trip.  So when Lisa and I were thinking of planning a weekend trip earlier this year, guess where we ended up going.  I had also received an offer through the mail for a 2-night stay at the Encore, along with free buffet and show tickets to La Reve, so it made it easier to convince her.

I'd never stayed at the Encore before so I was definitely looking forward to it.  My go-to option in Vegas had been the Venetian/Palazzo, but they had stopped sending me offers for free/discounted rooms a while ago, so I was back to being a free agent.  Overall, I was really impressed by the Encore and would definitely stay again.  The room itself was very spacious, and the service was very helpful throughout our stay.  The only downside is that I would say the casual dining options aren't great at the Wynncore, so we ended up at Sushisamba in the Palazzo twice during our stay.  Since we stayed during late January, there was an abundance of Chinese New Year-themed decorations around the hotel.

view from the Encore room



Chinese New Year decorations

After some luck at the craps tables, we decided to upgrade our dinner from burgers to steak.  We went downstairs to the SW Steakhouse at the Wynn and had a fantastic dinner.  The steaks here are really, really good.  We also enjoyed the sides that we ordered (potatoes, and brussell sprouts).  I made the mistake of ordering a 30 oz. tomahawk, and was incapacitated for the rest of the night.

Because of the recent ban on foie gras in California, we decided to order a side of foie gras for our steaks, but this was a big disappointment and would not recommend getting this.

Another tip would be to request an outdoor table by the fountain when making a reservation since it gives you a prime view of the water show while eating.

Lisa's 20 oz. ribeye

potatoes au gratin

foie gras

The package had come with two tickets to La Reve and we really enjoyed the show.  We've both seen Cirque's O show and felt that La Reve was much better and entertaining.  I would highly recommend this show to anyone that's interested.




Lastly, I had mentioned that due to the Wynncore's lack of casual dining places, we ended up wandering into the Palazzo and eating at Sushisamba for lunch on the first day.  We liked it so much that we came back a second time for dinner.  I highly recommend this place, it's my new favorite place to eat in Vegas.  It's a Peruvian/Japanese fusion restaurant that was great sushi, ceviches, and cocktails.  Make sure to get the ceviche sampler plate, and an order (or two) or the peruvian corn.


foie gras sushi with gold leaf


ceviche sampler plate


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