Food on the Vegas strip

Roast chicken

Las Vegas boasts of several restaurants run by celebrity chefs, so we were very excited to experience the food scene. We visited a few restaurants on the strip at various casinos.

Overrated. Food was less than mediocre. At Bellagio, we stopped by the popular Lago. It specialized in small plates, tapas style Italian food. We tried their seafood risotto, and shrimp-stuffed squid. Although edible, I did not think the seafood was fresh. It looked fancier than it tasted.

Shrimp stuffed squid

On the other hand, Jasmine, a Chinese restaurant at Bellagio, was pretty good. We tried their roast chicken (with caramelized onion), and dumplings and were satisfied.

We also had a chance to try the much talked about smoked salmon pizza at Wolfgang Puck's Spago. It was simple, filling and not as pricey as the other restaurants but honestly none of this food struck to be as particularly great.

Finally, we sampled a couple of breakfast/lunch buffets that the strip is known for. The first was a French buffet at Le Village. Don't let the long waits deceive you. I identify French food with fine preparations served in petite portions. There was nothing French about this place. Bulky portion with no flavor. Not recommended.

All of these restaurants, just like the casinos, were flashy in appearance. Although some like Lago's dining space at Bellagio offered a beautiful view of the water fountains, overall, my impression of these restaurants was that they served a clientele who were looking for that Vegas gaudiness and are not necessarily targeted towards foodies.