I ordered from the Tasting menu and had: Citrus marinated Toro with Osetra caviar and cucumber-pineapple gelee. Paired with Laurent-Perrier, Ultra Brut, Reims, Champagne, France MV***** Seared diver scallop with sea urchin, white asparagus gratin and Ponzu Sabayon. Paired with Morlet Family Vineyards, La Proportion Doree, Sonoma 2006 ***(the sea urchin was far too strong for me) Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with orange braised fennel and aromatic spices. Paired with Rolly Gassmann Moenchreben de Rorschwihr, Auxerrois, Alsace, France 2001***** Japanese ‘Amadai’ with sweet potato tempura with horseradish cream and red wine jus. Paired withDomaine La Barroche, Chateauneuf-de-Pape, Southern Rhone, France 20003 **** Wagyu beef with fava bean purée, Root crop bean salad and Bordelaise sauce. Paired with Bodegas Aalto, Ribera Del Duero, Spain 2004 ***** Meyer Lemon Gratin Chocolate Cherry with Port and Caramel, Domaine Cazes, Tuile, Grenache, Rivesaltes, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 1988 The restaurant called us 3 times to make certain we were in fact going to be dining there and that was a little over the top but I can’t say that I blame them. **** The restaurant was warm, and the servers(except for the one chastising me about the sea urchin) were near perfect and didn’t hover. *** Except for the strong tasting sea urchin(and being chastised by the server for complaining…) the meal was the closest thing to perfection I have ever eaten. The strong tasting sea urchin was not the fault of anyone so I give it a solid five stars.
Iralynn B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Garden Grove, CA
My husband and I went here and it was the best meal we’ve ever had. Most expensive meal we’ve had($ 800+ just for the two of us), but well worth it. We didn’t make reservations, but we were greeted like no other. From the moment we walked in until the moment we walked out of the restaurant, the service was beyond what we expected. The food was just as fantastic as the service. Dish after dish, the flavors and presentation were phenomenal.
Jen F.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Milwaukee, WI
Simply exquisite. I had the 4-course vegan tasting menu(which also included a few extra mini-courses). Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. I’m so glad I went here and had this experience before they closed. Great cocktails, beautiful dining room, amazing food… Las Vegas is losing a real treasure.
Adina C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Las Vegas, NV
I feel like walking into a place as beautiful as this can change your life. In fact, I actually did walk into this restaurant as one person and left as another. This place is pure class. My boyfriend called ahead and told them we would be dining from the vegan menu, and the servers were all informed of this in preparation and helped us out with our choices throughout the meal. We did the tasting menu so we got a bit of everything. Lots of different tastes and flavors all working together in harmony. The dining area is beyond gorgeous, and it deserved a church-like reverence. The staff was attentive; we never had to ask for a thing during our entire meal. Watching the waiters was an experience in itself as their movements seemed perfectly choreographed like a dance. The restaurant really holds onto the little details — I even got a little chair for my purse! The setting, the lighting, the flowers, the décor — all perfect. I do not think I can actually describe this meal in words. I tried so many new things and I adored them all.(Well, to be fair, the final dessert — strawberries with a soy cream inside was terrible, but everything else was fantastic. At the very least it was interesting!) Even the bread served to us was terrific(the pepper bread literally melted in your mouth, it was so soft!). The best dish we had was vegetables over greens with a carrot-ginger dressing. Each bite was heavenly — the textures, the flavor, the vegetables — it was all perfection. I also enjoyed the mini-salad we received before the main salad — apple, arugula, and pomegranate. So simple, yet it was tasty and the presentation was phenomenal. What I definitely was impressed the most with was the ingenuity and creativity that went into all of these dishes. I think for those who aren’t vegan, the first question is, «What do you eat?» Alex has shot back with an entire menu of delectable items that would satisfy anyone’s stomach, that seem to change with what’s in season. I don’t think there was anything he really«veganized» — no faux meats or cheeses or the like, just good whole foods and spices working together to make a delicious spread. If I wasn’t partial to the restaurant due to the atmosphere and the culinary delights I got to enjoy, I was definitely happy for this reason: I got engaged! I came in as a girlfriend, and left as a fiancée. One of our servers was standing by and gave us some complimentary champagne to toast our engagement which was very sweet and unexpected. As we left we got a package of macaroons — another nice little touch. If you wanted a spectacular meal in an awe-inspiring setting, with a restaurant that really took care to not overlook every intimate detail, this was the place to go. Alex seemed to truly embrace Wynn’s decision for a vegan menu and I am ecstatic that such an upscale establishment catered to my dietary needs. I am sad that this restaurant will be closing tomorrow, but glad I got the chance to have a special and unforgettable meal with the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.
V J.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Cupertino, CA
My husband and I have eaten here twice. The first experience, while the food was excellent was marred by some obnoxious dinner guests seated on the backside of us who were talking extremely loud and at one point arguing in another language(which I could understand but didn’t make it better). Because of them they pretty much brought our experience down considerably, but we thought this time around(2 years later) we would give Alex a try again… and boy were we glad. We were staying at the Wynn so it was even better having such a long indulgent meal such a short distance from our room. My husband and I decided to do the $ 185 tasting menu. First they presented us with an amuse bouche containing about 5 items which I can’t remember but totally enjoyed. The tasting then contained the following: –Matsutake Mushroom and Tapioca Cream with Spanish Caviar and Fresh Sudachi –Crispy Carabinieri Prawn with Cauliflower, Savory Custard, Vadouvan Curry and Carrot Ginger Sauce –Sauté of Sonoma Foie Gras with Sweet Potato, Caramelized Onions, Black Truffles and Butternut Squash Sauce –Brioche Crusted Spanish Mackerel with Orange Braised Endive, Roasted Salsify and Citrus Red Wine Sauce –Roasted Squab with Brussels Sprouts, Celery Root Purée, Wild Huckleberries and Herb Vinegar Sauce –Sour Cream Semifreddo with Spiced Cranberry –Vanilla Butter Poached Apple Cream Puff with Maple Ice Cream You’d think that was the end, but it wasn’t. After dessert they presented us with a small plate full of lemon madelines and another small plate of petite fours. Oh lord I told the waiter he would have to roll us up the stairs and out of the restaurant soon. With that queue, he saved a special dessert cake for us to take home(aka our room) instead of yet indulging in another dessert. Then as we exited the restaurant the hostess opened the door for us and said she had a last little treat for us to take home… a little box of mini french macaroons. Oh Alex, you have moved up the ranks so much in our book… you may have to make Le Cirque share the spot of «top Vegas restaurant» in our hearts.
Audra R.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Orange County, CA
5+ Stars I am not a gastronome or a foodie, but I am a Unilocaler. I may not know the intricasies of French food, courses and am not an expert in Michelin restaurants, but I do know nice things. I know the way nice things are supposed look, taste, feel, sound, and smell, and Alex was an incredibly nice place and perfect experience. Most expensive meal I have ever had and we only got the 3 course tasting menu with a bottle of wine. It is 3 courses but with all the other extras it seemed more like 7 courses. We were stuffed. I couldn’t have had any more food! I couldn’t give criticism to any of the things I ate, they were all delicious. I think its redundant to go over each thing I ate, maybe even a bit self absorbed to get that detailed. The décor was stunning. I imagined myself in a ball gown walking down the stair case. The service was impeccable; relaxed and ultra proper and professional with out an ounce of pretense or snobbery. Well worth the money. Could be a very romantic experience as well, a place well worth the memory it will imprint with you, and the experience of tasting all that wonderful cuisine. Highly recommend! The souvenir they leave you with is well deserved and a perfect finale too…
Josephine L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Manhattan, NY
Listen up, Michelin-starred New York restaurants: You’d better shape up. Seriously. Because Alex completely and totally wiped the floor with you. All of you. Including you, Le Bernardin. Why: Food quantity. Everything else – décor, service, cooking quality – was on par with the best of the best, but Alex towered just that one inch taller for giving more incredible food than any other place I’ve been to. (OK, I lied: I also think the quality, flavors, textures, etc. at Alex are better.) Pre-amuse bouche: Cauliflower purée with panna cotta and crispy veal Duck brioches with pickle and toasted slice of something I can’t figure out Butternut squash soup in a shot cup thing Prawn tempura with lemon cream «Cheese and cracker»(cheese inside baked shell) — Seriously, who the F gives a PRE-amuse bouche? Apparently, Alex. And so much too! Meant to be eaten in the order listed for palate reasons, every bite was more delicious than the last. Actual amuse bouche: Matsutski mushroom with tapioca and caviar — Divine. My non-caviar-liking boyfriend loved it. We did the $ 185 tasting menu and were presented with: Roasted prawn in phyllo dough with roasted cauliflower and carrot, and ginger purée with curried panna cotta — Tender, crispy, salty, spicy, all in one. A lovely melding of textures. Sauteed foie gras with sweet potato hash and black truffle and onions — Absolutely delicious. My boyfriend hates foie gras and he was raving about how rich and satisfying this was. Brioche-encrusted Spanish mackerel with orange sabayon and Belgian endives — Probably the weakest dish just because endives are a little too bitter for me if not properly seasoned/marinated/flavored. But the mackerel was incredibly tender. Squab with brussel sprouts, celery purée and huckleberry — The boyfriend’s first taste of baby pigeon and I think we have a winner. If you like roasted meat off the bone, the taste of celery(mmm) and sour berries, you’ll love this. Transitional dinner to dessert thingy(yes, thingy): Citrus semifreddo with panna cotta and cranberries — Simple but tasty with just the kinds of flavors and textures we love Dessert: Puff pastry with maple cake and ice-cream and buttered apple — This is the kind of dessert that makes people who aren’t normally fans of maple or apple-flavored things DIE-HARDFANS. I.E. us. Words cannot describe how delicious and gorgeous this was. Circles everywhere: Circle of puff pastry sandwiching circle of maple cake with circles(okay, spheres) of buttered apple on top of more circles of maple cake and you get the drift. Oh, did I mention circles are my favorite shape? That might have contributed to why I loved this dessert so much. So at the end of a meal like this, you normally get a treat or two with your bill, right? Oh no. Not the Alex way. We got 6 sweet, dazzling little beauties PLUS a basket(yes, BASKET) full of piping hot, just-out-of-the-oven lemon madeleines to nosh on while figuring out how to place our credit card on top of the bill([/sarcasm]). There was a lemon marshmallow, a hazelnut marzipan, cakes, truffles, oh Jebus it was so much! 5 minutes later: Finally heading out the door after stuffing ourselves poor and they stop us. We get one more thing: a box of housemade almond macaroons to take home. Did I mention the quantity of food completely and totally rocks? Oh, and I couldn’t figure out where else to fit this, but my cocktail recommendation – if you like sour and fruity – would be the Yuzu Drop Martini.
Julianne B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Los Angeles, CA
Never have had a meal this expensive where I felt like it was actually worth it. This blows every fancy meal i’ve had in NYC out of the water. The service and the food were both amazing. I think i’ll just leave it at that :)
Holly B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Arlington, VA
If someone is viewing my profile they are going to think I’m heavy on the five stars today. The truth is, we had an opportunity to visit Vegas and planned our trip around food and shopping. I know I know, we’re weird. Anyways, Alex was our final fine dining experience for our trip. It came after some heavy hitters(Bouchon andJoel Robouchon) and we had some high expectations. Buried at the back end of the Wynn, it was a little difficult to find, much to my sore, high heel wearing feet’s disappointment. Once their wonderful staff opened the doors for us, all disappointment vanished. Our cocktails were fabulous, the bartender was a delight and the hostess was adorable. I felt like a princess descending the wide staircase into the restaurant as they led us to our fantastic, corner table. The tasting menu did not disappoint, and, as white truffles went in season this week, we got to add in an additional dish of white truffles on noodles cooked in butter and yumminess. It was my honey’s 30th birthday and I am so glad we spent it at Alex. Their food was delicious, every single course they brought out left me wanting more. They accommodated my shellfish allergy with grace and didn’t skimp on the substitutes as other places have in the past. Their staff was delightful and we enjoyed the entire Alex experience. Next time we’re in Vegas, you can bet we’ll eat here again. They casually surpassed most of the previous best fine dining experiences I have had.
Laura P.
Rating des Ortes: 5 New York, NY
4.5 stars overall I had a wonderful experience at ALEX, the décor was definitely what’s expected with a spacious dining room down the stairs of the entrance(I do like the grand entrance wide stairs) with plush carpets and the whole 9 yards. One thing I have to point out is I REALLY don’t get the rose flower balls on the curtains… They kind of look like zits… It’s a little bit too Disney princessy for me especially in dark dusty colors. We were seated promptly and they even had a little stool for my purse!(LOVE!) or i suppose i can also fit a midget on the chair if i needed one to hold my fairy tail dress train. LOL Their wine list is amazing, you can definitely spend an egregious amount on wine. We had the tasting menu which started with Rappahannock River Oyster with Pineapple Granité, Crispy Seaweed, Schezuan Peppercorn and Spanish Caviar. YUM! can’t go wrong with that! The Risotou next is beautifully cooked as well. Then on to my favorite french item the Foie Gras, the combination really worked on the plate. Monkfish was good. Then the short ribs. YUMMMM really starting to warm up my tummy, and I loved the mushrooms. To finish with the Crispy vanilla Bavarian Napoleon with berries is refreshing. The service was splendid and it was kind of fun people watching as well. Some overly tanned couple who spilled their wine all over the pretty linen table cloth(eek~) Asian couple with Hawaiian print shirt on steroid, other Asian family who made the waiter take their pictures three times! and of course the bankers table, 8 guys in solid color dress shirts and black pants ordering tons of wine. Good times to be repeated
Pauline M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Hacienda Heights, CA
Chef Stratta — I am a fan for life. I’ve never been to France but if this is a bit of the French Riviera, I’ll be making a trip very soon. Walking into Alex, you will descend a flight of stairs into an elegant restaurant. Lush drapery and grand classic furniture overlooking a nice view of the outdoor patio. We veered left to the private room in the back with a party of 10. First the drinks. The grande dame champagne. Slightly pink and bubbly. And then the Château lynch bages from Pauillac 1989 which is so full and concentrated with flavors. Then the amuse bouche: tuna tartare, mushroom bisque, fried mozarella, gruyère inside a tiny baked bread. Throughout the course of the meal, a waiter carried a lovely display of breads, asking«would you like more?» And don’t ever say no. They are all delicious. From the cranberry wheat bread to the cheese breads. I tried not to get too full on these but it never works. Next, the oyster: a picture perfect art piece with astounding flavors. It had a sweet pineapple granité, which is a little slushy in texture and sweet in flavor, spanish caviar and topped with a crisp seaweed. A picture is worth a thousand words: except my photo taking skills probably do this no justice. The prawn: perfectly cooked, tender and seated atop an exquisite display of summer vegetables and an artsy display of fresh pea-jus. The foie gras was out of this world. Wonderfully seared and complemented by a medley of plum, tempura cherry(stuffed with more foie) seated on top of almond sabayon(slightly foamy texture of egg) and aged basalmic. I will likely never have foie as good as this ever again. The atlantic monkfish came as enticing as the rest, on top of a piperade(yep complete with peppers onions and tomatoes) with garlic pieces on top. They completed the piece by drizzling lobster broth and made a point to let us know there was saffron inside. The texture was extremely meaty and left some at the table wondering if they were indeed eating fish. For the«entrée» of the meal, we were given wagyu or duck. Since we had many at the table, we opted mostly for the wagyu and got a couple of the duck. The wagyu was absolutely mesmerizing in the way only steak can introduce me into a trance. The wagyu was so perfectly marbled. It’s a shame I didn’t get a picture of this as I was in a dream state. It came with chanterelle mushrooms, delicious greens and had a plate licking bordelaise. And corn custard. The duck breast also equally exacerbated all functions of my taste buds. It came with poached foie gras(yes more foie for me) and black figs which added another layer to the textures present. Just when you thought you’re done and that your life is complete: dessert. Not just one. But multiple. The tapioca first came out in an equally stunning mini glass which makes the tapioca look like it is floating — in heaven no doubt. Atop the tapioca there are shavings of fresh coconut and a jelly made of calamansi, which was described as a citrus fruit from the Philippines. It was sweet and tart and added another dimension to the already gingery coconut taste of the tapioca. Think Yuzu but perhaps less mainstream current fad style. Then came the 2nd. A vanilla bavarian napolean with strawberries blackberries and blueberries with a side of rasberry sorbet and slight hints of mint. Crispy, velvetty, sweet. And when you’re bursting at the seams, they tempt you with coffee, tea, and madeleines. The madeleines are definitely divine and airy. The tea selection is also extensive and upon exiting, the ladies also get a package of parisian macarons. Alex was quite a nice journey of culinary flavors exceeded only by the great service and beautiful atmosphere!
Nathan T.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
In short: Hands-down, most satisfying fine dine experience I’ve had in a long time. Best combination of food and service from start to finish. Surpasses my previous favorites(all in SF) of Gary Danko, Dining Room @ Ritz Carlton, and Michael Mina’s. In detail: I had been looking for an upscale, fine dine establishment in Vegas for a special occasion. I looked at Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, and Alex. I decided upon Alex simply because it seemed to present the best value out of all the choices. Two star Michelin Restaurant, consistently positive reviews on Unilocal,and a manageable price range(relatively-speaking). My gf and I chose the three-course menu for 125 I believe per person. It doesn’t sound like a lot for the price, but with the complimentary dishes, I was more than full after dinner =). Food:(I wanted to apologize in advance for a lack of detail on the chef’s complimentary dishes b/c they are not listed on the menu, and my descriptions of those will be based strictly on memory and fair quality photos) 1. Complimentary dish #1 — Chilled english pea soup with tomatoes, bits of bacon, and crème fraîche. Light, refreshing, yet very flavorful. The crème fraîche mixed with the pea purée perfectly. What a perfect way to jump start my taste buds and have me literally salivating for what’s next to come! 2. Complimentary dish #2 — Sampler platter of multiple items, including a savory beet soup, deep fried lobster puff on a stick, baked cheese puff and my personal favorite — a savory panna cotta on a spoon with pomegranate seed. It was a beautiful plate setup with four or five different things presented. Our ordered items haven’t even been brought out to us yet and we have already consumed two complimentary dishes! — simply wonderful =). 3. Appetizer — Charred Japanese Octopus with Squid Ink Risotto, Periwinkles and Crispy Sea Weed. I love Japanese grilled octopus so I decided to give this unique risotto a try. Tender, perfectly charred octopus with a surprisingly light, yet flavorful risotto. I have heard so much about squid ink in the culinary world so I wanted to know what the hype was about. Yes, the risotto was black/charcoal colored, but did it taste good. The waiter told me that the ink really doesn’t add that much of a flavor profile and has more of an aesthetic effect(not sure how this is more aesthetically-appealing but hey i still think it’s cool) and most of the risotto’s flavor comes from the mix of seafood and chicken broth that used to make the risotto. Yum! 4. Entrée — Snake River Farms Wagyu Beef with Crispy Potatoes, Spigarillo and Porcini Mushrooms. Easily my favorite dish of the night. Sure, I am a food snob and was initially disappointed that Alex did not offer Japanese Wagyu on the 3-course selection menu, but that disappointment sure went away as I sunk my teeth into the first bite of this unbelievably delicious beef. The meat was tender, cooked to perfection(medium rare), marbled with the right amount of fat, and paired perfectly with the potatoes and porcini mushrooms. I am sometimes overwhelmed with the hefty weight of beef tenderloins and the accompanying red wine reductions, but I felt just fine and perfectly satisfied after this dish. You have to try it =). 5. Complimentary Dish #3 — Sweet panna cotta refresher to cleanse our palate(though I probably would’ve preferred some light fruit to better cleanse the palate). Nonetheless, it was delicious and transitioned our meal well to the next stage: dessert! 6. Dessert — Hazelnut Crisp with Frangelico Caramel and Cajeta Ice cream. I admit I am no expert or true fan of many desserts, so I won’t have too much to say except it was delicious, beautifully plated, and was a much larger amount of food than I usually expect from a final dessert. 7. Complimentary dish #4 — Dessert — A plate of assorted mini desserts including, but not limited to, a cute basket of warm, freshly-baked almond madeleines, crème fraîche rolled in a sheet of berry fruit, etc. Service: Service was on the dot. I had high expectations going in since this was a two-star michelin establishment. Even with my high expectations, the service at Alex was wonderful. Our waiter was polite, formal, informative, quick to serve, and best of all, adapted to the way we eat. We are relatively quick diners and would prefer to shorten the time between dishes. Our waiter could tell that we did not chit chat all that much b/w dishes and quickened the pace as necessary. Overall, if you don’t already get what i’m trying to convey, it is this: GOTOALEX. If you are seeking a truly fine dine establishment, you must come here. It is truly worthy of its two-star michelin rating and I would go back in a heartbeat(once i have more money). Beautiful place, beautiful, great-tasting food, and unbelievable service. FIVESTARS
Casey R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Honolulu, HI
Had the seven course tasting menu with wine. I was prepared to be blown away. Maybe that was my problem. Was the food good? Yes. Was it worth $ 700 for two? Not reallly. Service was great but not the best I’ve had. I would go back but probably wouldn’t have the pre fixe menu next time. This is the most I’ve spent for a meal before so I think I’m ok in saying it should have been the best I’ve had. Unfortunately it wasn’t. Maybe in the top 10.
Sandy N.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Los Angeles, CA
I loved the many amuse bouches they served! Went with the prix fixe menu. The meal was awesome and I was so full at the end that I couldn’t eat the mignardines. The king crab risotto was probably my favorite. So perfectly flavored with a generous amount of king crab which was sweet and had a nice texture.
Jim G.
Rating des Ortes: 5 West Hills, Los Angeles, CA
Alex is one of my favorite restaurants in Las Vegas, but don’t forget your wallet because it costs a pretty penny. I have been to Alex a couple of times and they never disappoint. I typically go with their tasting menu that changes from season to season. One of my favorite dishes is their foie gras. It is one of the largest, most tender examples I have had since my trip to Paris. The décor is over the top Vegas, but so fitting at the Wynn. The service is top notch and make sure to spend some time with the sommelier, especially if you love wine and champagne.
Jenny S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Los Angeles, CA
I heart Alex! A good dinning experience should be the good food + the good mood. I enjoyed both of them in Alex. Alex really serves delicate food, my bf and I tried both of their tasting menus, one menu has more courses than another. We had red wine, too. This place is very pricey, around $ 400 for two(can’t remember exactly), but worth it. Plus, they are friendly and caring enough to surprise you with special anniversary dessert, as sweet as the cookie bag they give the customers before leave. The cookies are a little bit too sweet. Uploaded some photos. Oobtw, they do charge in advance while you making reservation. So have the credit card ready.
Diana I.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Los Angeles, CA
I came here with my parents to celebrate my mom’s birthday a few months ago. At the time, it was my first time going to a restaurant with 2 Michelin stars and I was DEFINITELY wowed! The ambience is lovely. Grand staircase, dim-lit, very spacious, pretty quiet and sophisticated, the whole place is amazing. Service was excellent! They even gave me a little stool next to my seat just for my purse! For dinner, I had the 7-course tasting menu and each course was superb. I can honestly say that I liked every single dish. maybe not LOVED, but definitely liked. The reason why I give Alex only 4 stars and not 5 is because although it is a really nice restaurant with not one but TWO Michelin stars, in hindsight after going to other restaurants with these highly coveted Michelin stars, I think this is at the bottom of my list, judging by the amount we paid. It is incrediblyyyy expensive! I felt guilty paying so much for just one dinner! I saw the bill and all I could think of was how much clothes I could have bought with that money on a crazy shopping spree!(or donate to charity of course!) :P I mean, although the food WAS great, I don’t think it was completely worth the steep price. All in all, it was an amazing experience but I wouldn’t come here a second time… unless someone else was paying. ;) But then again… I’d probably tell them to save it for something more worth all their hard-earned money.
Lissa G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 West Hills, CA
I have dined at Alex twice, with different experiences. Both times the food was excellent, although I enjoyed it more the first time. The dining experience is not for the budget conscious, to be sure, but the service is wonderful from beginning to end. From the warm greeting at the door, to the infamous purse stool, to the non-stuffy sommelier, and ending with a box of macaroons on the way out, from beginning to end the staff at Alex pampers you. The food is solid, contains interesting innovations, and portions are decently sized, especially for a tasting menu. The dining room itself is stunning and makes for a very enjoyable evening.
Vanessa F.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Irvine, CA
The menu has two sides. On the left is a 7-course tasting menu which can be paired with wine. On the right, there is an array of appetizers, entrees, and desserts in which you can choose to form a pre-fixe dinner. My husband and I mulled over our decisions, because although we had our hearts set on the tasting menu, there were a few things that caught our eyes on the right side. One of our waiters said they could do tasting portions of any items, and what ended up happening was they fit what we chose on the right into our tasting menu so that our courses would go from light items to rich items. Good call. Our meal began with our choice of bread and we each received a plate of chef’s tasting«amuse bouches». This was given to all the diners, and it included ahi tuna on shrimp toast, apple wrapped in prosciutto, smoked salmon on a chickpea square, a creamy-buttery soup with pistachios, and a soft-cheese filled pastry(insert Homer Simpson drool sound here). A nice surprise and tasty. Next came our our tasting menu: Yellowtail sashimi with yuzu lemon and caviar: a little fishy, I think because of the caviar, but I liked it. All one bite of it. Crispy king crab eggroll with avocado mousse and baby arugula: I thought this was a good combination with the sweetness of the crab and the avocado with the bitterness of the arugula. They definitely fried the shell first and stuffed it with crab afterwards, because it was very delicate. This was one of the items we chose from the right side of the menu, and I thought it was refreshing and great. Scallops with bibb lettuce in lettuce foam: Scallops were cooked perfect and full of flavor. And lettuce foam? The waiter explained that the chef didn’t like to waste flavors and used the juice from the sauteed bibb lettuce to make the foam. Genius. Yes, it looks a little like green spit, but it’s different, you know? Turbot on soy-glazed vegetables: this was a cut of whitefish cooked perfectly with some soy glazed vegetables. I thought this was well-cooked, but nothing really stood out about it. Squid ink fettuccine with abalone and uni in uni sauce: this was another appetizer we were interested in trying from the right side of the menu. The squid ink fettuccine tasted just like regular fettuccine, but was just black from the ink. The uni had a really strong flavor and I found it was better to cut in up and mix it with the rest of the pasta. I had never had abalone before, which is a sea snail, and the texture reminded me of calamari. This is a very original dish. Seared fois gras with grapes and port reduction: absolutely decadent, as fois gras normally is. As I was eating it, it would melt in my mouth so fast that I would barely get a chance to taste it. More please, more! Wagyu shortribs, onion compote, and horseradish potatoes: my favorite part of the meal. Once I bit into the shortribs, it was like I had small orgasm in my mouth. The meat was tender and flavorful. The horseradish potato was also wonderful. It kinda looked like a McDonald’s hash brown to me, the way they shaped it on the plate, but after taking a bite of it, I was immediately wondering how I could possibly recreate it at home. Definitely the highlight of the night. Marscapone panna cotta with semillion jelly and pear: I believe this was a dessert, but it was so light, and a great palette cleanser. My husband and I enjoyed this very much and gave our kudos to the pastry chef. She definitely knows what she’s doing. Lemon meringues with grapefruit and toasted coconut marshmallow topping: yippee! I haven’t eaten a lot of meringues in my life, but these lemon meringues were light and tangy and so enjoyable to eat. The grapefruit dish with the toasted marshmallow was okay, but I guess it pairs well with the meringue. Next came a basket of fresh baked madelines, 4 assorted chocolates and 5 assorted pastries: this was not listed on the tasting menu, but every diner received these. The fresh baked madelines were a nice touch. The pastries were comprised of various chocolate, vanilla and strawberry desserts. The chocolates were nice, but we were so full my now we couldn’t eat everything. I also ordered a cappuccino, which had a little too much foam for my liking, but hit the spot. I always like to have a little coffee fix after a big meal. As we were leaving they also gave us a small box of macarons, which is a french sandwich-style cookie. The wine that was served with each course was paired well. The service here is what you would expect from a high-end French restaurant. Our meal, with tip, came out to over $ 800. My jaw dropped. It was the most expensive meal we had ever had. My husband just smiled and said Happy Valentine’s Day. I knew there was a reason why I married him. I know this restaurant has high accolades, but it wasn’t the best French restaurant i’ve been too(I give that honor to L’Auberge in Carmel). But overall a good dinner and I would recommend to anyone you just won in the casino!
Cynthia C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Alameda, CA
I’m upping the stars @ Alex. Finally Alex has impressed me as a WHOLE. The ambiance was gorgeous as usual, the service was impeccable and now the food. There were four compliments of the chef: breadstick proscuitto, fried pork, carrot purée & ahi on a scallop chip. All were fantastic. Lobster ravioli was so succulant and generous in portioning. Loved the presentations of Wagyu and Toro. Really beautiful texture. The monkfish cut like butter and I didn’t know it could actually taste like it too. Desserts incorporated the fruits of the season rhubarb and peaches. Sinful. Yep, they still gift the chick with a box of meringues and nope I still haven’t eaten any of them yet.