The Year of the Dragon at China Poblano, Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
Since it opened with the hotel, no local restaurant has been more experimental-or unusual-than China Poblano, uber-chef Jose Andres’ restaurant at the Cosmopolitan. Now, they’ve unfurled dishes for the upcoming Year of the Dragon, five items plus three original cocktails, to launch January 23rd, with availability through mid-February.
These are dishes you won’t want to miss. I generally drop by here at least once a month for dan dan noodles and tongue tacos. Prices are only a third or so more than those at Chinese or Mexican restaurants, and the quality is a lot higher. I take most out-of-town visitors here.
Executive Chef Shirley Chung is from Beijing, but she came here when she was nineteen, and speaks English like a Valley Girl. She cooks the food of her ancestors with pride, but knows her way around tortillas as well. This is what she’s cooked up for the Chinese New Year.
Happy Family Jiaozi
Jiaozi are filled dumplings, and these contain pork, shrimp, mushroom and garlic, served in a spoon with maybe too much black vinegar. They represent currency, or prosperity. In China, they are eaten traditionally on their New Year’s Eve.
Tea Eggs and Caviar
Picture a sandwich using steamed and fried buns as the bread. Then put a tea marinated, lightly cooked quail egg inside, plus healthy dose of domestic caviar. You’d better pop the entire thing in your mouth, or you’ll get a squirt of yolk on your lapel. In Chinese culture, eating fish means you’ll have a plentiful year. Eggs represent “new beginnings.”
Gem of China
This was my favorite invention, an abalone congee with a rich broth made from chicken, called Superior in Chinese cooking parlance. The kitchen is using New Zealand abalone, sliced paper thin. It’s the most delicious congee I think I’ve ever tasted.
Golden Dragon
Chef Shirley coats chunks of live Maine lobster with house cured egg yolks, resulting in one of the richest dishes anywhere. In Chinese, the lobster is called “dragon shrimp”, if you translate the characters, so it represents this year. The gold part comes from the egg yolks.
Fire Phoenix
At first glance, these look like chicken wings you might get at Pizza Hut, but appearances are deceiving. The wings are oven roasted, skin side down, and have a crispy surface and moist meat inside. The meat is then served with a small cucumber salad and spiced Szechuan salt. The Phoenix always goes with the Dragon in the Chinese culture.
The restaurant has also invented a trio of cocktails for the New Year.
My favorite among them is Huang Di’s Kir Royale, named for the First Emperor of China. It’s Cava, from Andres’ native Spain, which is their version of sparkling wine, and Goji Berry Liqueur, plus the surprise of little pearls of goji, which burst when placed in the mouth.
Then there’s the China Paloma (above), your basic Paloma made from Don Julio Reposado tequila, plus refreshing lavender infused grapefruit syrup, done in tall glass.
The third and final creation is called Green Tea Sour (above), and I have to say it wasn’t to my taste. It’s a Whiskey Sour rethought with green tea and St. Germain, and the drink just didn’t work for me.
That’s the exception, not the rule, at China Poblano. Happy New Year.
In the Cosmopolitan. 698-7000.
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