é by José Andrés Restaurant Review, Las Vegas

Reviewer: Foodnut.com é by José Andrés 3708 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 698-7950 é by José Andrés Website

Wow, one of the top molecular gastronomy restaurants in the USA… é by José Andrés is a mysterious restaurant in the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Las Vegas that doesn’t even have a phone number. They take reservations by email ([email protected]) 30 days in advance for one of the 8 spots of counter seating. Seating are at 5:30PM and 8:30PM, meals typically last 2 hours. After you make a successful reservation they will send you a Golden Ticket in the mail.

Diners wait at the Jaleo Bar for their compatriots. When all 8 diners have arrived, they are all escorted to the dining room at the same time. Because the seating are counter style, do not be afraid to dine here alone. Part of the fun is getting to know your fellow foodies.

Why did we dine here? – Because we were in town for CES and this restaurant was at the top of our must dine list.
This restaurant serves 20 or more mini courses that focus on Spanish cuisine with molecular gastronomy accents.

$160, 20% mandatory gratuity, $105 wine pairings, $65 for non-alcoholic pairings.

Summary – é by José Andrés serves up unforgettable food in a fun atmosphere. A must go for foodies.
Insider Tip – Make reservations exactly 30 days in advance by email, at midnight Pacific Time.

Cuisine – Spanish Molecular
Chef – José Andrés
Location – Cosmopolitan Hotel
Opened – 2010

Decor, Vibe – é by José Andrés is a restaurant in a restaurant, located in Jaleo, right off the back left hand corner of the restaurant. The walls are lined with small notebook drawers, glasses, wine containers. There is a hidden door that leads to the kitchen. The chefs prepare and plate the meals in front of you. Brett was our Chef this evening. Part of the fun is watching them perform their magic and asking them about the ingredients and cooking techniques.

Menu

é by José Andrés’s Menu is customized daily.

Full é by José Andrés image set

Our Meal Dish by Dish

Dish 1: Gin & Tonic – A cocktail consisting of liquid nitrogened gin, which is more like a ice cream scoop topped off with espuma (fancy name for foam) or tonic topping. Potent, fun, and surprisingly works.

Dish 2: Spanish “Clavel” – A “flower” served in a hand shaped dish that possessed a raspberry flavor.

Beet Jewelry – Suppose to be put on a finger and eaten off of it. A crispy and fun delight with suddle flavors.

Caramelized Pork Rinds – Possessed a slightly sweet honey flavor that balanced out the crispy-ness.

Dish 3: Apple “Brazo de Gitano” – Fun dish dominated by the blue cheese.
Alternate: La Peral Espuma – Is based on a gently blued pasteurized cow and sheep milk cheese from northern Spain. Was light and airy, cold, savory and filled with the essence of the cheese.

Dish 4: Nitro Almond Cup – This fragile dish had to be eaten quickly as the “liquid cup” had been created out of liquid nitrogened almond. We had to quickly take a picture and toss it in our mouth before it disintegrated. A blast of flavor after puncturing the thin membrane. The pebbles are not edible.

Dish 5: Crispy Chicken Skin in Escabeche – A thin crisp skin along with a intensely savory chicken oyster.

Dish 6: Jose Taco – High quality jamon with sturgeon eggs making for a tasty combination of flavors that actually worked.

Dish 7: Oliva Sferica Ferran Adria – A homage to El Bulli, olive essence inside a thin shell. This deconstructed olive was a good clone of a real one, minus the hard shell.

Dish 8: Bocada de “Calamares” – “Calamari” sandwich was a two bite wonder.

Alternate: Erizos De Mar Con Aire Granada – Uni with pomegranate was not fishy and extremely smooth.

Dish 9: Cava Sangria – The second cocktail of the night. A CO2 charged burst of white sangria.

Dish 10: Artichoke “Puree” with Vanilla – Shaved truffles from France liberally covered the artichoke puree and lemon foam. The combination worked just fine surprisingly.

Alternate: Gazpacho – Beet Gazpacho with Truffles possessed a strong acidic beet flavor.

Dish 11: Lobster with Citrus & Jasmine – We watched the craftsmen use tweezers to carefully assemble this dish. Excellent lobster along with a light foam possessing a tiny bit of jasmine essence, and a light citrus sauce.

Dish 12: Chickpea Stew with Iberico Ham – A very delicate and smooth savory dish that just pops in your mouth with flavor.

Dish 13: Turbot with Bone Marrow – Perfectly cooked fish along with a rich deep fried bone marrow. Yummy.

Alternate: Braised Zucchini – Unfortunately, vegetarians make due with just okay but fresh Zucchini slices.

Dish 14: Rosemary Wild Mushrooms in Papillote – were cooked in a Carta Fata (Professional Cooking Plastic) and bathed in a salty rosemary foam. The chanterelles were from Oregon and nicely done.

Dish 15: Secreto of Iberico Pork with Squid – an uncured pork imported from Spain cooked to a tender medium rare. Intense flavors, simply awesome. The squid cooked a la planca was also stellar.

Due to airline schedules, we had to run and missed dessert. A good reason for us to return!

Orange Pith Puree la Serena

Flan

Pan con Chocolate

“Arroz con Leche”

Fizzy Paper

25 Second Bizcocho

“Air” Chocolates – Had some to go and found them robust and a good way to end the meal.

Service – é by josé andrés had excellent service with servers in the room at almost all times. No worries about special requests or dietary restrictions. Water and beverages were never missed.

Value – Prices are high, but they are actually low compared to other restaurants in this class, plus the experience is unique. No need to fly to Chicago!

Alternatives – Alinea in Chicago, Minibar in Washington D.C., and Fat Duck in UK. In San Francisco area – Coi, Baume.

Verdict – é by José Andrés surprised us with inventive cooking, presentation, along with excellent food. Elements like the foams and nitro’d liquids help balance out the dish and were not added simply for effect. Simply put, if you are reading this review, you are into food and need to add this place to your short list. Las Vegas continues to be a surprise food destination with top places like Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, and Twist.

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