If you're a fan of Bravo TV's "Top Chef" like I am, or follow today's celebrity chefs, then you're most likely familiar with Rick Moonen. This highly celebrated Chef has been applauded in numerous
media outlets and even by Oprah for his delicious food, and for his efforts cooking (and promoting cooking) with sustainable resources.
My mom and I had lunch at his Las Vegas restaurant last year during a quick getaway and loved his famous crab cakes and giant chocolate raspberry macaroon. So when we visited
Las Vegas with our husbands last week for our own little "Chef's Tour," we knew we would have to drop by Chef Rick Moonen's RM Seafood located in
Mandalay Bay for a little treat.
RM Seafood is a two level restaurant which offers a casual dining experience downstairs and a more upscale environment upstairs. Just as a fun fact, the spaces were used in Top Chef's "Restaurant Wars" episode last season. Both offer incredible and socially responsible gourmet food. While we were there, the upstairs was closed for some updating, so we dined in the downstairs restaurant. Although casual, the atmosphere was fresh, fun, and very, very cool.
We had heard of
Rick's Tasting Game (16 types of ice creams, gelatos, and sorbets served blind) and were dying to try it. The desserts come in 16 small dishes and are served with a worksheet for you to guess all of the flavors. You're given one "freebie" on the worksheet (Vanilla Bean). Once we completed the challenge our server let us know which ones we got right and which ones we missed. The flavors change every day so you're never playing the same "game" twice. Just for fun, here are our guesses side by side with the actual flavors starting at the top of the tray going from left to right:
| Our Guess: |
Actual Flavor:
|
| Garlic |
Garlic |
| Ganache |
Chocolate Sorbet
|
| Grapefruit |
Meyer Lemon
|
| Pear |
Pear |
| Pistachio |
Pistachio |
Lemon Meringue Pie
|
Key Lime Pie
|
Peanut Butter
|
Peanut Butter
|
| "Freebie" |
Vanilla Bean
|
Whipped Cream
|
Milk (but it tasted like Whipped Cream!)
|
| Banana |
Banana |
Passion Fruit
|
Passion Fruit
|
| Mocha |
Milk Chocolate with Guiness
|
| Apricot |
Papaya |
Grapefruit (again)
|
Tangerine Ginger
|
Sour Cream
|
Cream Cheese
|
Cranberry with Rose
|
Blood Orange with Rosemary
|
As you can see, the flavors can be any individual or combination ingredients, which just
adds to the fun. The dessert (and entertaining game it provides) is available for $20 and easily satisfies four "players." It's the perfect ending to a meal, or a fun treat by itself. As an added bonus, Chef Moonen calls Las Vegas home and frequents the restaurant personally, so you never know when he'll pop in. His book "Fish Without a Doubt" is also available at RM Seafood and he'll happily sign copies.
Whether you're staying at Mandalay Bay, The Hotel at Mandalay Bay, or any of the other hotels on The Strip for your
Las Vegas vacation, you'll want to make time for a meal or dessert at RM Seafood. With so much to offer, Las Vegas is the perfect destination for your next vacation. It's also a perfect place to stop and rest for the night on the way to
San Diego and the
Disneyland® Resort. Whether you're staying one night or one week, we offer the most Las Vegas packages at the best prices. Book your
Las Vegas vacation package today!
