My friend Hassan Khamsei cooked several meals for me over the years, but earlier this month in Las Vegas, I got to see him cook for hundreds of people, including me, of course. Hassan is one of the cooks at Jaleo Las Vegas and is responsible for the pig roast.
ID 31157691 © Jeff Coleman | Dreamstime.com
Jaleo Las Vegas, the fourth Jaleo restaurant by José Andres, has been open for almost three years. Located on the third floor of The Cosmopolitan Hotel & Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard, it is one of two Andres restaurants at the hotel. The other is China Poblano, which features Chinese and Mexican food.
é by José Andres is attached to Jaleo and focuses on molecular gastronomy. It is basically a restaurant-within-a-restaurant and it is very exclusive, seating only eight people per service. é does two services a night, five nights a week at $300 per person and is listed in the top 100 restaurants in the United States on dailymeal.com.
Andres was named Outstanding Chef of the Year at the 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards, and Jaleo was named a 2013 James Beard Award finalist for the Best Restaurant Design. Jaleo focuses on traditional Spanish tapas.
Among the favorite dishes my group enjoyed were the Pollo Croquettas (chicken croquettes), Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp sauteed in garlic and brava sauce) and the Huevo Caviar (fried egg on a bed of caramelized onions topped with caviar).
The custom-made grill and paella pit in the front of the house put on a show every night. Sunday night is Pig Roast night, where a pig is slow-roasted and smoked over a wood fire for half of dinner service and then served to the lucky few who choose to enjoy it.
The music is loud, and it’s always a festive atmosphere. Like all the restaurants located on the strip, it’s pricey; however, it’s such a unique experience because of the authentic Spanish flavors and watching the grill and paella cooks working their butts off.
We all left the restaurant completely satisfied in every way. It really was a blast and not just because my friend cooked part of the meal. It was truly a great dining experience.
— John Wroblewski, online contributor
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