Las Vegas: Taco Y Taco

Las Vegas, Nevada, is a great city to find something delicious to eat, especially if your pockets run real deep. If you're willing to shell out top dollar, you can find some of the most luxurious meals served in some of the culinary celebrity worlds biggest names' own restaurants, from opulent sushi spreads to the latest in creative, avant-garden cuisine. Personally, I prefer to veer off The Strip (aka Las Vegas Boulevard and all those glitzy casinos) to find my meals, and Taco Y Taco is one of my favorite neighborhood spots for a satisfying, affordable, and consistently fantastic meal. There are other, more famous, restaurants that you could grab some tacos at, and some of those even have locations dotting that main-drag, but during my brief visit to my old stomping ground I made sure to pop in and get my fill on all the delicious offerings I could stuff into my face. CeeDro joined me on this venture, and we both got down on some taco goodness before parting ways for the evening. It was great to catch up with him over the evening, and who would complain about tacos?  

Taco Y Taco has a self-service salsa bar with an almost overwhelming array of options to choose from. I recommend the grilled jalapenos, who add a fresh pop of flavor with a smokey sweetness to contrast their shop bite. The ordering system can be a little confusing, especially if it's your first time, but the staff are used to it and are generally friendly and happy to steer you in the right direction should you get lost. All the meats are good, but they do offer vegetarian options (and maybe even vegan ones) for those who'd prefer that so you can bring everyone along! I ordered a ridiculous amount of food for just myself, but managed to devour all of it with gusto. I waddled my way out of the restaurant a very happy, very satisfied lass. Should you choose to visit Taco Y Taco, you too should feel that stuffed-to-satisfaction glee. 

So good.

Vegas: Sushi Wa dinner

When it comes to food, there's absolutely no question in my mind that the supreme contender for my utmost favorite thing to put into my face-hole has to be sushi. I love most forms of seafood to begin with, whether it's black-bean coated stone crab at the All-You-Can-Eat Chinese buffet nearby during their seafood special night, or slippery slabs of cold salmon sashimi bedecked with golden orbs of salmon roe upon a bed of steaming hot white rice. I will gladly consume most things you can dredge out of the ocean, though sea cucumber and daebul aren't things I'd eagerly seek out again. Sushi, though, is the kind of food I can eat any day, anywhere. I mean, there's definitely a huge distinction in quality between your typical grocery store ready-made packages of sushi and a legit sushi restaurant, but when you're in a bind there are the occasional lucky finds.  Luckily for us, we weren't resigned to eating sushi pre-packaged in thin plastic containers from the deli section! Sushi Wa is a good bit more out of the way than we would normally dine at, but when Antho and I happened to be in the area, hungry and in need of fuel, Sushi Wa was there so we decided to give it a go. We weren't disappointed! 

We had to have our usual favorites, of course, like the fatty goodness of salmon or the unctuous briny essence of the sea that is uni, but there were some fun new dishes available for the curious consumer to sample, too, like this dish below with tuna and sweet, sticky rice crisped on the outside drizzled with a spicy sauce and a piquant pickled jalapeno to wake up your tastebuds. Everything we tried was tasty and fresh, full of flavor and contrasting textures, like in the fried ice cream! Yes, fried ice cream. I know that's not a novelty to some of you, but it's always an amusing conflict of temperature states and textures to me when I find it on a menu. Overall it was an excellent meal and the only reason we didn't frequent the restaurant when living in Vegas was the fact it was so far removed from us. There's no shortage of delicious places to eat in the city, but if you happen to find yourself out in Henderson this is an excellent option to fill your belly with some quality sushi goodness!  

Korea: 해장국 Haejangguk (aka Hangover Stew) in Hwajeong

This little blog here is starting to evolve into something of a food blog these days, though this was certainly not an intentional directional decision. Personally, I'm not complaining, because these are my photos of some absolutely fantastic food that I was lucky enough to be able to shovel into the single biggest gaping face hole I possess at one point in time, but I can understand how for some readers this might have gradually slid into Facebook-worthy lunch photo territory. "Boo, hiss, I don't care what kind of unusual or unfamiliar foreign foods you ate while living in Seoul" some may be shouting at their keyboards, frothing with virulent hatred and disdain. To that I'd say, whoa, man. Pump the hate brakes.

After all, food is a necessary substance for our survival. Not only is it a needed source of energy to power us through our days, but we need to stop and refuel pretty regularly. There are different theories and approaches to the timing and manner in which one chooses to eat, and that's all pretty personal, but even more personal is the emotional component involved. In a lot of situations, there's an emotional or cultural attachment to the foods, too- Antho and I both love macaroni and cheese because on top of having a drug-like congregation of brain-stimulating compounds and flavors, it's something we grew up eating and it brings up fond memories of childhood and a general sense of safety and contentment... though, again, that might have more to do with the compounds throwing your brain into a neurochemical shitstorm, but I digress. Every person is going to have their comfort foods, and there are few things quite so demanding of comforting than a hangover, and if you're in Seoul, chances are you'll wake up with a real ass-kicker of a hangover sometime during your stay, too. Soju and makkgeoli, the drinks of choice in So. Ko., are quite potent and can sneak up on you real fast!

 And for those mornings when you wake, bleary-eyed and head pounding miserably, hangover stew will be there, waiting. It's a heady mix of that familiar Korean red-pepper heat, in a rich bone based broth with the addition of iron-rich coagulated blood in many versions. Funny looking off-cuts of meat join the fray, as do a multitude of vegetables to help nourish you back to fighting form. 

Vegas: Mirage Buffet

You can't go to Vegas without eating in at least one buffet while you're here. Vegas is a city for going over the top, it's pretty much the city's whole schtick, you know? "What happens here, stays here"  is the most famous go-to catchphrase for advertising Las Vegas, though that was temporarily traded out for #VegasStrong in the wake of the incident last year. Our trademark slogan is back in business, though, and Vegas has made no efforts to step away from its reputation for grandiosity, gluttony, and hedonistic delights. What better way to symbolize this lust for life than to shovel as much energy-giving sustenance as you can manage while guzzling free booze from the buffet bar? It's pure Americana in Vegas glitzy excess, with everything from tacos to sushi, sweets and salads, all topped off with a nearly endless selection of beverages to wash it all down with. The beer is seasonal, and it was a citrusy Hefeweizen when we went, though you can also opt for the house wine in red, white or rose. Because it's Vegas, baby. 

I always load up on seafood and carbs. Cold shrimp are one of my favorites, especially when they're of decent quality, though they'll never really compare to those live shrimp I ate in Noryangjin. It's different, but it's not bad. But really, with a buffet you literally have a smorgasboard of options laid out for you to choose from, so you can sample as many or as few items as you wish! Obviously, or maybe not, going for the seafood is going to be one of your better options for getting the best bang for your buck, but when there's free-flowing booze I guess it's not as important to try to game the system. Eat what you want. Be merry. Get tanked. Enjoy! Life is short, after all, and it's up to you to live it how you wish. I'm pretty pleased with the path my choices have led me down this far, and while the buffet at the Mirage is no Bacchanal, it's pretty solid for a casino buffet and literally costs half as much, so you wouldn't be doing too bad to stop in here. 

Vegas: Unicorn Donut

Look at those eyes, pleading with you; "Please, human, don't devour my sweet cakey flesh! Spare me!"

Unfortunately for our little pastry friend here, they're unable to speak due to lack of any form of anatomically accurate vocal chords or mouth. No words of protest will be uttered aloud should you decide that you want to actually move forward and eat with your mouth and not just your eyes. The lifespan of these majestic creatures is fairly short, as it goes. Once they're frosted, sprinkled and suitably bedazzled for a mythical beast, they're set forth into a display case in the bustling Fulton Street food court area of Harrah's where they sit and watch in horror as their horde diminishes over time until one sad, sole survivor lingers awaiting their inevitable fate. There's also something I've heard about a "buy-one-get-one" donut happy hour deal after 5 or 5:30? I've not gone and secured any donuts for myself due to work obligations, but Antho has gone forth and gotten us some, which explains the appearance of this fancy feast, but I cannot confirm the hours of the sale on donuts with total certainty. It's worth trying to find out, though, as with most things in the casinos these aren't going to be what most people would consider reasonably priced. There's also Captain Crunch bedazzled donuts, a maple bacon, and several others that sounded pretty promising. They're all very, very sweet, of course, so bear that in mind if you're worried about your blood sugar in the slightest. There are plenty of healthy food options in the nearby food court, but the donuts are the polar opposite of healthy here. I mean, we all kind of know that, don't we? Deep down? Donuts are not, and likely never will be, considered health food in any way, shape or form. They are damn delicious, however, and that is why we eat them!

 

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!

💖

XOXO,

NAU

Korea: Jjajangmyun in Hwajeong

Hwajeong is a little suburban area outside of Seoul city proper. It's a short drive, about 20-30 minutes to the heart of the city, and about forty-five minutes to an hour by train/subway into Insadong and the Jogno area. With it's close proximity to the big city and all its entertainments, I still enjoyed taking some slow days to wander around the neighborhood and try some of the restaurants. It's really no less convenient than being in the inner-city, as Hwajeong had a plethora of shopping options and restaurants all relatively close to the apartment. Yonie's place in particular was SO close to the station that you could literally walk out the entrance and hit 5 convenience stores, 7-8 cosmetic stores, 5 different grocery markets (from sprawling Wal-mart type department stores of food and housewares to a roughly10-foot square farmer's market that spilled onto the sidewalk in front)... Then there were all the restaurants! From fast food favorites like Lotteria and McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut and KFC to specialty restaurants serving specialty wild boar meat barbeque and fish fresh from their tanks. There was even a restaurant serving boshintang, dog meat soup. Yes, that's right, you can still find dog meat throughout Seoul. They've definitely tried to tone it down over the years and protests occur quite regularly in the more densely populated tourist centers, but if you look in some tucked away alleys or narrow hallways of large food centers you might find a restaurant serving it quietly.  This post, however, is far more dog-friendly! No dogs were harmed in the making of this post! Huzzah.

What I ate instead was jjajangmyun, a chewy, springy noodle with savory black bean sauce stuffed with meat and vegetables. It's delicious and comforting, not at all spicy, which makes it a kid-friendly nostalgic favorite I'm told. This is a dish that was originally based on a Chinese noodle dish but has been adapted to suit Korean palates and taken on a life of it's own, so it's often found in places that serve similar dishes, like jjampong, a spicy seafood noodle soup or tangsuyuk, sweet and sour pork or beef. While jjajangmyun arrives with the sauce piled on top, you get to stir it all together at the table which can be quite fun. This is not a dish to eat when wearing a light colored shirt, though, so be warned. Slurping the noodles can sometimes cause a bit of sauce shrapnel spillage if you're inexperienced or clumsy, but a lot of places that serve jjajangmyun offer napkins or bibs to protect your dignity. I know that I, for one, have a mild meltdown over stains. The shame, I tell you! 

Since the sauce itself is decidedly pretty tame, you'll typically get some sides to perk up your meal. Pickled radish is common, as are chunks of sharp raw onion and a bit of black bean sauce. I like onions and pungent funky things of that nature, so this is all fantastic and perfectly acceptable to me. This dish has, of course, become a nostalgic favorite for me so I'm always happy when I find places that serve it in my area, whether it be in Hwajeong or Vegas. I enjoyed this meal and then went about exploring the area a bit more, for a relaxing day off. Sometimes the slower days were the nicest, just taking in the cool autumn breeze as the weather gears towards winter and the trees start to change their tones. 

More photos below!