In recent years, Las Vegas has quickly earned the reputation of America’s culinary Gomorrah. Gone are the days of two buck buffets, as more and more tourists come not only to play, but indeed, to eat. Starting with Wolfgang Puck’s opening of a Spago at Caesar’s Palace, big name chefs have begun marketing on the Strip, rolling out copies of their restaurants from across the world. To name a few, Guy Savoy, Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert, Bradley Ogden, Hubert Keller, Joel Robuchon, Tom Colicchio, Charlie Palmer, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, and of course, the venerable Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame. So, as committed, responsible foodies, we ventured into this culinary wonderland with great hopes, empty stomachs and soon-to-be empty wallets. First stop, Thomas Keller’s Bouchon.

When I first walked into Bouchon, I was struck by how bright and welcoming it was. As you walk in you can clearly see the oyster bar set up, with the day’s fresh offerings laid out, all illuminated through tall windows lining one side of the restaurant. I’ve never been to France, nor am I terribly familiar with French cuisine, but the place sorta felt like what I conceived a French bistro to look like. Of course, the whole idea behind bistro fare is simple, unpretentious food, and I felt like the Bouchon interior captured that feel pretty well. Checkered tile flooring, deep colored wooden walls, a long bar lining one side of the room, bright white tablecloths, immaculate, labeled dishware and a high ceiling, the place definitely connoted an air of professionalism and crispness, while still being down-to-earth and welcoming. Our server emulated this same spirit, courteously helping us through the menu and recommending us accompanying wines from the extensive wine list.

Unfortunately, much of the other interior details were lost on me, simply because I was both damn hungry and damn excited for the food. Bouchon Las Vegas, of course, is a copy of Keller’s Bouchon in Yountville, CA. I wasn’t naive enough to think that Keller would actually be in the back of the house, but I was curious to see if Keller’s notoriously high standards carried on even in his absence. Judging by our experience, Keller has trained his staff well. The meal began with simple bread and jam. The bread was fairly standard, but the jam tasted like it had been made there. The flavors struck me as far more natural, without the usual sugary-syrupy taste that most commercial jams have. It was a simple, sweet way to start the meal.

Maybe cause it was Vegas, maybe cause I was with the guys, maybe cause it was my first time trying any of Keller’s menus, or maybe it was the wine, but I sorta went nuts and splurged. The meal continued with a half-dozen raw oysters from the oyster bar, served with a trio of sauces. I was definitely glad to have had oysters before, simply as a basis for comparison. One can’t tell good food from great, if he hasn’t had good first. Hokey philosophy aside, I slurped up the first oyster and was immediately struck by how amazingly fresh it tasted. Indeed, a chef’s cooking is only as good as the quality of his products. And especially with raw oysters, where you don’t do anything but shuck it, primo quality counts. The flavor was vibrant and alive, readily evoking tastes and thoughts of the sea. I can only clumsily describe it as “ocean purity.” (Sounds like a perfume, no?) Definitely one of the highlights of the meal.

I’ve often thought that the skill of a cook is powerfully displayed not only in elaborate, multi-flavored works of art, but also in how he executes the simplest dishes. Andre Soltner, when interviewing cooks applying to work for him, would sometimes give them a single test:

“Make me an omelet.”

While the humble omelet appears deceptively simple, the methods behind making a perfect one require finesse, experience, and thoughtfulness. It takes a lot of skill to make simple food, perfectly. And indeed, that simplicity is often the beauty behind good food. Sorta like how I judge boba places on the quality of their basic milk tea. With that in mind, I decided to go with a bistro classic, Steak Frites. (Steak and fries) served with maitre d’hotel butter. (Butter mixed with various seasonings and parsley) A simple meat n’ potatoes dish.

The steak, a flat-iron cut, was well-cooked and hearty. The flavor wasn’t as full as I would’ve liked. (not as fatty?) but the tenderness was great. The maitre d’hotel butter rounded out the flavor nicely. And of course, how can you go wrong piling on fries? Damn good fries. Crispy like they oughta be, not one of them was soggy. All-in-all it was a honest, well-executed dish.

Jon went with a croque madame, another bistro staple. A toasted ham and cheese sandwich, covered with mornay sauce (a basic white sauce with added cheese) and topped with a fried egg. Man, I frickin’ love fried eggs, especially with runny yolks.

One of our other mates had the day’s special, seared scallops. I don’t quite remember what exactly was in it, but simply, that it was damn good. I do remember biting into that scallop evoked much of the same thoughts as the oyster. The flavor was very pure, and tasted of the sea. The crust on the scallop was a perfect sear, providing the necessary texture contrast from a crispy outside to a tender, supple interior. Once again, good quality products served with good execution.

But the fun doesn’t stop there, kids. Of course, we opt for some dessert. Our server told us about a special off-the-menu dessert, aptly named, “Bouchon.” One of the meanings behind the term “Bouchon” refers to the stopper jammed into the mouth of a bottle. Or simply, a cork. The plate came out with three such corks of chocolate, served over a chocolate sauce, partnered with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’m generally a fruit dessert kind of guy, most dairy/chocolate based desserts are just too rich and heavy for me. As such, I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. The three chocolate…bouchons (bouchones? bouchii?) basically tasted like brownies, retaining a rich chocolate depth, but without the fudgy heaviness. Did I just have a light chocolate dish? What the hell. Paired with the ice cream, it was a tight, nice way to end the meal. And I didn’t feel like I had just downed a quart of heavy cream. The profiteroles we ordered (mini cream puffs filled with ice cream) likewise weren’t too heavy, and were pretty tasty.

For all the hype that comes with eating at a top-name chef’s place, I left Bouchon feeling thoroughly full, but more importantly, content. Not in slack-jawed awe, not in euphoria, but content. The food wasn’t transcendental, just simple, honest, high-quality food, executed well and served without pretension. And perhaps, that’s exactly what Keller was going for with Bouchon. After all, the bistro is meant for the everyday, down-to-earth diner, and to that end, I think it was a success, though my wallet may think otherwise. But honestly, why would you spend your money on anything else?

Bouchon
The Venetian, Venezia Tower
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 10101
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-414-6200
Make sure to check out the outdoor patio, and then walk off that food coma at the Canal shops downstairs.