Columnist Muriel Stevens: ‘Trans-ethnic’ cuisine translates into yummy results

Friday, July 21, 2000 | 8:57 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping column appears Wednesdays. Reach her at muriel@lasvegassun.com or 259-4080.

Traditionally, Japanese cuisine is one of the most refined in the world. But times are changing and brilliant young chefs such as Bellagio's Sean O'Connell, executive chef at Shintaro, are performing magic by blending traditional Japanese into a new mix. O'Connell calls it "trans-ethnic." No matter what it's called the results are smashing.

Chef O'Connell has traveled the world working at world-renowned restaurants and resorts, including the historic Raffles in Singapore. Before coming to Bellagio he opened Doc Cheng's in Hamburg, Germany -- he was the chef de cuisine at the award-winning Doc Cheng's in Singapore prior to opening the Hamburg restaurant.

Shintaro is a beautiful restaurant. At the entrance is a 12-seat sushi bar that gives diners a full view of the glorious aquarium.

The first level of the dining room is devoted to teppan tables (60 seats) where the chefs, who cook as you watch, are as much the stars as the food. It takes great skill to cook and entertain while you're doing it.

Teppan dinner prices are $45-$65. Included are: a choice of appetizer -- charbroiled ginger beef or sesame marinated bay shrimp; miso soup; salad; seasonal vegetables and steamed or fried rice; and a compote of tropical fruit. The same dinner with sirloin of Kobe beef is $175, a fair price for beef that currently costs more than $90 per pound. According to O'Connell, Shintaro is the largest consumer of Kobe beef in North America at 550 pounds per month.

A few steps down from the teppan room is the main dining room. Warm and inviting, with a view of the lake, this is my favorite place. Diners may also choose to dine on the patio.

Shintaro offers an extensive a la carte menu featuring: sushi, nagiri sushi and sashimi; appetizers; soups and noodles; tempura; and main courses. My host suggested we give the chef free range and have one of the tasting dinners. I always enjoy dining this way so, of course, agreed.

Four-course tastings are $55-$70; five-courses, $75-$90 -- the price range depends on the foods you choose. A six-course degustation, $75, is a more structured meal. This dinner can be paired with wines selected by General Manager Michael Shigemoto, Shintaro's wine expert. These tastings offer the opportunity to meet the chef. He comes to the table to discuss the dishes and to learn what diners like or dislike. It's a delightful, personal way to dine.

Our extraordinary meal began with an assortment of sushi presented in an igloo shaped from crushed ice. It was garnished with fans of cucumber dotted with gold leaf. Arranged from the opening out were slices of hamachi (yellow fin tuna), toro (blue fin tuna belly) and salmon. The freshness of the fish was as if they had just been caught.

Next came an exquisite plate with yellow fin tuna tartar accented with Madras curry and a dragon roll, a superb O'Connell creation. The dragon roll is available by special request only. It is not on the sushi menu.

One plump Pacific oyster prepared tempura-style, atop a shaved fennel and cucumber salad, was presented like a rare jewel in a footed dish. The oyster had been dredged with a mix of curry powder and flour and then dipped into tempura batter before being fried. Outstanding.

A perfectly seared Georgia's Bank scallop (near Nova Scotia) with wasabi potatoes and miso butter sauce followed, and finally, barely warm slices of Kobe beef with a ponzu dressing.

Somewhere along the way we also had tiny clams in a miso broth with a bowl of warm rice, and more sushi. It was hard to keep track of everything we ate, we were having such a good time. Shintaro is a kick, laid back and fun.

A la carte entree prices range from $25-$45 for a special sushi combination. A charbroiled teriyaki tenderloin of beef ($34) is served with wasabi smashed potatoes and sake-braised mushrooms.

A kaiseki dinner, $60, includes an appetizer, clams in miso soup and a lovely four-compartment box filled with sashimi, tempura, breast of chicken teriyaki, Japanese vegetables, steamed rice and Japanese pickles.

Sliced tropical fruits are presented for dessert.

A la carte desserts, $4-$8, are original and wonderful -- try the crisp lumpia-wrapped tropical fruit stirfry with mango sherbet.

An entertaining -- with serious, but not stuffy Japanese food -- dinner at Shintaro is a splendid experience.

Habib expands: Habib's Persian restaurant in the Sahara Pavilion at Sahara Avenue and Decatur Boulevard opens Habib's Mediterranean Market, Bakery and Deli on Saturday. It's a terrific idea whose time has come. The cafe where diners can enjoy the deli's foods, and wine cellar (more than 1,000 bottles) sits between the restaurant and the market.

All of the showcases and shelves were designed by Habib and fabricated in Canada. Everything is elegant, yet functional. The deli offers sandwiches and takeout of all kinds. A full-time baker prepares and bakes all of the breads and pastries in the in-house bakery.

Stuffed grape leaves, all kinds of cheeses, Habib's wonderful salads, cooked dishes and much more are available for takeout. Many of the restaurant's dishes can be purchased here. There are groceries, produce and an abundance of fresh herbs -- many are exotic herbs not available before.

A special spice section will include those used in Habib's kitchen along with the usual ones. This is an exciting place for foodies. The day I visited, Habib and his wife, Barbara, were counting down the hours until the opening, but first the many products had to be put on the shelves and the showcases had to be filled. It was a huge job. The last time I checked they thought they might be open today, but I'd call 870-0860 before going, just in case.