Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Columnist Muriel Stevens: No shortage of spice at Neon Chef competition

Early Tuesday morning the Las Vegas Convention Center was bumper-to-bumper with cars and taxis, all vying for entry. This was the opening day of the G2E Exposition (Global Gaming Expo convention and trade show), and the turnout was huge.

I was there to participate as one of the judges for the first Neon Chef competition, a Las Vegas takeoff on the stellar "Iron Chef" competitions shown on the Food Network. No disclaimer is needed here: Neon Chef is a free-form parody with serious cooking and chefs from top-notch restaurants.

Neon Chef was the keynote performance at G2E. It drew a large audience, which laughed in all the right places.

Team 1 was made up of David Robins, Spago's executive chef/partner of the Wolfgang Puck restaurant group; Spago's Chef de Cuisine Eduardo Perez; and Nobu at the Hard Rock hotel's Executive Chef Peter Woo and Chef Joe Elevado.

Team 2 brought together Le Cirque Executive Chef Marc Poidevin and Chef de Cuisine Jeremy Lieb; and Osteria del Circo's Executive Chef James Benson and Chef de Cuisine Stefano Chiarugi. Both restaurants are at Bellagio.

At the formal meeting that took place before the competition my fellow judges, Lincoln Spoor (Krispy Kreme), Chris Marcoux (a former Las Vegas chef) and I wondered how the chefs in professional, but makeshift, kitchens would be able to produce four dishes (each team) in one hour.

Acting as timekeeper/commentator was Robin Leach. Could the bombastic, generous volunteer talk to the audience, keep tabs on the time, not try to influence the judges as they tasted each dish and stay out of the kitchens while the chefs cooked? Almost.

As soon as the chefs cut the tape on their fridge and learned that the main ingredient was to be lobster (it could have been beef or lamb) they went into action. It was at first confusing to the judges to learn that, except for the lobsters, each team had different ingredients, but there was nothing confusing about the way they prepped and cooked.

It was a slightly discordant symphony as they chopped and peeled and strained and drained, without any conversation. This was serious business. It was a terrific display of talent and teamwork.

As each dish was completed it was brought to the judging table to be tasted. At one point there were so many dishes we were overwhelmed. Soon the pace settled down. We were in the home stretch. Toting up the numbers, we found that only a few points separated first place from second. It was team Le Cirque and Circo.

And so ended the debut of the Neon Chef competition. There will be more.

None of of the competition dishes are listed here. They will appear eventually, with reasonable facsimiles of the recipes as soon as the chefs can put them all together. Don't plan on cooking any of these any time soon. Most are too challenging for home cooks, but there were quite a few that could be adapted for home kitchens.

Plenty of chefs at G2E: There were many food-related seminars and appearances from such culinary celebs as Todd English. All it took to make the rounds were walking shoes and a rolling cart to hold the many informational pieces and magazines collected along the way.

And thanks to the kindness of the LVCA traffic guards (who must have gone to charm school, they were so accommodating), I was able to get a parking space close to the entrance. When I returned much later in the day I found my car boxed in by cars that had managed to squeeze into impossible spaces along the wall behind my car. A friendly security person came to my rescue and guided me out.

A plethora of new restaurants: With the new phase of the Forum Shops at Caesars opening Oct. 22, a new wave of restaurants, fine chocolatiers and more will be debuting.

Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab is an upscale offshoot of the legendary Joe's Stone Crab in Miami that opened in 1913. Expect the excellent stone crab and key lime pie as well as tableside service of Maine lobsters, Dover sole and crab clusters. Situated on two levels, the Joe's at the Forum Shops features tuxedo-clad servers, takeout and catering. Joe's will be open for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and will remain open until midnight Friday and Saturday. Reservations are suggested. Call 792-9222.

Sushi Roku blends a setting of tranquility and style with "exceptional" sushi and contemporary Asian cuisine, offering sushi, creative salads, hot and cold speciality appetizers and more.

Boa Steakhouse is a renamed version of Balboa in Los Angeles. Featured is a prime selection of traditional American cuisine that "exceeds the usual standards." Among the many singular specialities are an ostrich fan filet, seared rare ahi tuna with Romanesco sauce, bone-in Kansas City filet and fire-roasted eggplant Parmesan.

Sushi Roku and Boa Steakhouse are owned by the Innovative Dining Group. Both restaurants will have peerless views of the Strip. Guests will have the option of dining outside.

Il Mulino New York is one of the city's most highly rated Italian eateries. The focus is on the cuisine of the Abruzzi region. Il Mulino is Old World cuisine at its very best. Veal and shellfish dishes are standouts. Bold, flavorful sauces enhance Il Mulino's cuisine. According to the owners, who have bought a home in Las Vegas, they will live here at least a year to assure that Il Mulino New York in Las Vegas is the equal of Il Mulino New York.

Katerina Markoff, a disciple of Ferran and Alberto Adria of Spain's famed El Bulli restaurant, will open Vosges Haut-Chocolat. Markoff's exotic interpretations of French confections are irresistible temptations. Vosges Haut-Chocolat features European-style handmade truffles that are a blend of fine Belgian and French chocolate, exceptionally stylish confections reflective of the time Markoff spent at the Cordon Bleu in Paris.

Segafredo Zanetti Espresso is a multinational company whose coffee can be found all over the world. Zanetti's love for coffee is the driving force behind his success. In addition to coffee products the Las Vegas cafe will offer light Italian fare, including pizzas, panini, salads and a variety of alcoholic libations.

Short orders

Bouchon adds weekend lunch: Beginning Oct. 10 Thomas Keller's Bouchon at the Venetian will add lunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The lunch menu will be the same as dinner with new brunch specials. Bouchon serves breakfast from 7 to 10:30 a.m.; oyster bar/lounge is open from 3 to 11 p.m.; dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. and weekend lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Experience Alaska at Lake Las Vegas: Saturday and Sunday, Wild About Alaska will take place at Lake Las Vegas Resort. This weekend festival features Alaskan cuisine, crafts, entertainment and rare Alaskan artifacts that have been featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Admission is free and includes all of the above. MonteLago Village is the place. It's a fine event for kids of all ages. Call Lake Las Vegas Resort for more info.

Saturdays with Giorgio Caffe and Ristorante: Beginning Oct. 16 Giorgio's (Mandalay Place) award-winning executive chef, Luciano Pellegrini, will offer free hourlong cooking classes dubbed "Saturdays with Giorgio." Chef Luciano will demonstrate a three-course dinner and share his techniques and recipes. Classes will continue through Nov. 20 and are limited to 30 people. For more info call 920-2700 or visit www.pieroselvaggio.com. Visit the Giorgio Caffe and Ristorante page for the cooking class menus and registration form. Buono appetito.

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