Food: How to attack Resorts World’s massive food hall

FOOD & DRINK

OVERWHELMINGLY

DELICIOUS How to attack the fantastic Famous Foods Street Eats complex at Resorts World

BY BROCK RADKE

Famous Foods Street Eats is revolutionary. I’ve barely stepped foot inside other Resorts World restaurants since the place opened on June 24, because I’m obsessed with trying all the dishes from all the different eateries in this 24,000-square-foot international food hall inspired by the street markets and hawker stalls of Southeast Asia.

The 16 vendors were curated by the resort’s nightlife and dining partner Zouk Group, and that’s what makes the experience so special—these are not watered-down Vegas versions of authentic dishes. You can try the acclaimed, decades-old “dragon’s breath” fried noodles from Malaysian FAMOUS FOODS chef Ah Guan’s Googgle Man Char Kuey STREET EATS Teow while chomping on James Beard Daily, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Resorts World, 702-676-7000. winner Marcus Samuelsson’s fried chicken at Streetbird. You can test the new yakitori concept Kuru Kuru Pa from the Aoki brothers and devour Springleaf Prata Place’s family-recipe roti canai.

It’s a lot. The Center Bar has an automated self-pour beer system with international brews, and the Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den speakeasy is hiding behind Ms. Meow’s Mamak Stall. There’s too much to do and eat, so please allow this somewhat experienced, still obsessed omnivore to help you out. Here are some tips to guide your experience. 1 Bring friends, not cash. This is definitely the place to meet your foodie crew, over-order and share everything. When you’re ready, you’ll select your items from a touchscreen, pay with a card and receive a text message when it’s time to eat, so like a lot of other Resorts World venues, cash is unnecessary.

2Do a lap. Even for the true culinary adventurer, there really is an overwhelming amount of food here, and so far everything is outstanding. It’ll be tough to choose a few dishes to start with, so take a leisurely stroll and peruse the offerings before you make any decisions ... or go ahead and impulse-purchase some spicy wings at Streetbird or roast duck street tacos from Fuhu Shack. No judgment. 3 Stake your claim, and order anywhere. Once you’ve narrowed the options, pick out a table to call home base—there are larger ones in the area between the Sweet Eats stop and the DJ booth and smaller tables closer to the casino—and find the nearest touchscreen. You can order any food and drink from any screen, so don’t feel like you need to sit near the vendor you like best.

4Enjoy the energy. It’s thrilling to receive a text that my dumplings are ready at Ah Chun Shandong, race off to get ’em and then receive a new message that Ten Suns has my Thai beef noodles, too. This is an exciting new experience on the Strip— and one you can’t find anywhere else.

And here are my favorite Famous Foods Street Eats dishes so far …

1Roasted Hainan chicken at Boon Tong Kee ($19). Straight from Singapore’s Chinatown, this stall is known for its cold poached chicken with rice cooked in chicken broth, but give me this perfect roasted version with crispy skin every day. Three spicy, sweet and sour sauces push this dish over the top.

2Chicken claypot rice at Geylang Claypot Rice ($19) Seriously, this is the comfort food of my dreams. Geylang earned accolades from Michelin five years ago, and you can taste the reasons why in this soulful bowl of rice, yu choy greens, lap cheong sausage, shiitake mushroom, salted cod and preserved cabbage.

3Eggplant Parmesan sandwich at Mozz Bar ($14) It’s no surprise that Las Vegan James Trees is bringing killer sandwiches, meatballs, arancini and house-made mozzarella to the Strip with this new concept. You won’t be disappointed if you go the veggie route with this amazing eggplant parm, layered with flavors of perfect pomodoro and fresh basil on top of the best semolina sesame roll in the city.

4Gochujang pork ribs at Blood Bros BBQ ($21) If you’re not getting what you need from local Vegas barbecue, try the Asian fusion ’cue from this Houston crew. The brisket is the top seller, but these succulent, smoky, spicy spareribs earn all the points for me. Grab a side of jalapeño creamed corn while you’re at it.

5Lechon and truffled rice at Pepita’s Kitchen ($19) Rich stuff. There’s a reason Dedet de la Fuente is called the “Lechon Diva” in the Philippines. You get the crispy skin and the juicy, tender shreds atop fragrant, rich rice in this transportive dish.

From bottom, China Mama’s crispy beef, wood ear mushrooms, crispy pork with Mama’s Special Sauce, special pan-fried pork buns and mapo

tofu (Christopher DeVargas Staff)

DEEP DIVE

Exploring China Mama

Before xiao long bao (savory steamed soup dumplings) became a

Vegas phenomenon at hot spots like Din Tai Fung, Shanghai Taste and Mott 32, local eaters were introduced to these addictive morsels at China Mama (3420 S. Jones Blvd., 702-873-1977), a perennial favorite for Chinese cuisine in the Las Vegas Valley. After new ownership refreshed the dining room and the menu a few years ago, this Chinatown institution is better than ever, and those dumplings are just one of the must-try dishes.

Definitely sample some of the beautifully presented, simple yet delicious veggie dishes, including wood ear mushroom salad ($8), stir-fried green beans ($13) with a little kick from chili paste, and cool cucumber salad with mashed garlic ($9). If you’re ready to try other dumpling dishes, China Mama’s crispy, chewy potstickers ($12) and pan-fried pork buns ($14) with extra bits of crunchy, lacy goodness are both just as good as the beloved soup dumplings (listed as steamed juicy pork buns, $14).

As for other shareable dishes, the spicy dry pepper chicken ($18) has also been a highlight for a long time, but the crispy beef ($17) also packs a lot of flavor, and its unique texture is the perfect foil to any favorite noodle or dumpling selection. China Mama also does a stellar mapo tofu ($14) to help you finish off any extra steamed rice on your table.

If you’re like us and you’ve been returning to local dining by steadily revisiting the all-time greats, rest assured China Mama deserves to stay at the top of the list. –Brock Radke