ON AND OFF THE STRIP

Mott 32

World View

Las Vegas makes it easy to try these international cuisines

Familiar can be fun, but there’s nothing more exciting than exotic exploration. When you’re dining around Las Vegas this week, discover different flavors and cuisines at some of these restaurant destinations.

Recently reopened at Treasure Island, Pho (702.894.7111) brings its namesake Vietnamese beef noodle soup and many other flavorful specialties to the forefront of this casual experience adjacent to the resort’s popular Coffee Shop. Crunchy cha gio eggrolls are the perfect complement to that fragrant soup, or you can opt for a traditional pork bánh mì sandwich, pho ga soup with shredded chicken and rice noodles, curry chicken with steamed rice, and noodle bowls with various delicious toppings. Vietnamese food is hard to find on the Strip, so take full advantage of this convenient spot.

Across Las Vegas Boulevard at Palazzo resides one of the most acclaimed Chinese restaurants in the city, Mott 32 (702.607.3232). Taste modern Hong Kong at this ornate destination, including one of the Strip’s best versions of Peking duck. But less-celebrated dishes like

sesame prawn toast, crispy salt-and-pepper octopus, fried frog legs with dried chili and smoked black cod offer delicious diversity you won’t experience anywhere else.

Eastern European cuisine isn’t as prevalent on the West Coast as it is in the Midwest and on the East Coast. But Las Vegas has a long-established local restaurant where everyone knows they can enjoy Bulgarian and Hungarian dishes, plus much more. At Forte Tapas (702.220.3876), you can find everything from a Thracian clay pot stocked with sausage, roasted peppers and Bulgarian sheep’s milk feta cheese, to savory pelmeni dumplings stuffed with tender beef or wild mushrooms and topped with fresh dill. This beloved spot is a neighborhood staple and you haven’t taken advantage of the full offerings of the city’s dining scene if you haven’t dined at Forte.

Want another rarity? Egyptian cuisine is well-represented at POTs (702.754.6200), which serves an all-vegan menu with delightfully satisfying results. Share some pickled eggplant, falafel samosas and Egyptian-style hummus to get started, then sample different street foods like ful mudammas (slow cooked fava beans, vegetables and tahini) or cauliflower shawarma. Don’t skip the apricot and coconut pudding mahlabeya for dessert.

If you’re more meat-minded, head over to MGM Grand’s International Smoke (702.891.3922), which deftly combines elements of Southern cuisine and barbecue with global flavors for a truly unique presentation. Smoked potato chowder with Portuguese sausage, spicy Thai beef lettuce cups, Sinaloan-style achiote chicken and Jamaican braised oxtail with red beans and coconut rice are among the standout dishes sure to catch your eye and stimulate your tastebuds.

One of the most buzzed-about off-Strip restaurants specializes in traditional Spanish paella. Valencian Gold (702.776.7707) is putting on a show with a blend of fantastic cocktails and traditional Spanish dishes with innovative twists, such as French fries topped with braised oxtail; paella with shrimp, chorizo and corn; and roast chicken with saffron almond sauce. There’s a lot of personality in these dishes, so be prepared for a memorable meal. –Brock Radke

International Smoke

Pho POTs

FACIALS, MASSAGES AND RECOVERY

If you seek a more personally curated spa encounter, reserve individual, or couples, facials and massages. Your choice menu will include well over 15 signature treatments that revitalize and renew your body, inside and out. Choose from select Cell Renewal facials, Hydrafacials, Dermaplaning and body detoxing options, among many other unique offerings. Complete your spa visit with a layover in the heated Crystal laconium room or the Stretch and Recovery Zone, for ample attention to your pre and post workout body therapy.

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RESORTS WORLD A DAY

AT THE SPA

An experience that stays with you

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

Reserve your time to journey into a world of luxurious relaxation at AWANA spa. Cleanse and rejuvenate your mind and body through a menu of decadent massage and facial treatments. Explore a unique spa experience by booking your Fountain of Youth passport. You’ll immerse yourself in the healing waters of AWANA’s six vitality pools, vaporfilled steam rooms, cool mist showers and the experiential Rain Walk. Each passport includes three hours in a journey of youthful exploration.

FOOT SPA

After the harmonies of the steam room settle down, drift over to the Foot Spa Lounge where you will melt away the pressure and weariness of your soles. The Malaysian inspired treatments shower your feet, hands, and shoulders in the attention they deserve. Our spa experts focus on reflex points concentrated on these customized services using techniques such as gua sha, massage, and energy work to remedy any ache or discomfort.

SAUNA MEISTER

Next, you’ll want to venture into the thrilling Art of Aufguss. Here you’ll be serenaded by the intuitive healing production of the Sauna-Meister. This innovative steam room combines concentrated heat, audio and visual stimulation, aromatherapy and towel movements to promote wellness. The art of entertainment and leisure merge to create a syphonic spa setting unlike any other.