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.
Chicken claypot rice at Geylang Claypot Rice
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 chef Ah Guan’s Googgle Man Char Kuey Teow while chomping on James Beard 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.
2. Do 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.
4. Enjoy 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 …
1. Roasted 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.
Eggplant Parmesan sandwich at Mozz Bar
2. Chicken 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.
3. Eggplant 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.
4. Gochujang 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.
5. Lechon 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.
FAMOUS FOODS STREET EATS Daily, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Resorts World, 702-676-7000.
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