The latest seasonal additions to the menu at Andrea’s—the ever-hip, Forbes four-star award-winning restaurant at Encore—are exactly what we’ve come to expect from executive chef Joseph Elevado and his team: wildly creative flavor combinations with occasionally exotic leanings applied to everyone’s favorite fall ingredients.
Gently seared Hudson Valley foie gras is paired with persimmons, almonds and star anise honey atop a traditional egg toast, a luxurious dish with a bit of electricity. Foie shows up again with diver sea scallops, plated with toasted farrow, bright edamame and a reduced soy-mirin-veal sauce.
If you’re looking for an addictive dish that could easily turn into the city’s next buzzy bite, check out the Jidori fried chicken leg, served with serrano chili and papaya salad with the memorably savory fish sauce caramel. The rare and acclaimed Japanese A5 Wagyu beef is available as nigiri sushi this season, and Elevado continues educating his upscale diners on the merits of his native Filipino cuisine with the pan-seared snapper “pinakbet,” delicate fish with kabocha squash, long beans, pork belly and shrimp paste.
At this point, we expect to be thrilled by the new food at this boundary-pushing restaurant. Even when we know it’s coming, the surprise is still there. Andrea’s at Encore, 702-770-5340; Sunday-Thursday 6-10:30 p.m., Friday & Saturday 6-11:30 p.m.