For the past 15 years, I've been trying to find an excuse to come back to Sin City and my best bud St Paul finally gave me one - a pair of tickets to tomorrow night's Canucks-Golden Knights game at T-Mobile Arena.
It's St Paul's home field so he's going to choose our hotel as well. He ended up picking Vdara and Spa which he said it's in the heart of Vegas' new city center, a "Bermuda Triangle" between Vdara, Aria and Mandarin Oriental.
My first impression of Vdara was a good one because unlike most hotels in Vegas, it didn't have a casino on the ground floor. What does it mean, you said? Well, for one, it's much more quiet and that's crucial for a family trip with a 2-year old.
I like the way they've organized the room, starting with the open kitchen behind the front door.
That was followed by the spacious bedroom and living room. The only thing I didn't like about it was the color tone. It's a little bit dark when we put the shades down.
Unfortunately, we didn't have much view from the window.
The only thing we could see was the back side of another hotel and the express train going back and forth to Aria Hotel and Crystal Mall. That's about all.
To the contrary, the bathroom looked so much brighter than the living room.
There's just enough space to fit in a bathtub. I don't think you're allowed to have a hotel room in Vegas without a bathtub!
I'll just take a quick nap and then we'll be off to Mastro's Ocean Club for dinner. Can't wait to check out their super juicy steaks.
Rating: ❤❤❤
Price: $$$
Address: 2600 West Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89158, USA
Tel: +1 866-745-7767
Website: www.vdara.com
I still remembered my first experience at a Johnny Rockets 15 years ago when I came to visit my best friend, St Paul in LA and he brought me to this retro American diner on Rodeo Drive for a malt shake. Never forget that satisfying experience (I love milkshakes!). 15 years later, I got the chance to visit LA again, and of course I had to reserve time for a trip to re-visit this place and its delicious malt shake.
I didn't take the trouble to drive all the way up to Rodeo Drive as there's a Johnny Rockets right here in Huntington Beach at Bella Terra.
The retro American diner theme never fades with time.
Needless to say, I would be starting this meal with a frosty malt shake. The only question was, what flavor? (Why didn't the Johnny Rockets in Seoul have this impressive list of shakes?)
Peanut butter shake - Very nice, silky and a bit nutty at the same time. I lovvvve it~
I had to wait for my burgers and sandwich to be ready so I got time to play around with my iPhone and its amazing "portrait" mode.
Again and again.....
Route 66 - The patty made with Certified Angus beef is the key here, combining well with the Swiss cheese, grilled mushrooms, caramelized onions and special mayo on a brioche bun.
Bacon Cheddar - Applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, crisp leaf lettuce, fresh tomato, slice onion and house special sauce. Somehow it didn't taste as good as Route 66. It didn't say certified Angus beef here so presumably that was the difference maker?
Chicken Club Sandwich - Almost the same as the bacon cheddar cheese burger except they replaced the beef patty with a slice of grilled chicken breast in the middle.
I don't eat a lot of burgers on a regular basis so whenever I do, I make sure it counts. These ones we had were pretty nice (especially the Route 66) and of course, it helped to have a frosty malt shake to wash it all down.
Food Rating: 4.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: Shop 122 Bella Terra, 7801 Edinger Avenue, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA
Tel: +1 714-901-1100
Website: www.johnnyrockets.com
