Jaleo in Las Vegas

Photo Credit: http://www.jaleo.com/index.php/contact/las_vegas

Jaleo, one of José Andrés’ new restaurants (the other being China Poblano), is a wonderful dining experience in The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.  I went there last month with a friend after coming from Joshua National Park in CA.  We checked into our room and I decided on where to eat.  Since my friend hadn’t been to Las Vegas in five years, I thought I might as well bring him to the newest place in town. 

We got there around 9PM and had no reservations.  It was a Monday night, yet the restaurant was pretty busy and had a great energy that you can feel just approaching the hostess stand.  A very smart-looking staff was waiting to answer any requests you had.  The lighting for the restaurant was bright and cheerful.  The smells coming from the paella station was certainly tempting.  The noise level was energetic, but not deafening.  I imagine it might be a little too hectic on a weekend, but it was just about perfect when I went. 

Since the menu style is tapas, I’ll just list what we had and my thoughts.  Not necessarily in the order that we ate.  The only real problem is that I wanted to order the entire menu.  Seriously, everything sounded good. 

1. First, my friend started with José’s Gin & Tonic and I had Rosemary Lemonade.  I want to give a little background here.   I volunteered at a lecture that José Andrés gave at Harvard during the fall.  I was already a fan of his PBS show, but became a bigger fan after the talk.  One of the things he mentioned during the talk was this special gin & tonic he developed using spherical ice instead of cubes since the surface area was smaller and melt more slowly.  Apparently the ice makes a difference since my friend called it the best gin & tonic he ever had. 
2. Patatas bravas (A Jaleo favorite with spicy tomato sauce and alioli).  I knew that it would be potatoes, but not sure in what form. This was the first dish we had and it was a great appetizer.  Crunchy, potatoes chips with this spicy tomato sauce and alioli.  A little salt and it hit every taste craving at the same time.  Great way to wake up the taste buds for the rest of the meal (and a perfect bar food too). 
3. Aceitunas rellenas y aceitunas ‘Ferrán Adrià’ (Olives stuffed with anchovy and piquillo and ‘Ferrán Adrià’ liquid olives).  Olives two different ways: traditional and modernist cuisine (I know some people dislike the use of the term molecular gastronomy).  Both very good with the modernist twist exploding in your mouth.  And I don’t even normally like olives.
4. Jamón Ibérico de bellota Ferminl (Cured ham from the legendary, acorn-fed, black-footed Ibérico pigs of Spain).  This ham is one of the best hams I have had anywhere.  Shaved paper-thin (yes, you can see thru it) and it just melts on your tongue.  No embellishments at all needed, just pure pork. 
5. Ensaladilla rusa con cangrejo real y huevas de trucha (The ultimate Spanish tapa, a salad of potatoes, king crab and mayonnaise, topped with trout roe).  Nothing too fancy here, but really fresh ingredients that were handled well.  Potatoes that were cooked until just done, extremely fresh crab (which always seems weird to eat seafood in Las Vegas).
6. Escalivada catalana (Open fire-roasted red peppers, eggplant and sweet onions with Sherry dressing).  Creamy eggplant and peppers that just popped with flavor.
7. Gazpacho estilo Algeciras (Classic chilled Spanish soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and bread).  One thing that I’m extremely fussy about is gazpacho.  I’ve had countless bowls of gazpacho here in the US and in Spain.  The worst part is that the first gazpacho that I ever tried was also the best: La Iruna in Harvard Sq.  Unfortunately, that restaurant has closed since the owners retired.  I spent an entire summer drinking that soup and would gladly have it everyday if I had the chance.  This gazpacho at Jaleo is the closest to that one in La Iruna.  And I have been trying to find one like it for 16 years, so that is very high praise indeed.  It wasn’t exactly the same since it might have had a touch more pepper.  But it is one of the best I have had in a very long time.  And this gazpacho was in March, so I can’t imagine what it would be like in the summer when tomatoes are really in season.
8. Costillas de cordero con romesco (Grilled lamb ribs with romesco sauce).  Perfectly seasoned lamb ribs.  Extremely tender and the romesco sauce was a perfect compliment.
9. Tarta de manzana al azafrán (Apple tart with saffron and apple sorbet).  This dessert was light and not too sweet.  The apple flavor was intense with the translucent slices of apples like you would see in a perfect tarte tatin.  I thought the dessert would be only one note, but it worked well on a couple of levels. 

I would definitely recommend anyone that likes Spanish food to go as soon as possible if you are in Las Vegas.  And if you don’t like Spanish food, this place should change your mind.