é in Las Vegas was probably the most intimate dining experience I’ve had. You share a chef’s table with eight total diners in a private room tucked inside Jaleo at the Cosmopolitan. We shared our seating with five guys at a bachelor party and a solo diner. For a bachelor party, our dinner mates were ironically quiet!
When we arrived, we were initially seated at a high top in Jaleo with our fellow diners. They presented the first course at this time – edible branches made from liquified kalamata olives, presented like a centerpiece.
My husband took the liberty to also order a plate of the best jamon – jamón ibérico de bellota fermín and some pan de cristal con tomate. Excessive I know, but I indulged in it as well!
After we finished our snack, we were led inside the é private dining room. The first thing I noticed was the interesting decor – one chef said it was like a snapshot inside Chef José Andrés mind. See my photos for the creepy doll and some heels going up a ladder!
Upon seating, we were given a hot towel in the mold of José’s hand. We kicked off the meal with some wine by the glass and watched the 22 course performance unfold over the next two hours.
My highlights:
Wonder Bread - This looked like a simple mini sandwich, but the bread was actually apple meringue with foie and pear filling.
Uni & Lardo - This was one of my favorite small bites, as I love anything uni. Though the thick, crunchy base was a tad overwhelming to the delicate uni.
Asparragos Escabeche - Such an intricate and memorable dish to watch them make. It was also one of my favorite tasting - I loved the bright flavors and texture contrast.
Txangurro a la Donostiarra - The simple crab meat was enhanced with a rich vial of crab broth and some crunchy bread crumbs for contrast.
Platija - The fluke over a bed of chicken course was pretty to look at but uncomfortably salty for my taste.
Fricando - wagyu beef cheek, gnocchi, chanterelles, pine nut. This was my favorite of the savory dishes. The gnocchi had a surprising texture that reminded me of popping boba! The chanterelles were so delightful, and the beef cheek was nicely tender.
Desserts - The three plated desserts satisfied my tooth nicely - great presentation, layers of flavor, and texture contrast. The modern take on Intxaursaltsa (walnut, raspberry, hazelnut) was especially enjoyable.
Overall, I thought the chef’s table at é was a good experience but quite robotic with no real standout dishes. Perhaps the presentation was so intricate that the chefs had to focus on plating at the cost of diner interaction. It was missing the level of engagement that we experienced at the modern chef’s counter at The Bazaar by José Andrés in LA. My favorite chef's table service to date was at Playground 2.0 in Orange County - a winning combination of exceptional approachability, enthusiasm, and education.
After our 22 bite-sized dishes, we weren’t hungry, but we were craving something more hearty, like the paella from Jaleo. We put ourselves in the server’s hands, and she surprised us with the Paella Mixta on the house. As we sat at the Jaleo bar and dug into the paella, this hit the spot unlike anything else from é. As intricate and fun as é was to watch, it was missing soul, which the paella had. Sometimes simpler is better.
