Las Vegas' Bachi Burger!

Dear Bachi Burger,

I cannot wait to go back to Las Vegas just to have your savory burgers in my mouth.  I would love to try your Oxtail Chili Cheese Fries, Banh Mi Burger, Miyagi-san's Grass Fed Wagyu Burger, Spicy Miso Burger, and The Crusty Crab.  So basically the entire menu....

I wasn't able to experience the feel of the restaurant since I was sitting in the hotel room aching with tremendous pain, but luckily my best friend (Erica) and her boyfriend (Son) brought back the Pork Belly Steamed Buns as well as the Kalbi Burger.  That initial bite into the Kalbi Burger helped temporarily alleviate the sharp feeling in my leg.  And let me tell you, nothing could really get my mind off of it, so that means a lot.  What I loved about this burger was that it came with a side of Korean-styled, spicy red-pepper cucumbers also known as oh ee ji (Korean) or liang ban huang gua (Chinese) which is my absolute favorite Korean side dish of all time.  Their menu has Bachi Pickles but I'm unaware if they are referring to the cucumbers as described above. On the inside, the Kalbi Burger is light pink with juices oozing after each bite.  It has a thin crispy, brown layer from the sweet kalbi marinade and has kimchi, ko chu jang mayo, and green onions for added flavor.  Wasn't able to get a snapshot of the burger since it disappeared before I could get my camera.  Yeah, it was that good.  Love Korean food?  You'll love the Kalbi Burger.

Bachi Burgers' Pork Belly Steamed Buns were equally delicious!  These Vietnamese-inspired pork buns consisted of pork belly, hoisin, scallions, cilantro, Chinese black vinaigrette, and a boiled egg (which was excluded in our order).  I just remember the pork fat melting while the soft puffiness of the buns filled my mouth with the saltiness of the hoisin and the distinct taste of cilantro.  Bachi Burger is known for their creative Asian fusion burgers, but this wasn't necessarily the first time I've had something like the Pork Belly Steamed Buns.  Can't remember where else I've had this dish, but its still a must-have especially if you would like order it as an appetizer and share with other people since they are bite-sized and comes in an order of three.

Thank you to both Son and Erica for introducing me to Bachi Burger, my new favorite, creative burger joint of all time.

<3 Lina Chen

9410 W. Sahara Ave.,  Las Vegas, Nevada

702.255.3055.  www.bachiburger.com

#1 Sushi Place of All Time: Goyemon.

Not many people fancy raw fish, but those who do enjoy fresh sushi or sashimi have their favorite go-to place.  THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE MY FAVORITE SUSHI RESTAURANT OF ALLLL TIIIMMEEEE!  No joke.

I've been to so many all-you-can-eat sushi places and tons of Japanese restaurants in my lifetime that I feel confident saying that Goyemon has one of the best sushi's in the States.  This would probably be a whole different story if I've been to Japan, but that has yet been crossed off my bucket list.  In the meantime, this place is my #1 spot.

So why do I love this place?  Although Goyemon currently has 4 stars according to Yelp, I feel that it depicts this place so wrongly.  It should receive 5 1/2 stars. That's how great it is.  Being Asian and all, I have come to love rice.  White, brown, sticky, broken...I LOVE rice, just ask the boyfriend.  When it comes to sushi, the way the rice is prepared makes all the difference in the world.  Trust me, I know.  If the rice is too sticky, you'll be sitting there all day chewing on sticky rice.  If there's too much rice vinegar then the sushi rice just falls apart once chopsticks come in contact with it.  This place does it right.  They "cut" the rice in such a way that it's one with the sashimi/raw fish.  The portion between the fish iteslf as well as the sushi rice is perfect.  Some places either put so much more rice hoping it'd fill you up faster, but that just takes away all the trust a customer has in the restaurant as well as the sushi chef. 

Anyways, let the photos speak for themselves...

Bomb dynamite.  A lot of sushi places are starting to add rice at the bottom of these delectable appetizers, but it's really taking away the taste of this delicious dish.  Goyemon thankfully doesn't do that.

Mussels.  Can't go to a sushi restaurant without getting mussels...

If they ever provide this option as a part of the all-you-can-eat-deal, then I say get it.  This is the salmon belly.  What's great about it is, is that it's very much like salmon, it just melts so much more in your mouth.  You've got to try it if you can.

And the one fish I can never cheat on, white tuna.  My absolute favorite. 

Generally at all-you-can-eat places I leave a little room for dessert.  Goyemon's lychee sorbet dessert is one of a kind (to me).  It's not your regular sorbet, a little bit more on the sticky side as if you were chewing on mochi, but not as chewy as mochi.  That may not make any sense, but in a way it melts nicely in your mouth, sort of like soft, snow that is just falling down. 

If you plan to eat there, make sure to head there early in the day right before they open.  It's a little slow at first, but it quickly gets busy 15-30 minutes later.  It's so packed, people are just waiting out the door.  What's even more interesting is that the location isn't even that great.  It's a little off the strip (15 minutes away), but I love that about it.  It attracts locals and very few tourists go out there so you aren't bombarded by tourists even though you may considered as one. 

Already missin' you....

<3  Lina Chen

5255 S. Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89118

702.331.0333.   www.sushihousegoyemon.com