Our first night’s meal set the tone for the rest of the week; an all you can eat blowout at The Cosmopolitan buffet, Wicked Spoon. Having had an enjoyably hit and miss experience at The Bellagio buffet last year, I was interested to see how the offering at this incredibly chic hotel would compare (The Bellagio & Wynn buffets seem to be regarded as the best on The Strip). Setting us back $35 a head and with unlimited soft drinks included (root beer for me, cranberry juice for Mrs G), Wicked Spoon is slightly different to other buffets in that it serves its dishes in small plates rather than large platters. In theory this should mean the food is replenished more frequently, resulting in a fresher plate. In reality, and much like everywhere else, a number of the dishes tasted like they’d been sitting around for a good while.
Highlights of the meal included some excellent Korean style ribs, pieces of tender beef fillet & beef ribs from the carvery and an unctuous pan of truffled potatoes. However, the strongest part of the buffet was the dessert section. I chomped my way through a selection of mini desserts which included a pecan tart, a layered mango and chocolate mousse and a pot of peanut butter and jelly ice-cream. Aesthetically, most of the desserts wouldn’t have looked amiss in a fine dining establishment.
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| Beef galore and a pan of truffled potatoes |
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| Awww, aren't the little desserts cute |
Unfortunately the lows of the meal came as thick and fast as the highs. I ended up with a plate of absolute howlers which included a barely edible piece of haddock in crawfish hollandaise (the taste combination was too strong for my palette), a pretty vile pork tostada comprised of tough pork and a stale tasting tortilla and lastly some really mediocre king crab legs (surprisingly people were loading up with plates full of them).
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| A menagerie of mingingness - haddock in crawfish hollandaise, pork tostada and crabs legs |
Our meal at Wicked spoon is fairly indicative of most buffet cuisine I’ve eaten in Vegas. Much like my meal at The Bellagio last year, there are some real gems which needed to be sifted out from amongst the dross. If you’re prepared to discard something unpleasant after a single mouthful (I find this a real challenge) then a Las Vegas buffet can be an excellent value meal option.
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| I wish had room to eat one of each |
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| The Cosmopolitan is on the left in case you hadn't spotted it |
Disappointed by my lack of endurance at this early stage of the week (I only managed 4 plates of food) we set off into the neon lit night to burn off a few calories with an evening stroll.
The details:
The Wicked Spoon, The Cosmopolitan Hotel, 3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Another review: If you want to see a hilariously brilliant and detailed video review of The Wicked spoon then check out this bad boy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOb2pMqgvNE
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