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Royal Star at the Venetian

By: The Lady of The Night Out

Why should you eat at Royal Star?

It seems like there’s a Chinese restaurant on every block. Yet Kevin Wu, who grew up in Taiwan, could find nowhere on the West Coast to sup on true Asian food -- except at home. So he cooked up an idea: His family decided to open a restaurant where anyone with an Asian passport would feel at home. A place that serves classic dishes Hong Kong-style specializing in dishes beloved by both Orientals and Occidentals. The result is the fantastic food at Royal Star, an eatery that calls itself “the new generation in traditional Chinese cuisine.”

Who should you eat at Royal Star?

Dim Sum aficionados. The restaurant serves dim sum every day at lunch through tea time. Royal Star’s tableside carts proffer 50 different delicacies each day -- one of the largest selections of dim sum appetizers in LVNV.
Traditionalists. If you’ve been to China or Hong Kong or just want to savor how the locals there eat, this be the place. The culinary goal of this restaurant is to make the Asian travelers feel at home, down to the ceramic chop sticks holders. Wu goes to the Far East to purchase the eatery’s exotic ingredients like shark fins and bird’s nests. The ducks on a hook reminded me of the groceries in New York’s Chinatown.
Kobe beef fanatics. I tasted Kobe beef only once before, in Japan. John Maynard Keynes, the noted British economist, said on his deathbed that he made only one mistake in his life: he didn’t drink enough champagne. I’d add Kobe beef to the list. This meat is bold and buttery and remarkably rich, thanks to its extensive marbling – the filets look like they have rivers of snow running through them. (Here’s a surprise: it’s unsaturated fat – the good kind!!!!) The taste is smooth, velvety, and incomparably sweet with a subtle tang of savor that lingers on the palate like a rare perfume. Kobe’s beefy flavor unfolds layer by layer. It’s the cow’s version of foie gras. And you can order it here.
Seafood lovers. Royal Star has tanks in the kitchen so when they say the seafood’s fresh, they mean it! I’ve never seen giant scallops and long neck clams that large and I’m from Texas.
Fress to Impress folks. True to its name, Royal Star is regal. Service is impeccable – close your eyes and you could be at Renoir. The décor and table furnishings are classy. If you’re not a high roller, you can sure act like one! And every member of the wait staff speaks English, which keeps miscommunication to a minimum.
The shorts set. Although the atmosphere is very coat and tie, you can show up in shorts without a raised eyebrow. The owners only care about how dressed up the food is!
Gourmets. Royal Star serves gourmet food, Hong Kong style. The items are more akin to haute cuisine than backyard barbecue. The current chefs, Lum Lai and Law Ka Hung, are super stars in China.
Folks who just paid off the IRS. The prices at Royal Star certainly aren’t cheap. But they are not out-of-sight either. Appetizers range from $6 to $12. Entrees start at $12 and top off at $30.
Diners who want to make a night of it. If you want to order a 10 course traditional feast and dine for hours, great! Royal Star welcomes that.
Tea lovers. Royal Star serves an authentic tea service.
Wine drinkers. The restaurant has a surprisingly broad selection of European and American bottles.

Who shouldn’t eat at Royal Star?

American Chinese lovers. American inventions like chop suey and egg foo young are not on the menu. Even so, there are a surprising number of familiar dishes.
Diners who think casinos and cuisine don’t mix. You have to traipse through the casino to get to the goodies.
Anyone infected with road rage. Until the casino construction is complete, it’s near impossible to find a parking place. Best bet: use the valet and bring a book.

Ok, so what’s the food like? Let’s start with the Kobe beef. Its physical structure is like ice cream: if you overcook it, it melts into an unappetizing mess. Translation: it’s very difficult to cook. Have no fear; the chefs at Royal Star know what to do. The meat barely kisses the sauté pan where is flavored with orange rind. The result: unbelievable – and absolutely worth the price.

The scallops actually stood up to the Kobe beef to share my “Big O” (for orgasm) award. These huge ovals of sea sweetness were painted with an earthy black bean sauce. The eternal struggle between the incredible lightness of being of the scallops are weighted down by the anchor of the grounded black beans.

Believe it or not, P.F. Chang’s did not invent lettuce wraps; the Chinese have been eating this favorite finger food since the days of Marco Polo. The chicken lettuce cups arrive with a single leaf of iceberg lettuce –icy and crisp - --beckoning for the filling. (They are so fresh they crackle when you take a bite. Noise is a delicious ingredient!) The waiter adds a dash of super sweet hoisin sauce and the filling of soy-infused diced chicken.

Do do the dim sum. You can’t carp about the steaming seafood dumplings. (And we’re not talking about me!) Individual shrimp and scallops were clothed in a gossamer and slick dough. Both bestow a blustery brininess to the reticent dough. The dipping sauce added some deeper tones.

A classic Asian feast always includes a bowl of soup. The seafood hot and sour soup is a real catch. In addition to a fisherman’s sampling of denizens of the deep, this truly sour soup has sting. Two courses later my lips were still tingiling from the black pepper that gives it that heat.

A feast for the eyes is the garlic shrimp. They are served on a bed of their shells; the little black eyes implore you to “eat me.” The truth in advertising clause applies here; this dish is loaded with garlic. It’s served on snowy rice.

Dessert in the desert: Fruit is the traditional way to end such a feast. Artists carved up the fruit like a sculpture. A salt shaker and fresh lemon accompanied the fruit platter for individual tinkering.

History: Wu was born in Taiwan and spent 15 years working in the top Hong Kong-style restaurants in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and even South America before moving to the U.S. After graduating from USC, he entered the commercial real estate arena. He decided that to return to his roots after the California property value crash. He opened the Royal Star Seafood Restaurant in Santa Monica, CA. It was a hit from day one. The Venetian operation is the second star in their constellation.

The last word: Treat yourself to the true taste of China at Royal Star. You’ll pay more than buffet prices, but the food is worth every penny, even the dear Kobe beef. The restaurant prides itself on its seafood, so anything with shrimp, scallops or lobster is first rate.

Where is it? At the Venetian on Restaurant Row. 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard. Phone: 702.414.1888. The same kitchen staff operates Noodle Asia, also in the Venetian.

By: The Culinary Curmudgeon Lady of the Night Out

After spending a lifetime in cheap Chinese restaurants that barely qualify for the “dive” category, I was astonished to discover the existence of an upscale Hong Kong eatery. Although I did miss the plastic flowers and uncomfortable seats, I rejoiced in the tony atmosphere of the Royal Star. Now I know why I never saw any of the high rollers in my down-and-dirty chop suey joints.

I ate the lettuce wraps at Royal Star with great glee. Imagine eating with your fingers in such a fancy place. Scarfing down tacos at a neighborhood taqueria is one thing. But fingering the food when it’s delivered by a guy in custom-tailored suit that costs 10 times more than my meal – now that’s just too much fun.

Dim sum, in theory, sounds like a great idea. You just pluck what looks good off the cart. But a novice like me has no clue what that stuff is. I’m a pretty picky eater. My rule: If the food doesn’t come from below the neck or above the knees, count me out. I hear chicken feet are a dim sum delicacy. Do they taste like chicken fingers from the Colonel?

Of course, I would have asked more detailed questions about the contents of the dim sum if I had realized before I got the bill that all the wait staff speaks perfect English. This is a rarity in Oriental restaurants in LVNV. That puts me at a disadvantage, since I speak neither Mandarin nor Spanish.

I loved the wall of water at Noodle Asia. Finally, the Clark County building code enforcers did a good thing. Because the woks heat up to 800 degrees, they made the Royal Star owners erect a stainless steel wall with a constant cascade of water to keep the casino floor from turning into Death Valley. (Of course, some at the black jack tables may already be there.)

I have to disagree with the Eater Extraordinaire about the merits of Kobe beef. Personally, I can’t understand why anyone would pay $300 a pound for a slice of that sissy stuff. Give me an aged American steak any day. Now those red-blooded babies have something to say. However, I could get into the Wagyu lifestyle. Wagyu cows are fed beer and have their stomachs professionally massaged daily to produce their extensive marbling. Where do I sign up?

Aired 18 April 2003

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