Bouchon -- An honest bistro
Stepping into the quintessential Lyon bistro. Simple presentation, bold flavor and a superlative wine list make Bouchon a must for the serious foodie.Tucked away on the second floor of the Venetian resort, Thomas Keller's Bouchon bistro is a well-known destination for the serious foodie. It is place that celebrates the authentic, which is evident in antique cast iron lighting and French murals on walls that have been painted to look like the product of 100 years of patina. But most of all, this is evident in the food. There are no sauces painted on the plate by chef-artists armed with piping bags here. This is a restaurant where you order your meat rare, scatter pistachio shells on the table, and chow on perfectly prepared pommes frites with big, earthy red wines.
First of all, this is a restaurant that demands your complete attention. There is no view here. There are no fountains, flashing lights, open fires, or shops to distract. Nobody wanders into Bouchon off the street. The patrons at Bouchon are here because they heard their friends talk about steamed mussels and steak frites. They are lured in with the promise of superlative charcuterie. They come because they've heard of the famous relationship Bouchon chefs have with their seafood vendors. Most of all, they come to eat the kind of food you simply cannot get anywhere outside Lyon.
This is the restaurant where chef Anthony Bourdain became famously flustered with the fries, spilling red wine all over the table in a fit of jealousy. Bouchon may have what is considered to be the finest pomme frite on the planet. The fact that they'll sell you an order a la carte for $5.50 is just one of the endearing qualities of this bistro.
It is a bit of a hike to get to Bouchon. Down long marble halls, up an elevator, and down more long marble halls, the Venetian's baroque opulence lessens as diners turn the corner and are smacked square in the olfactory senses with the smell of reducing jus and julienned potatoes frying somewhere in the kitchen.
The restaurant is quite long, and almost resembles a railway platform. Wrought iron lights look like they were ripped off street corners and transported to Las Vegas Boulevard. Murals of bicycles and hats by Paulin Pâris adorn the walls. But the first thing that catches the eye is the pewter seafood bar, 30-feet long, showcasing the freshest shellfish to be found in the Las Vegas valley. The pewter bar continues most of the length of the restaurant, showcasing the bistro’s liquor selection.
Nina and I were led to our table and a bowl of pistachios and braided bread were rather haphazardly deposited on our paper tablecloth. I ordered Washington oysters and a glass of Chimay Cinq Cents to start. I had been looking forward to the oysters all week. We had the best oysters of our lives at Harrod's in London not two months ago, and I wanted to see how Bouchon's selection stacked up.
Kelly, our waitress, brought orders of Savavie, Shamis Bay, and Sister Point oysters. The oysters were served with a traditional cocktail sauce and a shallot-infused red wine vinegar. I found both sauces (and lemon, for that matter) to be entirely unnecessary. The oysters were divine. While Nina preferred hers with a little vinegar, I thought the natural oyster liquor and the slight Belgian twang and sour note of the Chimay was all they needed.
