MIX in Las Vegas.....The Vegas trip ends with the Big Bang

MIX is located on top of the The Hotel at Mandalay Bay Casino and is the Genius that has been created by famed French Chef Alain Ducasse.  I personally have gone here about 5 times and it never gets old.  First if you come here you have to stop off at the lounge to get a drink.  The Lounge has a view that is next to none of Las Vegas.  From this angle you can see the entire strip all the way up to Freemont St.  After getting a drink, and I know this will sound weird, go to the bathroom.   The Bathrooms have floor to ceiling windows that allows you to do your business like your sitting on the edge of building.  If your constipated for some the view will scare the crap out of you.  And what a better place right?  Come on, you knew it was coming.

When you walk from the Lounge to the dining room you pass the  very large open kitchen where you can see the magic happening.  Then you come to the dining room, you see that the room is surrounded in almost floor to ceiling strings of glass balls of different size and shape creating the look as if your jumping into a glass of Champagne.  The five of us were seated and given the menu's to glance over.

While sitting and waiting, we were served a selection of warm breads that were excellent.  But what made them great was the butter that was served. One one side was a rich and creamy butter and on the other side was a fresh peanut butter.

We talked about sharing some appetizers and most of us did.  Two of us got the Bigeye Tuna Tartar with Mango Chutney and taro chips.  The tuna was fresh and bright tasting with hints of pepper.  They were great when you used the taro chips as an edible spoon. The mango Chutney added some nice sweetness to the dish but it would have been fine without it.

Another one of us got the seared Duck Foie Gras with warm Lentils.  I have to say, this is one dish I will definitely try again.  The outside of the Foie Gras was caramelized so well that it had such a different flavor from the inside of the liver.  It was like having two different dishes in one.

Also on the appetizers were Potato Gnocchi with pumpkin and crispy bacon.  Unfortunatley I was too involved in my Tuna to try this and my cousin said I was an idiot for not paying attention.  He said they were really great and adding the bacon made the dish, as bacon will do with just about anything.

 The last appetizer that was ordered was the Chicken/coconut Thai Soup.  It smelled and looked amazing.   I was told it was as good as it looked.

Now come the Mains.  I'll list them in the order in which you see the photos below.  I didn't get to try them but I can say they looked better in person than they do here.  Beef Tenderloin was done traditionally "Sauce Au Poivre" (pepper sauce) with mixed Vegetables, Pork Loin & Belly (my favorite) with grits, swiss chard and BBQ Sauce, Salmon with Apple mustard and Jasmine Rice and finally the Rack of Lamb with Japanese eggplant and tomato.  I had the lamb and it was done differently than I have had it before.  In the past I have had it served in the traditional way that had about 6 ribs with the bone frenched.  This way was served just the medallions.  I had ordered it medium rare and it was so tender.  It obviously made it easier to eat since you had no bone to deal with, but that also takes the fun out of eating the last bits off the bone.  But perhaps they was what I looked like when I was there last time gnawing on the bones like a Labrador retriever.

To round off the mains, we got Asparagus spears which were great but I wanted to call attention to the mac and cheese.  yes mac and cheese.  This is a side that I get every time I am here.  If ordered as a main dish, you wouldn't be able to eat the whole thing because it's so rich.  Elbow macaroni is swimming among a rich cheesy bechamel sauce that is dotted with small cubes of ham.  You would be doing yourself injustice if you didn't get this with your meal.

The dessert menu had a good selection but the item that has been there the most is the Mix Candy Bar.  I'm not sure exactly what is in it but the photo that you see below didn't last long.  Minutes later the plate was bare.

I highly recommend going to Mix if you have the opportunity.  If for nothing else, go to the lounge and order a cocktail and drink in the view.  it will be well worth it to step back and admire the lights dancing below.

Mix can be found at The Hotel at Mandalay bay.  For more information, go here:
http://mandalaybay.com/dining/mix.aspx