The on line casino resorts alongside the Las Vegas Strip are always flipping venues, changing eating places, bars and lounges into new ideas sooner than most of us can observe. The turnover is far much less frequent at Downtown casinos, which have a special buyer base.
That development makes the latest $20 million renovation and enlargement on the El Cortez on Fremont Avenue particularly vital. The basic Downtown on line casino and resort—established in 1941—remodeled a keno lounge and restaurant and kitchen house into two flashy new bars, ShowBar and Roulette Bar, a brand new excessive restrict gaming space, and an thrilling new pan-Asian restaurant, Scorching Noods, from the household that impressed Summerlin diners with the tasty Chinglish Chinese language eatery earlier than it closed final 12 months.
“We actually miss Chinglish, particularly the company who turned shut mates to our household,” explains working accomplice Kitty Heck. “However as quickly as we arrived on the El Cortez, which is family-owned and operated, we knew we had discovered a brand new residence. In addition to, Kenny Epstein is our greatest buyer.”
Vegetable eggrolls, gentle shell crab, Poh Poh’s dumplings, shrimp tempura and fried inexperienced beans at Scorching Noods.
Epstein, El Cortez chairman and CEO, adored the delicacies at Chinglish and satisfied the household to develop one thing completely different for Downtown. “I believed it could be an excellent partnership and idea to convey to El Cortez,” he says.
Make no mistake, this isn’t the identical distinctive mix of Cantonese classics and well-curated wines. As an alternative, suppose noodles and sake bombs—excessive vitality and daring flavors.
“Scorching Noods is pan-Asian consolation meals. We’re now not limiting ourselves to Cantonese delicacies,” says Heck. “We’re nonetheless a scratch kitchen, and Mother and Dad are nonetheless hand-folding dumplings and rolling the egg rolls, however we’ve added some Japanese and Thai dishes like ramen, pad Thai and rice bowls.”
Huge dishes proper out of the gate embrace the Tonkotsu ramen ($18), tender pork chashu and wavy noodles in pork bone broth simmered for 9 hours with, egg, inexperienced onion, dried seaweed and bean sprouts, however you possibly can maintain it gentle with veggie ramen ($16) in the event you desire. Professional tip out of your fellow diners: “A few of our regulars have even been utilizing our gentle shell crab appetizer ($11) as a ramen topping,” Heck provides.
The meat rice bowl ($15) is one other prime vendor, and equally acquainted choices like hen chow mein ($18) and shrimp fried rice ($18) add steadiness to the menu. You could possibly create a feast from appetizers alone, together with Poh Poh’s Dumplings ($14) and Gung Gung’s salt-and-pepper hen wings ($12) dusted in garlic—each beloved dishes from the household’s former restaurant.
“There are too many to select from, every thing’s good,” says Epstein. “I particularly love the soups, hen chow mein, egg rolls and fried inexperienced beans.”
HOT NOODS El Cortez, 702-659-6800, hotnoodslv.com. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-midnight.
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