American Fish

Can’t believe they closed this place :(it was great for Aria. I guess they couldn’t compete with the buffet and Jean George’s Steakhouse. (Which is absolutely superb)
RIP American Fish

I wanted to dine here before it closed and boy was it good! To start we both got cocktails from the bar which were fabulous and the service at the bar was top notch. We then sat down and were greeted by a server who had asked if we would like bottled water or tap and we said bottled and then the brought tap anyway. (Oh Well!). For appetizers we ordered the lobster rolls which was TO DIE FOR. Hands down one of the best things I’ve ever had. We also had the tuna tartare which was OK. I’m never a big fan of Tuna Tartare.
For entrees I got the filet mignon which was good except it didn’t come with any fancy sauces and I’m a big sauce person. My friend got the salmon which she loved. She also got the greens salad and said it was good.
For a side we got the lobster whipped potatoes which was more like cream of wheat when talking consistency… Not so good. I was really looking forward to these but i would recommend passing next time.
Overall the experience was great. We loved the ambience and are excited to dine at the French Michael Mina restaurant in the winter!

I usually go to the Michael Mina restaurant in Bellagio, but recently stopped by the bar at American Fish during happy hour and really enjoyed the food offerings — pretty cheap too, mostly between $ 5 – 10. My favorites were the marinated octopus (so good we got another one!), lobster roll (not really a «roll» though — bread was a thinner, crispy-​toasted variety) and the truffled mac and cheese.
I really liked the bar offerings — the whisky selection (especially rye) was very impressive. Good service as well from the friendly bartenders, who were also quite knowledgeable.
We did take a peek at the dinner menu to compare to our usual Michael Mina spot, even if we didn’t indulge. Two of my favorite Michael Mina dishes — the tuna tartare and lobster pot pie — are available here, which is a nice plus and makes this restaurant a pleasant, casual alternative even for Michael Mina regulars. That said, I thought the menu was a lot more limited and less varied than I would have expected given the more-​casual nature that this restaurant slots into. They also didn’t have my absolute favorite Michael Mina dish — the caviar parfait (I asked). Still well deserving of 4* though.

i’m a fan because after walking a million miles in and around Aria/​Crystals/​Cosmopolitan to catch HH here, we made it at 1min late, but, the manager was kind enough to let us order off the menu still. AWESOME!
we ordered the beef tartare, macNcheese, lobster toast and a couple rounds. food was great and service was amazing. we’ll be back, hopefully, a little earlier.

For some reasoning I gave it another try, could be I’m a glutton for punishment, maybe I was hoping for a change.
Just as disappointing as last time. I really have no idea what happened. After such a great experience a couple years ago I have no earthly explanation for what has changed.
Service was just as lackluster, i’d almost worry that they recognized a Unilocal review. Fish was tasteless, texture was dull. I’m done here. After such an amazing time two years ago I’m just amazed at how things have come down.

Four words: Maine Lobster Pot Pie.
A puff pastry lid tops a «pot» filled with medallions of gently poached in what can only be called an enriched, buttery lobster bisque, über sweet, Maine lobster tail and delicate claws. Aromatic root veg and mushrooms balance the hearty dish. Sensory overload as the dish is plated table side.
Yes, you can get the same dish at Mina’s flagship restaurant but here, it’s comfort food, served in a less imposing, contemporary dining room. American Fish is about outstanding seafood cooked in a simplified, almost rustic manner and it’s good.
Standout starters include a refreshing, well balanced ahi tartare. The natural flavor and richness of the fish is brought out by the tempered use of chili oil and fresh habanero peppers. Pine nuts add an earthy balance. Asian pears tone down the fiery spice and provide great texture. The Seared scallop with Foie remains a winner. The accents on the dish change with the season but always serve to contrast the sweetness of the perfectly seared scallop to the richness of the foie.
For other mains, the Mustard Marinated Black Cod is a top pick. Asian influenced (think miso fish); moist, perfectly cooked through. Simply put, good eats. Finally, any of the wood grilled seafood on offer are excellent. All perfectly cooked with no albumin visible. The gentle smoke flavor adds a bitterness and complexity to the simply prepared fish that will have you longing for another bite. Note, the wood grilled seafood is served without any sides. The broccolini with lemon and garlic, complimented well with just the right vegetal goodness and acidic zing to bring the fish to life.
Very good, relaxed service. Outstanding wine list. Vegas resort pricing. Good happy hour.
Sometimes simple is best. American Fish delivers.

******************************* UPDATE REVIEW *************************

American Fish by chef Michael Mina surely deserved another review. It’s been over 3 years since I last update it and a lot has been changed.
A new executive chef Matt Voskuil, former Micheal Mina at the Bellagio has been on board for over a year now. He’s awesome and talented. It shows through all the dishes. With the open kitchen, you can see chef Voskuil working hard and so focus on every single dish before it leaves the kitchen with love.
Along with him, the new GM Roberto Liendo, he took so good care of my clients table at American Fish during the CES 2014, I couldn’t ask for a better service. Thank you.
Love their Happy Hour Menu — daily from 5 — 7pm $ 7 drinks /​$ 4 beers /​$ 7 wines by the glass.
— HAPPY HOUR MENU only $ 5 each
— new england lobster roll /​parker house roll, chesapeake bay butter
— beef tartare /​crispy capers, whole grain croûton
— truffled mac & cheese /​mushrooms, english peas
— baked oysters /​wilted spinach, pernod, parmesan cream
— french fries /​black truffle aioli
Other dishes:
— GLAZED PORK BELLY apple & fennel slaw, crispy pork rinds — anything with pork belly will make me happy :-)
— SEARED SCALLOP & HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS — savory french toast, parsnip & apple purée, spiced pumpkin seeds — a MUST ORDER
— Classic cheeseburger /​white cheddar, secret sauce — this was so cheese-​it tasty.
— MUSTARD-​MARINATED BLACK COD braised rainbow chard, baby root vegetables — this was delicious.
— GRILLED COLORADO LAMB CHOPS roasted brussels sprouts, spiced pecans, zinfandel reduction — this was so delicious.
Service was great as usual. The wine list is also very impressive, love the French old world collection. We did ordered some Chateauneuf-​du-​pape, Burgundy as well.
Don’t forget to stay at the bar, to chat with the hot bartender Matt, he can whip up some nice cocktails for you and he is quite a charmer. He’s been with the Michael Mina group for almost a decade, impressive.
We got to come back here twice during CES 2014 trip, with some Unilocalers from the Bay Area as well. They all had a great time. So looking forward to come back soon. 1 of my favorite seafood restaurants in Las Vegas 2014.

The Service: Our server is very sweet. However, hard to track her down. Only 1 server at the bar area.
The Food: HAPPY HOUR MENU ROCKS!!! $ 5 for all the food. Very nice presentation. BUT… very very very small portion.
New England Lobster Roll — GOOD!!! Crispy at the bottom, creamy on the top.
Beef Tartare — weird texture, didn’t really like it
King Crab Louie — soso, taste like devil egg
Seared Scallop — Tasty scallop but wish there is one more piece
Valrhona Chocolate Custard — creamy chocolate… yumm!
White Chocolate Bread Pudding — THE BEST!

All the stars are for the Lobster Pot pie.
I’m a cheapskate. If I’m going to have $ 200 bill for dinner I had better be blown away. I was, but lots of flaws kept this place out of the 5 star range.
The service was very good. Maybe not quite the level you might expect from such a fine restaurant, but this guy would have been in the top three Olive Garden waiters of all time. I can’t put my finger on it, but something was missing from the service that I would expect if I was paying that much.
The beet salad was really good. Flavorful beets with a great dressing. The buffalo Mozz was kind of Meh.
I didn’t know about corn muffins, but they were the best I have every had. A little sweet and a texture that I didn’t think you could get in an oven. Fluffy but almost custardy.
The crab cakes were really disappointing. They were meaty, but they were a little salty and maryland crab is just not that good. These crab cakes were not $ 26 good.
I was ruminating over the menu being like, «I don’t know if I want to pay $ 50 for black cod or snapper. Then I saw the most gorgeous thing in the kitchen. It was the lobster pot pie. It starts in a massive copper pot, then the waiter comes out and cuts off the top pastry and spoons out the 2 lbs of lobster and vegetables covered in a sherry cream sauce. This sauce was so good that I would bathe a homeless person with my tongue if I could use the sauce. The menu says MP which shook out to $ 85. I would get it again. It’s quite the experience.
My wife got the cod. It was offensively underseasoned. Fortunately my lobster sauce came to the rescue of her pathetic accoutrements.
Overall lots of hot spots, but lot of missed opportunities in seasoning the food. Cut my bill in half and I’d be raving about this place, but I hold the $$$$ restaurants to a certain standard and this no where near met.

On a recent Monday we stopped in for Happy Hour. We settled into a comfy booth in the bar area and had a pleasant experience. There appeared to be just one server for the bar area, plus a bartender. If you are in any kind of hurry, I suggest sitting at the bar, as those folks were getting things much faster. Fortunately, we weren’t in a hurry.
I inquired about the white wine happy hour selection of the day and was given a taste of it, which was good because I had never heard of it, and can’t remember what it was. It was good enough for this gal to have a $ 7 glass of it, while Husband went with a $ 7 Dark and Stormy, which he liked enough to have two of. For my second drink, I decided to switch to a Tom Collins, which was nice and refreshing. I’m happy to report that they don’t skimp on the booze.
Food-​wise we started with the King Crab Louie, Truffled Mac n Cheese and Seared Scallop. The seared scallop was the fave… it was one large, perfectly seared scallop with «pretzel croûton and anchor steam foam». It was all that and more… there was some kind of green sauce as well as a type of slaw. Love it when a dish exceeds menu expectations.
The truffled mac n cheese met expectations. It was creamy, but not too rich. The addition of a small amount of mushrooms and peas added to the flavor nicely.
The «King Crab Louie» was way below expectations, however. The menu described it as: «deviled egg, baby lettuce, heirloom tomato». The only part of that description that was true was the deviled egg. It was one egg, cut in half and deviled. There might have been one itsy bitsy teeny tiny crab something, but if so, it was barely there. And certainly no lettuce nor tomato. Based on the description, I expected a small salad, with a deviled egg and a chunk or two of crab. They REALLY need to change the menu to reflect that this is just a deviled egg!
All of these were fairly light, so we decided to try the Lobster Roll and the Baked Oysters with our second drinks. The baked oysters were by far the better of the two. They were pleasantly as described: «wilted spinach, pernod, parmesan cream». There were just two oysters, but they were each pretty plump and really yummy.
The lobster roll was pretty much as disappointing as the crab one. It was more like a bruschetta. And if there was lobster in the seafood salad on top, well, you couldn’t tell. If you had blind-​folded me, I doubt I could have even detected seafood.
For the diner, it’s largely about expectations… if management would change a couple menu descriptions to more accurately reflect what the dishes are, it could lead to expectations being met or exceeded, instead of disappointed.
3 ½ stars would be more accurate for me, but based on three out of five dishes being very good and good drinks, I’m rounding up.

The New England lobster roll
and Maryland Blue Crab cake were the winners of our company dinner here last night. They were the best I have ever had. Wish I had taken a photo of the crab cakes. The lobster rolls came with generous portion of well seasoned, fresh lobster meat. The roasted Park House roll was to die for. The crab cakes were the freshest and «crabby-​est» without a lot of sauce or mayo to let the crab meat shine.
The foie gras & scallops was just o.k. and a «skip» in my opinion. Not sure what was it with the foie gras but it did not «wow» me. The scallops were a little bland too.
The mustard-​marinated black cod was the most flaky I have tasted and it was sweet outside and no fishy taste inside at all. The portion of the braised chard was on the small side. I could have had much more.
The phyllo-​crusted sole «fish & chips» was bland and a «skip».
The fresh shrimp and lobster cocktail plate with fresh clams and oysters were just o.k. too. I liked the oysters (lemon scented) better than the (salty) clams; which were a little sandy.
Dessert:
Chocolate custard with (moist) brownie bites — winner.
Mini beignets served with chocolate whipped cream — a must-​try.
Strawberry shortcakes with whipped cream — a «skip»; the texture of the «cake» was more like a biscuit than a cake.
The complimentary corn muffins and sour dough bread with melted butter spread were also great.

MY brother calls me on Friday telling me he’ll be in town for few days on biz and wants to know if i’m free for dinner on Sunday. In town on biz = expense account so I have thoughts of Robuchon, Guy Savoy, etc. but he tells me needs to eat early (5:30) and limited time. So I change gears and thinking Scarpetta for some top notch pasta — but they don’t open until 6. next thought is a place I’ve yet to try — I opt for American Fish.
Decent looking restaurant but slight ding that booths were too open — normally not a big deal but we were seated near a group which had a woman that simply wouldn’t shut up ! I wanted to look over to see if they were even there to eat since she literally did not stop talking for 20 minutes.
anyways — start with a bread basket that has corn muffins and grilled bread with olive oil and butter offered. Muffins were excellent. The grilled bread decent .
I order foie gras, seared scallop on French toast with black berry. For main entrée I opt for the charred lion fish with pork belly croutons. We also order roasted mushrooms as a side.
I LOVE foie gras yet it’s literally been three years since the last time I ate it. Man oh man — I was very happy with this serving — nice chunk of foie gras, perfectly cooked scallop, the French toast with the blackberry perfect ! This resulted in a «moment» — a fond recollection when I first tried Foie Gras — coincidentally, at a Michael Mina restaurant in san Francisco — Acqua — their signature dish was a «stack» consisting of a potato cake, greens, seared tuna and foie gras with morels sprinkled on the plate with a pinot reduction… 18 years ago (wiping tears from eyes) ahhh the memories !
anyways, a first for me, Lion fish — never heard of it, but after the servers description, I figure heck, let’s give it a try. Though the servers description was inaccurate («similar to swordfish…») it was flavorful enhanced by the charring and the pork belly croutons were a pleasant addition.
The mushrooms were decent though a little heavy on the butter.
We shared a bottle of Pinot Noir from a vineyard in the Santa Lucia Mountain area of California (name escapes me)
Sorry, didn’t look at the prices since my brother paid.
pics attached.
will definitely return

Typically gorgeous Vegas restaurant set apart by its rustic décor and classic American countryside character. Love the woodsy mural backdrop of the bar, and the side dishes are served in these little stainless steel pots — this is camping at its chicest, and likely its most gourmet!
Unlike L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Prime Steakhouse, which are fair moderate priced alternatives to their higher class sister restaurants, American Fish is actually pretty subpar for being a «layman’s take» restaurant. That said, I’m a huge fan of Michael Mina at the Bellagio and decided to try American Fish simply to sample Michael’s signature ahi tuna tartare. Obviously I can’t compare my dish to the real thing, but the ingredients, presentation, and table side preparation were comparable to what I witnessed at the real MM.
The tartare was just okay. I thought the tuna was cut pretty indelicately into hefty chum-​like chunks that made chewing through the firm tuna flesh a bit tiring, but the pairing of crisp, sweet, light Asian pear with the slight robust heat of powdered ancho chili made for an on point flavor profile that complimented the rather mild flavor of the tuna nicely. I don’t really care for pine nuts and asked for them to be left out of the preparation. The petite quail egg added a surprisingly overkill amount of fat to the dish — combined with the spicy sesame oil, it was definitely on the greasy side overall.
If the tartare here is comparable to the real deal at MM, then I’m pretty glad I saved a few bucks by ordering it at AF since it was just decent. The lemon Broccolini, on the other hand, was outstanding — it was served chopped into small pieces and lightly sautéed with fried garlic, chili flakes, and a generous sprinkling of fragrant lemon. So simple, comforting, and delicious!

*** This review is based on HAPPY HOUR ***
Be warned: If you come here for their happy hour and plan on being satisfied with just two plates (or even three) you will be sorely disappointed. The drinks specials are better than the food, but even then, they’re a bit steep if you’re coming for cocktails ($ 7) and they are very limited as there were only three specialty cocktails on the menu when I went last night.
My friends and I visited on a Tuesday night, right at 5 PM. That is the time HH starts and the time American Fish opens. You may have a tough time finding the restaurant as it is on the second level of Aria, by the Zarkana theaters. I simply asked for directions after getting lost once. I don’t like wandering casino floors anymore, reminds me of when I used to get drunk at clubs.
The space is awesome, one of the best concepts for a restaurant I’ve ever seen. Behind the bar is beautiful mural of trees, over the dining area is a gorgeous blue ceiling. The vibe is kind of loud, but not loud enough that it is annoying at the bar area.
As for food, we dined on the HH specials, which at least, the bartender did warn us would be small. Boy was he right. I got the following:
Lobster Roll: You get two, very tiny bite-​sized lobster crackers. Except it’s not crackers, they are actually rectangles of bread. Although the lobster was delicious, it was teeny.
Fries: I shared my friend’s. This is probably the best bang for your buck on the HH menu, but honestly paying $ 5 for fries is way too much anyway.
Beef Tartare: I’d never had beef tartare before, so I figured why not try it? It comes out in a bowl, with the beef sliced into the tiniest of squares, comes with a bready croûton. I enjoyed it.
King Crab Louie: I was still hungry after all that so I ordered what is basically a refined deviled egg. You get two, the crab concoction is stuffed inside the egg and it is deviled, plain and simple, yet I’m glad I got this dish because I loved it. I plan to recreate it sometime on my own at home for a party.
Overall, it is not the best, nor is it the worst HH in town. Of course it is in the Aria, so you have to take that into account. Get ready to spend the bucks or else be disappointed. Although the quality was there I just think the restaurant could afford to add a bit to the portions, come now, at least three lobster «rolls» if they’re going to be less than the size of my pinky finger!
I would love to go back for dinner some day, but I would have to save some of my monies to do it since the pricing here is steep.

This was my first Michael Mina experience. I was a little sketpical at frist seeing that even a fish entrée was over $ 40. The restaurant is inside the Aria, just past the buffet but before Jean Georges. It’s a smaller place with wood planeling and an exposed kitchen which was neat to watch.
I was there the last week of August which happened to be restuarant week. I normally steer clear of restuarant week menus but there were so many tasty things to choose from I couldn’t have picked just one off the regular menu. For $ 90 I definitely got my fill and I did the extra $ 45 for wine pairing.
Very tasty. Some of my favorites were the tuna tartare, the mustard baked cod (literally melted in my mouth!), a steak dish and on and on. Yummy. My friend got the bacon wrapped trout which she loved. Not to be outdone, we also got the truffle mac and cheese which was surprisingly good and I’m not a mac and cheese fan.
Our server, Shannon, took good care of us and the sommelier was very friendly and helpful. This place is $$$$. The lobster pot pie looked amazing (although that copper pot is about ¹⁄₃ full at best) and was $ 85 the night we were there, but probably wouldn’t have filled me up. You’re partially paying for the location inside Aria, but I thought this was a special meal all the way around.

Decided on this place for all the great reviews and because it was conveniently located in the same place we would be watching a show later that evening.
It was happy hour but surprisingly the place was quite empty. We thought how odd but decided to not give it too much thought and ordered a few small plates. We were quickly impressed with what we were presented with. The fish and chips which consisted of tender pieces of lightly battered tender fish and accompanied by chips which were slightly seasoned with salt and vinegar were remarkable. We also tried their grilled shrimp and buttery grits, juicy lobster roll, and delicious tuna rice cracker… all a must try.
The pricing was decent and just the right amount of food. Staff was a little snooty but still managed to provide good service (can’t imagine this place would have the same service when busy though).
The décor is dark and elegant and to my liking. We sat close to the bar which was perfect as we had view of their stunning lit up framework of a wooded area, very pleasing to the eye as it provided enough light and just the right mood setting with yellows and dark blue tones.
Although it was perfect for a quick bite, we hope to come back to enjoy a less rushed dinner.

It hurts to give American Fish 3 stars, but I was really disappointed. This was my second time here, my first time I came just for happy hour, and I didn’t think it was anything great like a lot of people have raved about. They were really small portions, and only 4 specialty cocktails to choose from and 2 wines.
I had been wanting to come back here for dinner, in particular I had wanted to try the branzino. The ambiance is nice, it’s dark and trendy, I liked the trees behind the glass at the bar, and I love the open kitchen.
Right away I noticed the menu was different from what I say online, the waiter explained that they had recently changed executive chefs along with a menu change. He asked me if I was looking for something specific, I told him branzino so he suggested that I try the Zarkana Pre Theater Menu, as the sea bass that night was branzino. So I took his advice and did exactly that. The bread basket comes with these amazing cornbread muffins that reminded me of good olé Kenny Rogers Roasters, (remember those).
My first course I chose the Shrimp & Grits (has jalepeno and serrano ham in it) this was really good, great flavor. My entrée I chose the Salt Baked Sea Bass, this was good but it wasn’t great. I wasn’t wowed my any means. My dessert I had the Mascarpone Cheescake, this was delicious I also had a bite of my friends Valrhona Chocolate Custard, this was pretty amazing as well. The pre theatre menu is $ 49 and you can do a wine pairing for an extra $ 24.
Service was fine, no complaints. I don’t know, I just wasn’t that impressed, and I love Michael Mina. I can’t wait until Pub 1842 opens, it’s replacing Seablue. Hopefully it will be more memorable.

We popped in for a snacky-​snack before seeing Zarkana and American Fish has some of the tastiest happy hour bites around.
Served tapas style, all happy hour selections are $ 5 and drinks are $ 4-​$ 7
We shared the Lobster Roll, Fish and Chips, Shrimp and Grits, and Tuna Tartare.
The Lobster Roll (more like a slice of brioche) had nice chunks of lobster meat with just enough mayo to bind, a touch of citrus, and topped with chervil which added a nice flavor, the Fish and Chips were nice and crisp on the outside, and soft and flaky on the inside, went very well with the caper-​filled tartar sauce. Loved the splash of malt vinegar on the chips as well. The shrimp were very plump and flavorful, and the grits were nice, buttery and cheesey. The crisp rice, micro greens, and wasabi tobiko with the tartare was an explosion of flavors and textures in every bite. Order an ice cold PBR and you get to keep the koozie! Looking to return for
dinner as well as trying other HH bites and sweets… ALOHA!!!

My family and I had dinner here tonight before watching Zarkana. First off, the grilled bread and corn muffins are great… I had to stop myself from eating everything in the bread basket. Although I was in the mood for steak, we ordered the fried oysters and BBQ pork belly, daily shellfish, trout, branzino, truffled mac and cheese, and malt vinegar French fries. It is called American Fish after all, not American Steak!
I definitely enjoyed the truffled mac and cheese and my branzino. The fish was properly seasoned. The fries were ok. We had the Chef’s dessert tasting: white chocolate pudding, devil’s food cake, Valrhona chocolate custard and crème panna cotta — all that for only $ 20! My favorite out of the 4 is the chocolate custard. It’s chocolate custard topped with red velvet cake, pecans and cocoa nib ice cream… yuuuuummmm…
Our server was pretty attentive. Our reservation was at 5pm since the show was at 7… we got done with dinner (bread basket, appetizers, entrée and dessert) at 6:50pm. Timing was just perfect.

What reeled me into American Fish on a Thursday at 5PM? $ 5 Happy Hour, that’s what! Now who could say no to that?
RESTAURANT
Trying to find this place was an adventure. It’s located up on the second floor of the Aria where several other restaurants and the buffet are located, but it’s virtually hidden and tucked away in its own corner.
There are large tables and booths inside of the restaurant, but if you’re seated toward the front, it could be uncomfortable for those who have to sit at the end of the table, due to the narrow dining space.
SERVICE
Service was on the slow side when I visited and I didn’t see a reason for it. The main dining room hardly had any diners, and the majority were all in the same narrow space my friends and I were dining in. Unsure why it took such a long time for our waitress to refill our drinks and come by with our checks and retrieve them.
FOOD
Truffled Mac and Cheese: Perhaps one of the best I’ve had — smooth and creamy, it’s how mac and cheese should be made.
Maine Lobster Roll: I’m not a big fan of lobster, but I thought I’d give this a try — Chunks of lobster served upon a crunchy slice of bread, it was flavorful and left me wanting to order another one. However, as good as this was, the mac and cheese was the show stopper, and a couple of my friends who ordered this agreed it was the best among their orders.
Fish & Chips: One of my friends was kind enough to share some of her fish and chips with us. Not going to lie, I was eyeing her order when it was first placed upon our table. The fish and chips looked mouthwatering — Deep fried, golden brown, and crunchy, yet it wasn’t greasy. I could almost eat these on its own and without any vinegar.
OVERALL
As impressed as I was with the exceptional food during Happy Hour, I had to deduct a star for the service and uncomfortable seating. Despite this, I do plan on returning in the future to sample more of their Happy Hour foods.