MOzen – The Best Empty Restaurant in Town

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Sushi rolls that kick Nobu’s ass. murgh mukhani (chicken curry) and a mustard chicken tikka that make you drop your fork. Vegetable pakoras shaming most Indians in our humble burg…and a lasagna Bolognese that could teach Mario Batali a thing or two…yeah, that’s what’s available every day in an empty dining room at lunch at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Oh, and lest we forget, a gorgeous room, top flight table settings, and impeccable service complete the experience.

The food, and the view are both so stunning here, we can’t, for the life of us, figure out why it’s always empty. Or if not “empty,” at least no more than 20% full.

Is it the cost? Well, that probably has something to do with it, but that superior spicy tuna roll is only $12, and the smoked turkey club will set you back sixteen buckaroonies — not unreasonable for the quality of the ingredients or the setting. The lamb Biryani may be $33, but it’s enough for two with leftovers, ditto the ramen noodle bowl $26, or the chirashi (mixed) sushi bowl ($38).

As for that lasagna, both uber-media dude John Daly and ELV were spellbound. Rich with fresh noodles, a true Bolognese ragu, and just the right about of cheesiness, it was a revelation, and probably the best version of this dish we’ve had since Stephen Kalt was at the stoves at Wynn’s lost and lamented Corsa Cucina.

Shawn Armstrong is now Executive Chef of the hotel, and there’s nothing he and his kitchen crew haven’t done to put the best three meal a day food forward for locals and visitors alike. A big outfit like Mandarin Hotel Group probably doesn’t care that this place goes under-appreciated. After all, it’s there primarily as an amenity for the guests. But it makes ELV sad to see such effort and excellence go unrecognized.

Hence, the reason for this post.

You are welcome.

Our lunch for two with a $75 bottle of Riesling came to $200.

MOzen Bistro

In the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

3752 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas, NV 89109

702.590.8888

http://www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas/dining/mozen_bistro/

9 thoughts on “MOzen – The Best Empty Restaurant in Town

  1. Myself and a co-worker went for lunch the other day and found it relatively busy. This is a good thing however, because this is some of the best food available at lunch time in Vegas. This goes for dinner as well. Mozen is wonderful. People NEED to go. They will not be disappointed. And you’re right ELV, the price is well worth it.

  2. Great value, easy to get to, great service. Finally, great food. My family and I eat dinner here once a week. They really deserve our support and their Indian food is fantastic.

  3. A great place indeed to dine in Las Vegas. By the way, I found a social networking site that presents the most delicious food from all over the world. Enjoy!

  4. I live in Portland but have visited MOzen twice. I really enjoyed the food. The only other places I prefer over MOzen for lunch in Las Vegas is Julian Serrano and Lemongrass. But the quality of the food at MOzen is undeniable. Now that I think of it, maybe Serrano is the only other lunch spot that I would place ahead of MOzen. Heck, I will go there for lunch when I return to Las Vegas in March.

  5. Yes, on a recent saturday evening I (and companion) dined with all of four other people in the place. BUT the food was exquisite, we ate way too much and were forced to retire to the 23rd floor for restorative cocktails.

    I see in the RJ MO operating at 44% occupancy getting the “must try harder” note from MGM bosses.That would explain some of the “peaceful” ambience at MOZEN

  6. John thanks for covering another great spot in the city.
    This whole hotel has a different feel to it. Dark and quiet. Walking down some of the long halls I almost half expect someone to come out of the walls for some reason.
    Last night we had some pre diner cocktails in the 23rd floor bar, very cool relaxing space except for a noisy bunch of 8 touristas very drunk at 6:00pm. We were seated at the windows with a nice view of the lights looking north sitting in very comfy chairs sipping several well made Manhattans. With a $90 tab with tip for 4 cocktails the view better damn well be good though.
    After cocktails my wife and I headed down to Mozen for our diner. We were seated at a nice window table in a barren room with only 2 other tables occupied at 7:30 on a Saturday night???
    I must say I was a little confused with the menu at first, Sushi and Lasagna who’d of thought. The Nigiri Tuna & Yellowtail were the best we have had in the city with the exception of Sen. The 72 hour Kobe short ribs were WOW. I had the lamb chops, perfectly cooked with great flavor. The only shortcoming was my wife’s Tandoori platter it was a little overcooked and dry however the Nan was perfect. Service was first rate and very friendly.
    To bad there is no one in there, they appear to have spent a boatload on this space, not sure with this size of crowd they can keep treading water for too much longer with the overhead this place must have.

  7. Ok folks, get a clue, the joint is empty because its “overpriced” and I cleaned that up to make sure it got published. $90 for four cocktails and then you dine for $$$$! There are plenty of places in LV for Tandori Chicken that wont break the Bank. But I digress, ELV is on an expense account and the rest of the dopes are rubes who equate high prices with good food!

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