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MOzen has been the best Indian restaurant in Las Vegas since the day it opened. It also excels at its Japanese and Asian specialties (as befitting the hotel it resides in). Because of these strengths, it has decided to re-brand itself as Bento by MOzen, at the dinner hour, and concentrate on what it does best, instead of positioning itself as an all-things-to-all-diners restaurant after dark . And what it does best is cater to the finicky palates of the well-heeled, well-traveled swells who bed down here — people who appreciate the finest in tom yum goong, dal makahani, and tandoori chicken that will make them/you weep.

One of the reasons MOzen is so authentic and tasty when it comes to the food of the sub-continent is one Vivek Rawat — an Indian bloke who knows his way around a roti. Besides those, and his crispy/chewy naan, his handkerchief-thin romali roti, and his methi murgh (fenugreek flavored chicken in a tomato-cashew sauce), Rawats’s spiced, tandoori lamb chops are worth a special trip all by themselves. Together with his kitchen crew, he puts forth a small-but-mighty menu of Indian specialties that taste nothing like the generic, low-rent versions of these dishes put forth by 90% of the Indian restaurants in America.

Equally outstanding was that Thai crab tom yum goong – a study in the Thai ability to make soups light, rich, spicy and so good you can’t stop slurping them. It also bears mentioning that the sushi and sashimi served here is among the best in the city…making the choice of what goes into your bento box at Bento quite a pleasurable conundrum.

No matter what you get, don’t deny yourself a dosa, or refuse a romali, or go negative on naan — because the Indian breads are so good here, you might forget what you ever saw in a baguette.

FYI: MOzen continues to be one of Vegas’ best breakfast and lunch spots, with the same great grub it’s had since the opening of the hotel. It is only at dinner that the menu has become more focused and specialized on the exotic treats of the Far East.

BENTO by MOzen

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/