May 21

May 21 é by josé andrés, las vegas.

after driving supercars out in the desert, we continued celebrating james’s 40th birthday at é by jose andres. it’s a small private room attached to the larger jaleo, with a single counter seating nine people at a time. there are only two seatings a night, so we reserved well ahead of time, and even received golden tickets in the mail.

the room is meant to represent the mind of chef josé andrés, and it was clear that a lot of thought was put into every detail of the room and dining experience. i loved the metaphor of the walls being lined with library catalogs.

everyone gets a front row seat as the rotating group of chefs plated every dish. there were so many courses (upwards of 21!) that i honestly don’t remember what exactly most of them are anymore. what i do remember, is that in true josé andrés fashion, every bite was surprising. the bursts of texture and unexpected flavor combinations were absolutely wonderful throughout the entire meal. watching each dish come together only added to the anticipation.

the wonder bread has basically ruined peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for me. the “toast” was made from meringue and filled with foie gras, sliced strawberries, and shaved truffle. i clearly need to up my pb&j game at home!

the visuals were just as important to this meal as the flavors and textures. every plating was thoughtful and beautiful, from uni served on a bed of kelp to bisected wine bottles to some of the prettiest ceramics i’ve ever seen in a restaurant.

the first dessert was the best dessert! they made cotton candy empanadas right in front of us. watching their assembly was deeply satisfying, and they tasted so good with the sweetness of the cotton candy quickly melting away to savory foie gras and crunchy peanuts.