Bazaar Meat (Las Vegas, NV)

Bazaar Meat by José Andrés
SLS Las Vegas
2535 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Dining date: 4/23/15

Bazaar Meat is Jose Andres’ latest concept, opened as part of the new SLS Hotel in Las Vegas. The restaurant draws inspiration from the classic American steakhouse, married with Andres’ Spanish flair. The menu offers something for everyone from a vast raw seafood bar (including a caviar bar), meats in raw carpaccio/tartare form, cured meats, Spanish small plates, and an impressively long list of meats cooked to order. Just for beef ribeyes alone, Bazaar Meats offered them from five different ranches, all of different breeds and sold by the pound. Other cuts of beef, suckling pig, lamb, veal and various fish were all available as well.

Raw ingredients from the produce to the seafood and to the meats were on full display, labeled with place of origin as applicable. There were truly some high quality ingredients here, especially the variety of beef all the way up to Japanese wagyu.

The large oak wood grill, at the front of the restaurant for all to see, showed off the meats being cooked.

Croquetas de Pollo chicken-bechamel fritters

These were delicious, really savory with an oozing chicken-bachamel sauce and crispy coating. Just like the croquetas at Andres’ Jaleo.

THE Foieffle air waffles, foie espuma, peanut butter, honey

The “air waffle” was as advertised, light and airy with plenty of foie flavor inside. Peanuts added some crunch while a drizzle of honey provided a very welcome sweetness to pair with the liver.

Fried Oxtail Steamed Bun red braise

This bun was very crunchy on the outside with a tender, rich oxtail filling. A rich fried quail egg and briny fish roe provided complementary flavors.

With the conclusion of the small bites, we moved into the meats.

Merino Lamb Rack, New Zealand oak-wood fired

Lamb was seasoned and cooked well with plenty of flavor.

Wagyu/Black Angus Beef Rib Steak, Rosewood, TX spanish-style bone-in rib eye, oak-wood fired

We spotted this steak’s incredible marbling in the meat case and it did not disappoint. This 2+ pound steak was outstanding. Exceptionally tender, very beefy and juicy with a great crusty sear. One of the singular best steaks in recent memory.

Washugyu/Angus Bone In Strip Loin, Lindsay Ranch, OR miso mustard sauce, 22oz.

We also ordered this steak, also with impressive marbling. We preferred the ribeye, but that didn’t mean this wasn’t strong as well. Again cooked perfectly, this steak had slightly more chew to it but still had plenty of beefy flavor and moisture.

We ordered one starch and two vegetables to eat alongside the meats.

Robuchon Potatoes butter, butter, more butter, some potatoes

Grilled Asparagus romesco sauce

Cauliflower Steak pine nuts, preserved lemon

I thought these were all done well. The Robuchon potatoes tasted spot-on, rich and buttery. Grilled asparagus was complemented by a bright romesco sauce, while the cauliflower, charred, was offset by lemon and dressed greens.

Sweet Little Selections ten pieces

Bazaar Meat was one of the strongest steak experiences I’ve had in a while. It was also one of the more unique too with its Spanish influences. The meats were top notch and clearly shined (especially the Rosewood ribeye), but the sides and small plates were also very good. I especially appreciated the fact that all of the meats were on full display, labeled. It really allows the ability to choose exactly what one wants, a huge perk for a meat geek. Everyone in our party of five left thoroughly satisfied from the meal. We’ll be back.