RM Seafood
 Las Vegas, Nevada         Date of Visit  12/11/10        http://rmseafood.com/

After the epic fail at ‘wichcraft we took another cab to a planned location earlier than anticipated, hey, they were open. Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood is right on the edge of the casino at Mandalay Bay and is spilt into two incarnations. The upstairs is high end, big check average, hoity toidy. The downstairs is more laid back and casual. As we were dressed and loaded for lunch in a sandwich shop, the downstairs option made sense. The space is exceptionally clean in a design sense except for the photo gallery homage to the chef’s career in the back hall of the restaurant. Each counter is laden with pristine whole or fabricated seafood. Our server was super friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu top to bottom. I don’t know if it is manufactured or not but she appeared excited about our menu choices.

Ready for Chowder

 

For appetizers we started with Rick’s White Clam Chowder since the Potato-Lobster Soup wasn’t available and the Ahi Tuna Duo. The chowder was good if not exceptional, probably a little to refined. Great clams, no grit, and fresh veggies made for a really good stew, it just wasn’t quite as good as some I have found right next to the water. The tuna duo consists of a seared and tartare combination with avocado and a Yuzu-Soy sauce. The seared tuna was good but the tartare with the bright sourness of the yuzu and the umami duskiness of the soy was the highlight of the dish. For our entrees we went from the most steadfast to the more “out-there” offerings. Adam’s Fish Sandwich (No idea who Adam is) was basic seafood with the edge of perfection. The fish is super fresh and although beer-battered what really strikes you with each bite is the fish. Simply Outstanding. We also had two orders of non-seafood at a place lauded as the best seafood in Las Vegas. I would have rolled my eyes when ordered but having seen the Chef on Top Chef Masters (Winner by-the-by) I knew he was capable of more than aquatic fare. What we ended up trying was the BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese. First the pork was perfect. Great but simply cheese and elbow macaroni. I love that they use the elbows! Others might try to elevate the comfort foods by using rare and expensive ingredients or pasta with an Italian name you have never heard before, eighteen letters long. Here it is just the taste that makes this special. Tender delicious pork, cheesey perfectly cooked pasta, and thin slices of jalapeno that add just the right spice.

I ordered the thing on the menu I had trouble wrapping my head around. Right in the center of the lunch menu…The Catfish Sloppy Joe. I know, I know, but I HAD to try it. It might take a leap of faith to believe me, but this thing is awesome. Chunks of catfish are awash in all of the bright fresh flavors of just made sloppy joe sauce. It is definitely a knife and fork ordeal worth trying. We stopped eating because there was a dessert on the menu that had to be tried, the Fat Elvis. How appropriate. This concoction is actually a Warm Chocolate-Bacon Banana Spring Roll. Yes, bacon and banana. It is also served with what I believe is a yuzu based dipping sauce. “If loving you is wrong….” When you cut through the crisp crust of the spring roll good quality chocolate oozes out. Slices of banana are encased with the far from shy pieces of bacon. If you want to know why Elvis’ jump suit ended up being a 3X, stuff like this is an easy explanation.

Steph didn’t really care for the high-strung personality that Top Chef Masters edited together to be Rick Moonen. If that is who he is or not, I will never know. What I can tell you is she was both distressed and delighted by how good our lunch was at RM Seafood. If he is a bit of an obsessive diva, who cares?! Do you want a surgeon who has a mediocre bedside manner and exceptional skill or the other way around? RM Seafood is absolutely worth the time and money. And be sure to try something strange-sounding on the menu.
 

There is No Eating It All