The Grand Wok & Sushi Bar in the Las Vegas MGM Grand is hard to miss. And for those sushi lovers out there, you know that when you’re “in the mood” for sushi, you must find it somewhere, anywhere….In ‘that mood’ one mid-October day, I darted into the MGM Grand on a mission on my way up the strip.
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from at the MGM Grand so opting for a sushi restaurant that charged $4.95 for a tiny little pot of tea was a little foolish. While the sushi itself was fresh, overall, like too much of Vegas currently, it was overpriced. $4.95 for my little pot of green tea when nearly every sushi bar & restaurant under the sun throws it in.
It really makes you not want to tip a dime. (the X tax, the other X tax, the tea, the list goes on). It’s Vegas baby.
Pot stickers stuffed with pork and vegetables — steamed or pan-fried are a wopping $9.00 and a barbecue combination appetizer (yes appetizer) is a wopping $26.50. They also serve stir-fried noodles and rice and while overpriced, it’s in line with the other noodle bars who get away with $16.00 to $26.00 bowls of soup, with choices ranging from dried scallop with duck and Tom Yum Noodle Soup with Shrimp to Shrimp and Pork Wonton Noodle Soup and Mandarin Beef Noodle Soup.
Edamame is nearly $8.00 for a very small plate and Nigiri Sushi or Sashimi ranges from about $8.00 to $38.00 depending on what you order. Rolled sushi was creative, but again, ambience and freshness aside, not worth what these Vegas restaurants are charging tourists.
My chef had to agree – he said he can’t afford to eat here and I took that to mean along the strip or perhaps he meant the MGM or perhaps he meant The Grand Wok & Sushi Bar and every other sushi bar on the main drag.
They served red dragon rolls, California rolls, Las Vegas rolls (deep-fried tuna), salmon, crab and yellowtail), Dragon rolls, crunchy rolls (tempura flakes on California roll), Sea Dragon rolls (tempura shrimp, eel, roasted garlic, spicy masago and eel sauce), the traditional Caterpillar rolls (eel and avo), Scallop rolls (scallops, smelt roe and mayo) and an Aloha roll, which was pretty yummy. (tuna, yellowtail and salmon on spicy tuna).
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
