Mott 32 Las Vegas — Restaurant in Paradise

This review is going to seem brutal to some but I always review a restaurant at its given price point. My expectations for this restaurant is set by other restaurants in similar high cost areas at similar prices. Compared to those places this restaurant experience was far below meeting basic expectations. First, the service was honestly quite bad. The staff refilling water cups were great. Our cups were never more than half empty. Unfortunately our waiter could not have been less interested in being our waiter. We were given drink and food menus and then left alone for a solid amount of time. By the time I started tracking it had been 10 minutes before we placed a drink order. The waiter explained none of the menu. Gave no reccomendations beyond a single alternative to a menu item I decided not to get because of price (approximately $1500 item). All of these would perhaps would have been acceptable if the waiter had been giving us any sort of attention whatsoever when he was with us. He continuously was looking away and not paying attention. We had started ordering only to realize he wasn't listening to us and we had to call his attention back to us. He had literally come to take our order it is not as though we were calling him over as he walked by. He also frankly made us feel like we weren't welcome. Like we were not worth his time from pretty much the first moment he interacted with us. When going to a restaurant where we are expecting to pay at least over $100 a person this was entirely unacceptable service. I rarely have such bad service from restaurants at one quarter of the cost. I gave the service 2 stars for the rest of the staff but honestly at the price point waiter was probably a single star. Now for the food. I will grant two things: 1. that we only got dim sum. Given how the waiter was acting we suspected we were going to only want to order a little and then leave to go somewhere else. We did exactly that after actually trying the food. We didn't get any of the famous eats like the duck or pork. They didn't have any more pork buns for Dim sum. 2. I am possibly biased because I have traveled in China and had amazing dim sum in Chinatowns across the world such as in San Francisco California and Yokohama Japan. My expectations were possibly too high given this background. HOWEVER, I still think even without these experiences the food was ok at best. The duck spring rolls only tasted like the oil they were cooked in. It was not possible to detect duck flavor. The Siu Mai and dumplings tasted as though they had been reheated after sitting out. Frankly they all tasted like frozen dim sum from H mart or 99 Ranch that had been steamed. The soup dumplings were absolutely nothing to write home about unless you've literally never had a soup dumpling before. Literally the only good thing I had was my drink. I said to my husband after trying our third plate that I felt like I was being pranked. How could such a well reviewed restaurant have such mediocre food. The quality was like a B tier dim sum restaurant in NYC but for twice the price.

Mott 32's only saving grace was the ambiance. It's a cool interior. I loved the booths with the wooden arches. It looks pretty much exactly how I would expect a restaurant at that price point to look like. There were a number of small little things (not worth enumerating in this review) which resulted in me docking a star at this price point but it was pretty close to a five.

I am going to chalk this experience up to a bad night for Mott 32. But the reason I write reviews is because I want others to be able to make informed decisions when choosing where to eat for special nights and so they can make great memories. There are so many incredible restaurants in Las Vegas for a similar price point. For example X pot which we had same trip was exceedingly delicious and had great ambiance and the portion sizes are pretty generous for the price point...

It must have been fate that drew me to Mott 32 because my sister was in town and was staying at the Venetian, so why not try out Mott 32, a modern, upscale Cantonese restaurant technically located in the Palazzo, the heavenly modern interior paired with its extensive menu and wine list makes it the perfect place to dine for an upscale culinary experience. Unfortunately, I was dining on my lone self, and I didn't have a reservation so it makes me anxious when I tell the host I want a table. She was so sweet and caring, that she was disheartened that I didn't have a reservation because it seems there was unavailable seating, but she was a blessing because she did her best and found me a table. It was love at first sight because I have never seen a host work so hard for somebody she barely knows. I was so impressed with that level of care that I was excited about the experience but it was going to be limited to a single person, meaning the dish selection will have to be strategic and limited. Now, the method I like to utilize is to order the same dishes at every new Asian restaurant to even the playing field. I order a starter, fried rice, and a dessert to help me evaluate the establishment. First, I tried the Sesame Prawn Toast paired with Autumn Sauce. The reasoning behind my order is my history of going to Wing Lei and ordering shrimp toast. I ordered dragon green tea to help me with this dinner as well. I had such an unforgettable flavor burst that I needed to see if it would enact the same response. Guess what? It did. The dish hit my palette like a freight train, where the tangy sweetness of the autumn sauce coated the Prawn blended with an explosion of umami that was beyond delicious. If you need a taste to wake up your taste buds that would be your dish. I moved on to my entrée which is the Alaskan Crabmeat Fried Rice w/ Flying Fish Roe. The rice, mixed with the crab and assortments of vegetables, was savory that I had to slow down and chew the dish at least because I was going to choke on it lol. The flying fish Roe was such an ingenious touch on the fried rice that I recommend all chefs follow suit because it just elevated the dish to a whole new level of fine dining. The rice and Alaskan crab meat were cooked to perfection where the crab was the hero of the dish but the rice was the supporting ingredient that helped the crab shine. I wasn't planning on getting desserts, but after how satisfied I was with the dinner, I wanted to finish the evening with a big finisher, so I decided to order dessert. FYI, for the people who know me personally. I am not a dessert guy so I didn't know what to get so I chose the Rose & Valrhona White Chocolate Pannacotta out of random. Wow! Did I get lucky with my selection because the pannacotta was a mind-blowing dessert? It was sweet but had a hint of citrus taste which knocked me into a loop. I don't even know how to describe it but to make an analogy by saying I was eating a cloud of sweetness hahaha. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant and I got to take my family here and order the duck and the spicy dumplings because that's what most people on YouTube and Google reviews have been raving about. This place is a must if you dive into Asian fine dining. I will never admit this to anyone but I prefer this restaurant over...

MY SCORE Hostess : -10 Restaurant: +10 Beautiful Server: + 10 Cucumber Salad: +10 Soup Dumplings: +10 Duck Soup: -10 Peking Duck: -20 Spent $250 after tax & tip for One (me) I would not go back to the Vegas location

Despite its accolades and widespread recognition, my experience at the Las Vegas location of Mott 32 left me with mixed feelings. While I acknowledge the restaurant's prestige, my personal opinion of the Las Vegas branch may differ from others.

It is worth noting that the Dubai location of Mott 32 has been awarded one Michelin Star, a testament to the exceptional culinary expertise and innovation of the chef there.

My visit to Mott32 on Monday 04/22/2024

I had a reservation booked for 5:00 pm on April 22, 2024, at a luxurious restaurant. Being my punctual self, I arrived 60 minutes early, eager to start my dining experience. Initially, I waited outside in the lively casino area to avoid inconveniencing the young hostess. However, observing her efficiently seating other guests, I decided to enter and inquire about being seated.

To my surprise, I was informed that I couldn't be seated before 5:00 pm as the kitchen wouldn't be open until then. While I understood the policy, I couldn't help but notice that it seemed selectively enforced, which left me slightly disheartened.

At 4:55pm, I made my way back to the restaurant, where I received a similar response to wait a few moments. Despite this minor setback, I remained patient, eager to indulge in the culinary delights that awaits me I must commend my server and her team for delivering exceptional service throughout the meal, enhancing my overall dining experience with their attentiveness and professionalism.

When it came time to savor the Soup Dumplings, I was delighted by their exquisite taste and presentation. Each bite was a symphony of flavors that left me thoroughly impressed and satisfied.

My anticipation peaked as the grand presentation of the Peking Duck unfolded before me. Admiring its glossy skin, I eagerly awaited the carving process, only to find that the technique of the server fell short of expectations. While the skin was decent, the taste of the duck meat itself failed to impress, leaving me underwhelmed considering the high price tag of $128.

Hoping to salvage the meal, I requested the duck soup, only to be met with disappointment that outweighed even my dissatisfaction with the Peking Duck. The lackluster flavors and execution of the soup added to my overall sense of letdown during the dining experience.

The total cost of the meal, including tax and tip, amounted to $250, which felt steep considering the disappointment I...