CUT by Wolfgang Puck — Restaurant in Paradise

By far the greatest dining experience I had.

When you book a reservation here, they ask you for a note, or to tell them something. All I said was that I was waiting for a while to finally come and eat there and was looking forward to it and thats where the excellent service came into play.

Before I get into that, let me tell you about the dining. We sat down at our table and Nikki (apologies if I misspelled that) brought the bar cart over and fixed me a drink that has whiskey handpicked by Chef Wolfgang specific to that restaurant - she made it incredibly well and spent some time talking to us. I enjoyed the drink but my wife is a fan of wine.

Jacob the sommelier of the night came over to speak to us about the wine and what pairings would go well with the dinner options we were going to select. He asked various questions and then brought over two different flavor profiles of wine for my wife to drink. She liked one of the two and then from that tasting he recommended another option that my wife loved. Jacob hit it out of the park for her and made sure we got a half bottle to enjoy over the course of the evening.

For food we started with the shellfish plateau for 2 and it was incredible, I really enjoyed the tuna they were serving that day. For our mains, my wife ordered the Australian Wagyu and I ordered the Japanese Wagyu (both Ribeyes). The Australian ribeye was nice and flavorful and easy to eat. She really loved it and I think it ruined regular steak for her. She said she would absolutely order it again.

My Ribeye was out of this world. When I was contemplating getting it, Christian brought me to the area where they keep the Japanese olive wagyu. He showed me the plaques and above the fridge that show that CUT was allowed to serve the wagyu there and then he also showed me the certificates of authenticity on each of the cuts that they had there which was a sight to see. The ribeye was perfectly cooked, and very rich but has this olive oil slickness to it that was one of a kind.

Cuts steaks are just made so well, the way they prepare the steaks is unlike most restaurants. I myself have had Olive Japanese Wagyu before but the way they grill this steak was different which added a whole new flavor profile then from what I had before.

We also had the Potato Puree and Kung Pao Cauliflower. They both are a must try. I have never had anything like the Kung Pao Cauliflower before. I couldn't stop eating it.

We ended the night with Banana Creme Dessert that was an experience unto its own. Then Joscelyn gave us these frozen chocolate bars (just because - so nice) that were so incredible and when we got our check they brought out these fudge and espresso bites, I honestly could have eaten 10 of them.

But out of all of that what made it incredible was the service by the whole team. Whenever Travis would fill our water , he would put the napkin up so we wouldn't get splashed on. Jacob, Nikki, Travis and Joscelyn all came back to check on us consistently and at the right times, it was really great and we felt taken care of. The Assistant General Manager Riccardo Versolato even came by to give us his card and to give him a call whenever we came back.

But our night wouldn't have been incredible if it wasn't for Christian - he explained everything, took care of us the whole night, and just because of that note that I left in the reservation, took the time to let us get a kitchen tour. We saw everything from the walk-ins, to the grills to even getting a photo with Chef Matt Hurley. We really appreciate Christian and we are grateful for him.

I would recommend Cut by Wolfgang to anyone who asks me where to eat in Vegas. Rarely do you find a place where the food and the service go hand in hand...

CUT by Wolfgang Puck in The Venetian was one of those restaurants where the perceived vibe sent out a subliminal memory wipe and, in all my visits, I just never thought of the place when considering my dinner plans.

Enter Restaurant Week 2025.

After a bit of hoop-jumping, got a reservation. Arrived early (involved a show ticket and my phone somehow thinking I was in a different time zone, screwing up my calendar), but fortunately after only a brief wait was escorted to a table inside by the nice hostess. Water and menus rapidly followed. Perused the latter and began with the

Xiang Li ($21x2): Cooling, initally mild but had a bit of a snap on the back of the tongue. Had two.

Server James explained the differences (e.g. portion size) between the regular and RW menus. And exit Restaurant Week 2025. I was hungry.

Butter Lettuce Salad ($24; the RW one was stated as half-sized): An unfolding fragrant flower, that lettuce was amazing. Fresh, herbaceous, creamy, sweet components sang.

6oz Rosewood Farms Filet Mignon ($105)+Housemade sauce ($6): Fantastic sear, buttery meltaway meat at my requested medium-rare. Savory on its own but the molasses-thick sauce, arriving in its own ceramic pitcher, lent a fine amount of sweet and smoke. Steak did look pretty lonely on the plate though.

Baby Carrots ($22): About 12-15 roots, well-spiced, just teetering on the fine line between firm and squashy, stems were very flavorful and crunchy.

Le Pich 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon ($39): Pour not half bad, lasted through the main course.

Strawberry Shortcake Doughnuts ($24): These were said to be identical to those on the RW menu. They were also described as being three, and about the size of a large marble. Actually there were four, each somewhat larger than a golf ball. Three were glazed, one rolled in a tasty crumble. Curd was citrus-sour; crumble filled with strawberry. Took home the largest one.

Alois Kracher Beerenauslese Cuvée Chardonnay ($20; 2019 listed on the menu, 2020 as presented at table): Dessert tot.

A wee chocolate morsel was a final yummy complimentary send-off.

Value: CUT is what I would term an expense account restaurant. That said, if I did have few quivers, they were drowned out by the enjoyable food and drink.

Atmosphere: Upscale, but not snooty. Dim, dark wood, cream, severe square fixtures, softened by warm golden lighting. Quite loud.

Service: Tag team Andrew(? I hope I remembered his name correctly) and James were lovely.

etc- The restaurant website links to SevenRooms as its reservation platform, which, as of this review, does not allow solo diners to book a seat. Emailing a request then calling was the path to dinner. Rather interesting as other CUT restaurants around the US are on OpenTable and do accommodate a...

I recently dined at a restaurant that had come highly recommended by a friend. Excited to try their renowned seafood dishes, I decided to indulge in their deep-fried shrimp. However, my experience left me feeling quite disappointed, primarily due to the fact that the restaurant served the shrimp with the shells still intact.

The presentation of the dish was appealing, as the shrimp were golden brown and seemed crispy. However, my initial enthusiasm turned into confusion and frustration upon realizing that I had to painstakingly remove the shells before being able to enjoy the meat inside. It was an unexpected and rather unpleasant surprise, as deep-fried shrimp are typically served without shells in most establishments.

The act of removing the shells became a laborious task, interrupting the otherwise pleasurable dining experience. It also made it difficult to savor the delicate flavors of the shrimp, as the shells created a barrier between the seasoning and the meat. I couldn't help but wonder if the decision to serve the shrimp with shells was an intentional culinary choice or a careless oversight in the kitchen.

Moreover, the presence of the shells also created a texture issue. Biting into a deep-fried shrimp should ideally yield a satisfying crunch, followed by the tenderness of the meat. However, the shells added an unpleasant and unexpected chewiness that detracted from the overall enjoyment of the dish. It felt like an unnecessary obstacle, preventing me from fully appreciating the flavors and textures that deep-fried shrimp are known for.

While I appreciate restaurants that embrace unique approaches to traditional dishes, this particular execution missed the mark for me. Deep-fried shrimp should be a delightful and hassle-free indulgence, but the decision to leave the shells on turned a potentially enjoyable experience into a frustrating one.

The service and ambiance at the restaurant were satisfactory, and the staff was friendly and attentive. However, the shell-on deep-fried shrimp left a lasting impression, and unfortunately, not a positive one. I hope the restaurant reconsiders their approach to this dish, as it has the potential to be a standout item on their menu if prepared more traditionally.

In conclusion, I cannot recommend the deep-fried shrimp at this restaurant due to the inconvenience and subpar dining experience caused by the decision to leave the shells on. I suggest potential diners inquire about the preparation method beforehand to avoid any similar...