LAS VEGAS - Jaleo
I’m low key obsessed with José Andrés in a way that I am with a handful of ‘celebrity’ chefs which only grew more upon finding out that one of Caleb’s younger cousins is friends with one of José’s daughters from University and has been to his house. Of course, she had no idea and when asked if she wanted to eat something, she requested a grilled cheese. Amazing.
In addition to this, I was also listening to a podcast of someone who lives in D.C. and has been to Jaleo often to order his tortilla de patatas (she’s vegetarian) and raves about eating it and how tricky it is to make at home.
I’m beyond happy this made the itinerary.
LOCATION: THE COSMOPOLITAN
3708 LAS VEGAS BLVD S., LAS VEGAS, NV 89109
Jaleo is a traditional Spanish paella and tapas style restaurant which I’m obsessed with since I LOVE trying a bunch of little bites of everything. I’ve already forgotten every dish that we got for the group of us but I can hit the highlights at least.
This menu was a little overwhelming to start especially since we’re not very versed in Spanish cuisine and the waitress was a little impatient with me asking her to recommend dishes for us a second time after I didn’t catch it all the first go-around when we were sitting down and getting situated. I think we ended up alright, but I would recommend a glance before coming if you’re like us, and a little more unfamiliar.
What I remember ordering:
Cono de caviar (A cone filled with créme fraiche and Amur Ossetra Caviar and topped with gold flakes) - A one bite per order, very light with a crispy cone but not super memorable in the flavor department.
Queso del día (Chef’s choice of a traditional cheese from different regions throughout Spain) - we love a little chef’s choice to help us out here!
Selección de embutidos (a selection of cured ibéerico meats) - Again, perfect since we had no clue what specific meats we should get, this meat board was perfect for us and there was a great sampling of different meats though I have no idea what we liked and what was probably just mid.
Patatas bravas (Fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce and alioli) - We love potatoes in this family and this plate was too small for the five of us!
Croquetas de pollo (Traditional Spanish chicken fritters) We have a picky eater in the group so we had to make sure we had some more familiar options. These were so good and it was hard to leave some on the plate but everyone has to eat and I had more options on the way. Would recommend as something safe that I think most people would be happy with.
Huevos rotos con setas a la crema (Fried potatoes topped with sautéed seasonal wild mushrooms, mushroom cream and a fried egg) - The better potato choice of our night. The mushrooms and the cream sauce were really good and I was trying my best to share this one but it was tough!
Trigueros con romesco (Grilled asparagus with romesco sauce and sherry dressing) We figured this would be a good veggie choice that everyone would like and we weren’t wrong.
Tortilla de patatas clàsica (The classic Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions) - Honestly a little mid. It felt a little oily and compared to all our other dishes, this one was super mild in flavor with the egg and potato being more neutral. A little sad that I hyped it up in my mind, not sure I would recommend :(
Rossejat Negra…or not! (‘Paella’ made with toasted pasta with sepia, shrimp, and squid ink…or not!) Not sure what’s up with all the ‘nots’ here but this was a solid order. We had to get something from the paella station since it’s their specialty and this didn’t disappoint. This dish did turn our mouths a little black but fun and really really tasty.
I think I may have missed a dish or two but overall, if you love small plates and have a solid group of people, I would recommend going. Second to ‘Best Friend’ by Roy Choi, this was one of my favorite meals of the trip so far. I’m so happy José Andrés did not disappoint.