American Fish; Aria, Las Vegas

We Only Wish to Catch a Fish ... So Juicy-Sweet and Good to Eat!!

American Fish is yet another Michael Mina restaurant in Las Vegas and his first at the Aria. I lose track of how many dining establishments he actually has in Vegas, but surely by now it's enough that he probably owns the city. And somehow Jay and I never managed to dine in one of his restaurants before this trip, probably because they tend to the pricey side and most of the menus we've looked at just haven't resulted in much excitement. However, American Fishies, supposedly inspired by the bounty of America's great lakes, rivers, and coastal areas before over-fishing and industrial pollution laid waste to them, features seafood galore utilizing four signature cooking methods: salt-baking, wood-grilling, cast-iron griddling, and ocean-water poaching.

Once I saw that the menu included weird and scary items like geoduck clam, shabu shabu, branzino, and tasmanian devil trout I knew we had to dine there; with food names like those, how could we not?

Vertical Fish


Dining Room with Flying Fish!


After placing our drink orders - Remember the Maine for me and a Clockwork Orange for Jay - we all got down to the serious business of food. Three of us at the table ordered the exact same appetizer: Ruby Red Shrimp & Grits which included jalapeno cream, aged white cheddar grits, and serrano ham. I wavered between this and the appetizer that included scallops and foie gras and this was so good that for once I didn't regret not ordering the meat butter. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and very tasty but to my mind it was those creamy, cheesy grits that were the star of the dish. And when one forkful included jalapeno cream and a bit of serrano ham, it was like a little piece of heaven unfolded in my mouth with a delightful spicy, creamy, crunchy taste treat.

Jay opted for the Geoduck Clam which was served sashimi style and tempura style with Australian Finger Lime. I don't do clams and so cannot speak to how these tasted, but the hubba said they were really good and he would order them again. By the way, for anyone out there who is culinarily challenged like me, Geoduck is pronounced Gooey-Duck as opposed to Geo-Duck. Just thought you might like to know so you don't embarrass yourself like I did!

Duet of Geoduck


Ruby Red Shrimp & Grits


I ordered Diver Scallops poached in ocean water for my entree; they were served with a cucumber cream sauce that I could have done without, and a quail egg with caviar and purple potatoes. The scallops were melt-in-my-mouth wonderful and I loved the quail egg with caviar (is there anyone who doesn't???) but the cucumber cream was actually cool and resulted in my scallops growing stone cold before I had a chance to finish them.

Diver Scallops


Jason selected the other item that I considered ordering and I think it was the standout entree of the evening. He chose the Mustard Marinated Black Cod which was wood smoked and grilled, served with red kuri squash, celery root, and roasted mushrooms. The cod was flaky and tender and the mustard marinade imparted an absolutely wonderful herbed spiciness to it that really made the dish sing.

Mustard Marinated Black Cod


Fran ordered the Blue Prawns which were baked in sea salt and served with cippolini onion, black olive, and chickpea fritter. The name of this Hawaiian freshwater prawn is derived from the brilliant blue color of its tail, while the taste is supposed to be sweet and succulent.

Blue Prawns


Frank selected the Mixed Grill, which included shellfish and fresh ocean catch of the day wood grilled and smoked. I think I see shrimpies and scallops and clams and some mystery fish!

Mixed Grill


We ordered two sides for the table: Malt Vinegar French Fries because Michael Mina loves french fries and Green Asparagus with capers, lemon, roasted peppers and hazelnuts. Both dishes were very good and large enough to share with another party of four.

Addictive Malt Vinegar Fries


Beautiful Asparagoose


For dessert Frank and Fran shared the Valrhona Chocolate Custard which included red velvet cake, pecans, and cocoa nib custard. Jason and I decided to share the Apple Cobbler with vanilla ice cream. I liked the cobbler quite a bit but the ice cream really seemed to have an odd flavor - eventually we all decided that it tasted more like marshmallow than vanilla.

Valrhona Chocolate Custard


Apple Cobbler & Funky Ice Cream


All in all we thought American Fish was a wonderful meal and it was a terrific place to start our Vegas trip with two of our favorite peoples in the whole world. Next time, however, if it's just the two of us Jay and I are likely to hit up the lounge for some happy hour food and drink specials. That seems to be the best way to sample Michael Mina's offerings without draining the bank account!