My New Beginning

It's been a while since I've written anything. I just haven't been inspired to write.

My entire life, I've always lived with great passion and many inspirations. I'm not going to lie. These past few months have been very hard on me. After leaving my last post as exec chef at Cosmopolitan's French eatery a few months ago, I didn't want to work for another restaurant for as long as I could hold off for.

The same week I left, I had 3 offers for an exec chef position here in Vegas and another in SoCal. I was not interested in working for anybody though. I took some time off to plan what I wanted to do and what my next steps were. This was what I knew: I couldn't stay away from the food industry and I couldn't work for anybody else anymore. That's when the Great Bao idea came alive. I had been playing around with the idea of starting a truck for a while in my head and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to start up, as the Vegas food truck scene was just starting to gain followers.

The idea was Chinese street food: Bao and Potstickers. I wasn't going to do anything too crazy...this was my grandma's type of cooking, but cooked and seasoned through my senses. I quickly snatched up a truck and begun work on it. Unfortunately, after pouring in all my savings $$$, it is a business that I still haven't been able to get started.

A cafe space became available on Tropicana and Decatur, which I signed a lease for. It is my temporary space. I love the location, however, I lack the kitchen space that I desperately need. I am serving a smaller food menu than I had planned for the truck. The emphasis on the cafe space will be more about the drinks and building the Great Bao brand.

So...my goal, is to save enough money to move into a larger space in 1 years time.

This is my new beginning and my new inspiration. Alive. Energized. Engaged.

944 Magazine Article

Click on pic to read full article.

The Great Bao Truck

Thank you to all who have followed my blogs detailing my journies through Las Vegas to Mexico City and then Las Vegas again. Please check out my new project: The Great Bao Truck.

http://www.greatbao.com/

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @GreatBaoTruck

Comme Ca NYE menu

Raw Bar Display in the Dining Room


Amuse: House Cured Salmon Tartar, Chive Creme Fraiche, Crispy Purple Potato


Roasted Chestnut Soup, Foie Gras Terrine, Lemon Creme, Beuree Noisette

Maine Lobster, Salad of Roasted Red and Golden Beet, Upland Cress, Puree of Fennel (Top and Bottom)

Butter Poached Turbot, Celery Root and Truffle Puree, Salad of Apple and Celery, Red Wine Vinegar Reduction

Chorizo Crusted Cod, Stew of Littleneck Clams and Coco Bean, Noilly Prat Sauce


Duo of Beef: Prime Strip Steak, "Bourgignon", Pomme Aligot, Glazed Winter Vegetables

Truffles

1# of White Alba Truffles; cost: $2800/lb
1# of Perigord Black Truffles: $850/lb

I brought in one pound of each for the New Year at Comme Ca Las Vegas.

Thank you

First of all, I have to say that I feel very priviliged and honored to be part of the opening team of Comme Ca Las Vegas. It's an experience that I have always dreamed of having. I mean, I am just a normal guy, who grew up in the suburbs of LA. There's nothing really flashy about me. I love food and cooking, like many other people.

My dream was to be the chef of a high profile restaurant and being able to serve great food in one of the most amazing spaces on the Las Vegas Strip.

I am living it.

The opening process, however, isn't the kind of experience that I dreamed it would be. We've had a lot of difficulty getting produce, dairy, fish, uniforms, pots and pans, you name it...we've had trouble getting these things together for the restaurant. We're less than a week away from serving our first external guests, and it's a nerve racking feeling, knowing that we're still missing so many items.

This being said, I do not doubt that we will be successful. We will be... and we will be amazing. I'm blessed to be surrounded by a great team, from the chefs that I have been working with to the "foh", front of the house. That isn't the whole team, though. There's Chef David Myers, and Allie who have helped me through the opening process..and I can't thank Chefs Dong and Eric and their CCLA team enough.

I've been pulled in so many directions during the past couple weeks, that if my partners in the kitchen (Rodney, Aldo, and Ramon) weren't so strong and composed, the whole project might turn sour. I'm very thankful for having these guys on my side.

Comme Ca Las Vegas Daily Specials

(Hardee's ad featuring their French Dip Sandwiches. It has nothing to do with me or Comme Ca, but I'm putting it up anyway.)

In addition to our kickass brasserie menu, we'll be offering Plats du Jour. Here is the lineup.

Monday: Pork Belly
Tuesday: Cassoulet
Wednesday: Coq au Vin
Thursday: Coquille St. Jacques
Friday: Roasted Whole Fish
Saturday: Cote de Beouf for 2
Sunday: Roast Whole Chicken for 2

I'm really looking forward to our opening. Only 3 weeks away!

Comme Ca's Mission Statement

Mission Statement
To provide the BEST brasserie experience for each and every single guest.

Paris, Day Two

Le Verre Vole, which means "The Stolen Glass", is a restaurant and wine shop. They don't do much of their own cooking, however they source the finest products in France to serve in their restaurant. This is one restaurant that promotes the very controversial "natural wine" movement. So what is "natural wine"?

Most definitions of natural wine include some or all of the following :

Hand-picked, organically or biodynamically grown grapes.
Low-yielding vineyards.
No added sugars, no foreign yeasts.
No fining or filtration
No adjustments for acidity.
No other additives for mouth-feel, colour, etc.
No micro-oxygenation or reverse osmosis.
Little or no added sulphite

(from wikipedia)

Salade de "Pot au Feu"

Pate de Campagna and Pate de Agneau

Beef Carpaccio, Pesto, Capers

Lamb Kidney, Orange, Olives

Utah Beach Oysters

Beurre. Amazing Beurre.

Duck Confit

Andoulliete Sausage: It stunk and it was the real deal. It's made with pig intestines, tripe, and all that good stuff. Almost like eating out a pig's ass!

Boudin Noir : One of the best dishes we had in Paris.

Chocolate Caramel Tart with Salted Butter, the best dessert we had in Paris.

Crumble

Panna Cotta, Strawberry Sauce

The butter served at Le Verre Vole was one of the best butters I have ever tasted, so I had to raid a couple of their refrigerators to find out who the producer was.

Paris, Day Three

Breakfast at Bar Moderne. A great, flaky croissant and cafe.


Dehillerin, the legendary Parisian kitchen supply store, has been in operation for over two centuries. Stepping into any store with their history and passion, you can't help but get goosebumps from the minute you are in. They've served some of the greatest chefs in the world.

http://www.e-dehillerin.fr/en/index.php





Lunch at Chez Georges, serving traditional la cuisine bourgeoise. I love the hand written menu!

Escargots

Pate de Maison: Foie and Chicken Liver

Terrine of Jambon and Parsley

Frisee aux Lardons

Sole "Chez Georges"

Ris de Veau

Roasted Bone Marrow

Mille Feuille

Chef, Chez Georges

The Louvre

Scenes from Paris

The Eiffel Tower, at night.

At the Peugot Store. If I ever need a cover for my Peugot pepper mill, I now know exactly where to get it.

Arc de Triomphe

Lauduree

Lauduree Paris is known as the finest macaron shop in the world. They've been credited with inventing the double decker macaron and have been in operation since 1862. I picked up some macarons and chocolate truffles.

Were they freakin expensive??? Were they worth it???
F' yeah and F'n yeah!

http://www.laduree.fr/index_en.htm




Dinner at Les Cocottes

"Ritz" Caesar Salad

Cured Foie Gras

Langoustine Ravioli

Scallops, Grilled Potato Puree

Beef Bourgignon

Cod, Lentils