é - Las Vegas, USA

Since it opened in 2011, é has been one of Las Vegas’ best kept secrets. In stark contrast to the flashiness of this in-your-face city, é is tucked away, out of sight. It is not advertised, and the only hint of a website consists of a single, small section at the bottom of the main Jaleo Las Vegas webpage. Historically, reservations here were only able to be made directly via email (now can be made through Seven Rooms), and there are only nine seats in this intimate space, with just two seatings each night. The concept of é is supposed to be the inside of José Andrés’ mind. The space is filled with whimsical, eclectic decor, all of which has some symbolic significance and a story to go with it, and the menu is playful and imaginative.

At this point, we were led through the main restaurant, Jaleo, toward the back where we passed beside the kitchen and through a doorway. Behind the doorway was a single, small room, containing é. The nine of us were seated around a counter, which curved around the final prep area. The actual kitchen was adjacent and not in the small room itself, but this was where all the pieces came together for each of the 20 dishes. The team of chefs were introduced and our experience commenced.

The first plating consisted of two bites. The first was called Branch of the Desert, and it was basically a toasted cracker made out of olives, formed in the shape of a small twig. The other edible bite on the plate was called Almendra, and looked exactly like a raw almond.

The next bite was called Morning Dew, and was basically a cocktail of white sangria, cava, and gin, suspended in a spherical drop, carefully placed on a spoon. As soon as it went in the mouth, whatever magic was holding the dewdrop together vanished, and filled the mouth with a refreshing sip of the tasty concoction. This was definitely a creative way to serve a drink, even though there was not really any ‘drinking’ involved, just more of a refined gulp I suppose.

Rounding out the nature theme, the next bite simply resembled a polished river rock. Simply called Stone, it was a bite of cheese, which was glazed with jamon fat, and flavored with rosemary.

Next was something that appeared more familiar, but like everything else on the menu, was creatively unique. The Spanish Pizza featured a paper-thin slice, dusted with dried tomato and topped with dots of cheese, fresh basil, and a bit of truffle shavings.

Following the pizza was José Andrés’ famous Wonder Bread. This dish resembled a perfect little sandwich, but the ingredients were out of the ordinary. The “bread” was actually a baked meringue which was light as air. Inside was foie gras, persimmon, and shaved black truffles. Definitely a unique combination that I did not expect, but it worked well together and was tasty and surprisingly balanced.

Arriving at the host’s station in front of Jaleo on the third floor of the Cosmopolitan, we were greeted and introduced to one of the chefs as well as the sommelier, who would both be helping with the meal ahead. Rather than going into the restaurant at that point, we were led to a small communal table just outside of Jaleo, where our seats were assigned, along with a small number of other diners. Awaiting us as we sat at our assigned seats, was a sealed envelope containing two golden tickets to é, as well as a cocktail and wine menu. I have learned in the past, these tickets used to be mailed out to the guests in advance of their visit, but this method, I’m sure, is more feasible and still maintains the effect. Once all nine dinner guests had arrived, it was time to go into the restaurant.

A dish known just as Tortilla was next, but it was more similar to a puffed rice cracker, topped with caviar and I believe creme fraiche. This was immediately followed by Pan con Tomate which was a puffed bread, topped with a slice of jamón ibérico. Simple and delicious. The third bite in this trio was a staple of é’s menu, José’s Taco, which consisted of a jamón ibérico ‘shell’ filled with caviar. It was served from a plaster hand of the man himself. This was probably my favorite bite of the meal.

The next dish was presented on its own and it was called El Vermut. This was essentially a complete tapas course, deconstructed and reimagined. There were spheres of olive, mussels, and mandarin slices, all among a foam that brought it all together.

After that came another more playful treat. This time, Edible Sangria, which was essentially sangria in the form of dippin dots. It was served in a halved wine bottle, which was an interesting (and thankfully not sharp) plating. As a completely personal opinion, I am not a fan of liquid nitrogen-frozen treats like this, and honestly it burned my tongue from being too cold. I probably should have let it sit for another minute before digging into it, but it was a fun presentation otherwise.

Two dishes followed that course. The first was Foie Royal, which as you may have guessed, was a foie gras mousse, topped with slices of fresh strawberries. This dish had a smooth creamy texture and the saltiness of the foie gras was balanced by the sweetness of the strawberries. The other dish that followed was called Txangurro a la Donostiarra, which is a traditional Basque crab dish, although like all of these dishes, this one was not done in the orthodox fashion. The cooked crab meat was served in the top of the shell, accompanied by a spoonful of panko crumbs, and then on the side was a vial of crab broth, which was intended to be poured onto the meat before sprinkling the crumbs on and eating altogether. The crab was delicious, and the broth intensified the flavors.

Next came the fish course, which was called Platija, which is a European flounder, similar to a halibut. The fish was served over a squid ink sauce, with a lemon-infused creme and a line of basil sauce along one side of the plate. The fish was cooked well and enjoyable, but the sauces, aside from the squid ink sauce, were not substantial enough to be more than decoration.

After the fish came the beef, which I would consider the ‘main’ course of the meal. The Fricando, as this dish was called, consisted of a small piece of wagyu, accompanied by gnocchi topped with mushrooms, including 3 carefully-placed slices of white truffle, which was just nearing the end of its season when we visited. The beef was covered in a jus, which was flavorful, but unnecessarily salty in my opinion. The gnocchi were similar to the Morning Dew drop, and burst when the slightest pressure was applied to them. This was certainly a fun concept, but not conducive to getting them into my mouth. Also, the truffle was likely not fresh, as the flavor and even the scent, were scarcely detectable.

Now it was time for dessert. Starting things off was the “Empanada” (the menu listed this one in quotes). It was filled and pressed like an empanada, but instead of a dough casing, this dessert used cotton candy, which evaporated on the tongue when you bit into it. Again, fun and whimsical.

The next dessert was called Caña de Cabra, which is a soft goat cheese from Spain. It was served as more of a creamy soup, made from the cheese. A round piece of the cotton candy was placed over the top of the bowl, and we were encouraged to let it dissolve and mix in, to enjoy the sweetness with the mild cheesy soup. This was a good dessert that I appreciated, and the ‘goat’ flavor was not overly present, which I know some people are bothered by with goat’s milk or sheep’s milk-based foods.

Following the goat cheese soup and nearing the end of the menu was a pair of desserts, Menjar Blanc and Snowing in Vegas. Menjar Blanc, the Catalonian name of this dessert, is typically made with milk, almonds, sugar, and gelatin. This version was whipped up into something that resembled a piece of a kitchen sponge. However, the texture was very light and the flavor was clean and delicate. Pomegranate kernels added a slight amount of tartness, and overall this was an enjoyable flavor. The Snowing in Vegas dessert was a similar light flavor, but with a crumbly texture, served beneath a meringue snowflake, which cracked into the bowl to be eaten with the dessert.

Next to last was another playful deconstruction of a familiar dessert: Ferrero Rocher. This time, we were instructed to dig for gold, using a small shovel. The gold was a little ball of hazelnut ganache situated on a bed of cocoa crumbles, which was the dirt. This was sweet and tasty, just a little more effort to eat than an actual Ferrero Rocher.

Finally, finishing off the desserts and the meal, were More Things……….. These “things” included an assortment of chocolates, as well as some fruity confections, and even more of the Menjar Blanc sponge. All in all, a good amount of sweet to complete a complex and carefully-prepared meal.

Overall, I will say that é is a special experience. It is a challenging reservation to get, and it definitely feels special and exclusive, especially when you are being escorted past the diners in Jaleo, to the back, past the kitchen, and into a secret room. With that being said though, I don’t think I would dine here again. It is a fun experience to do once, but to me, it is just that; an experience. If you are looking for fine dining with exceptional food and service, there are much better places in Las Vegas to try. However, if you are looking for a unique, entertaining experience to entertain friends or celebrate an occasion, this might be exactly what you want. To put it into terms which may be broadly relatable, I see é as being similar to an elevated Benihana- diners gathered around a personal kitchen as they watch the magic happen right before their eyes. It is a fun, communal experience, where you will likely end up in a friendly conversation with some of the other patrons. The chefs are putting their best foot forward as they perform in front of a live audience. The dishes are fun and engaging, even thrilling at times. However, this is far from traditional fine dining, but rightfully so. É is a journey through the mind of the one and only José Andrés, and I feel it is meant to be more of a complete sensorial experience, rather than only focusing on the ingredients on the plate. I am glad I was able to have the opportunity to visit this unique restaurant, and I hope you have a chance to as well. For me though, that box is now checked, and I will be on to exploring other new (and familiar) restaurants on my return to Las Vegas.