Columnist Muriel Stevens: Sampling a little bit of everything on Chinois' menu

One of the many reasons I enjoy dining at Wolfgang Puck restaurants is knowing that each time I go, the menus will be different. When you eat out as much as I do, you get to appreciate restaurants that are never boring.

When a dear friend who adores Asian food celebrated a milestone birthday recently, my gift was dinner at Chinois, Puck's newest restaurant in the Forum Shops at Caesars.

The dining room menu was filled with marvelous choices, but this was the first Chinois experience for my friend, so we opted for the tasting menu. The price for the six-course tasting dinners range from $42-$60. Our dinners were $50 per person. "The tasting menu is designed to be enjoyed by the entire party," the menu says, but since we were only two, I requested that the dishes be divided in the kitchen.

Our dinner included Chinois chicken salad, Szechuan pancakes filled with stir-fried Peking duck and a julienne of vegetables, barbecued salmon, Shanghai lobster, charcoal-grilled Szechuan beef and a dessert sampler.

Since the last time I had dined at Chinois, chef/partner David Robins, who also oversees Spago, had redesigned the Chinois chicken salad, adding crunchy candied cashews and a new mustard-ginger vinaigrette. The mix of sweet and tart is just right. Our salad was dressed perfectly without excess dressing pooling in the bottom of the plate -- one of my pet peeves.

Inside the rolled Szechuan pancake was a generous portion of savory Peking duck. The pancake was topped with a slightly sweet sauce.

Hot barbecued salmon (yin) was placed atop a coil of cold soba (buckwheat) noodle salad (yang) -- two of my favorite things. The pairing was magic; the velvet texture of the hot salmon was a fine counterpoint to the chewy soba noodles.

Shanghai lobster is one of Chinois' signature dishes -- chunks of fresh lobster in a coconut curry sauce; with it was shiny, crisp fried spinach. A timbale of rice was included.

Another Chinois signature, charcoal-grilled Szechuan beef with baby greens and caramelized shallot sauce, was pink and succulent. It's a beef lover's delight.

This was a generous amount of fine food for a fine price. By the time we got to the beef we were more than satisfied.

Our dessert sampler was a work of art from Pastry Chef Douglas Paul. An oval platter had been inscribed in chocolate with my friend's name, and birthday wishes. Two sparklers had been placed between small balls of homemade fruit sorbets. On one side was a fresh caramelized peach tart with citrus cream; on the other, three plump mango-filled crepes; in the middle, a cone of chocolate-coated chocolate mousse topped with a tilted spun sugar disc. Fresh berries filled any spaces. Simply beautiful, and delectable.

It was, my friend declared, one of the best presents I'd ever given her.

After dinner I stopped by the open kitchen to compliment Chef Joseph Bennett. Every Chinois dish is cooked to order. The timing between each course was ideal for conversation (mostly about the food) and for anticipating the next dish.

The Chinois Cafe, downstairs, has its own a la carte menu and is for more casual dining (no reservations). A separate sushi bar offers a complete list of sushi. There are tables in the sushi area, too. Reservations are requested for the upstairs dining room. Call 737-9700.

Palace Station

Hunkering up to a bar is not my usual mode of dining, but the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station was a pleasant surprise. When I think oyster bar, I think of the oyster bar at the Grand Central train station in New York. It was there, at a young age, that I learned about the glories of pan roasts and freshly shucked oysters. The Palace Station Oyster Bar is nothing like the grand oyster bar at Grand Central Station, but this simpler oyster bar is a popular stop.

Of course, the Palace Station Oyster Bar prices are much less than the prices in New York. A dozen steamed clams, mussels or one half pound of shrimp are $9.95. Each is served with crisp sourdough rolls, drawn butter and lemon. All of these dishes are cooked in a white wine and herb broth. A basket of rolls goes quickly when dunked in the broth.

The pan roasts (9.25) are not the traditional poached kind, but more Cajun style. The chef asks how much heat to add. A generous bowl of clam or crabmeat or shrimp or oyster roast is topped with white rice. Seafood stews -- cioppino, bouillabaisse or gumbo ($10.95-$13.95) -- are served in generous portions, but my cioppino had more tomatoes than seafood. It was tasty. Pasta with clams or shrimp ($10.95), seafood cocktails ($6.95-$9.95), chowders ($2.95) and clams and oysters on the half shell ($7.95-$11.95) are all available.

Arrive early or what's supposed to be a quick way to dine could include a wait. We arrived at 6 p.m. By the time we left there was a sizable line. The expert chefs work at a rapid pace (fun to watch) turning out an amazing number of dishes in a short time.

Short Orders

*Sortland Kraft finalist

Congratulations to Las Vegan Karla Sortland, who is a finalist in Kraft's Flavor Search contest. Thus far, she has won $1,500 in prizes for her "Tangy Taste of the Tropics Barbecue Sauce" recipe and could win the $25,000 grand prize. Contestants had to use a Kraft's bottled barbecue sauce. Sortland added mangos, ginger, pineapple, lime juice and jerk seasoning to Kraft Thick n' Spicy Barbecue Sauce to create her winning recipe. Now she has to wait until the grand prize winner is chosen and announced in the spring of '99. Good luck, Linda. You could be our first grand prize winner.

*It'ly opens

Sergio and Rosele Oriente, the owners of Sergio's Italian Gardens, have opened It'ly at 6346 S. Pecos Road. Featured are fresh pastas, focaccia sandwiches, vegetarian dishes, fancy coffees and pastries at popular prices. Pasta prices start at $3.95. All dishes come with garlic focaccia bread. Among the many specialities are pressed sandwiches ($4.25-$4.95). The sandwiches, on focaccia bread, are put in a special press and grilled. Prices include a side of French fries. Call 436-4859 for additional information.

*Second Koo Koo Roo opens

Koo Koo Roo opened its second Las Vegas eatery today in the Sahara Pavilion, at Sahara and Decatur. This new location features a convenient drive-thru. The California-based chain offers rotisserie chicken, hand-carved turkey and a terrific selection of side dishes and salads. My favorite Koo Koo Roo choice is the original, skinless flame-broiled chicken. Call 821-1884 for more information.

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