It ’s a adult heap in Las Vegas whenever a newfangled cassino opens its doors , especially if it ’s anywhere close to the Strip . In recent years , we ’ve seen the SLS take over the old Sahara and the Cromwell emerge from what was once Bill ’s Gamblin ' Hall . However , the Lucky Dragon is the first new casino and fall back to be built from the ground - up since the Cosmopolitan opened more than six years ago . It ’s near the intersection of Las Vegas Blvd and Sahara – and could be a major part of a long - forebode revitalization at the compass north remainder of the Strip .
The lay of the land
The Lucky Dragon is n’t an " Asian - themed " resort looking to draw the masses with a thingamabob . It carries an authenticity that ’s geared heavily towards the Asiatic grocery store which includes international tourists , visitors from California , and Las Vegas locals .
The invention is all business enterprise . Unlike other casinos , it avoid sprawling hall or play areas . The layout is mere and efficient with little wasted space . The casino – connected to the hotel pillar by a pedestrian bridge – is circular in design and promiscuous to voyage , with a prevention at the center field and a monumental 1.25 net ton Methedrine dragon sculpture hang overhead .
The gambling
Like chemin de fer ? The Lucky Dragon is your variety of situation . The casino is littered with 25 chemin de fer tables ( include EZ Baccarat – a version with slightly modified rules ) . To give you an idea of how pop the secret plan is within the Asiatic residential district , all seven of the tables in the very important person sphere are baccarat .
Other game let in Pai Gow ( a Taiwanese plot played with dominos ) , blackjack , and roulette . Most notification : There are only two tables dedicated to American poker . The 287 expansion slot machine boast titles like Duo Fu Duo Cai and China Shores . You wo n’t see most of the intimate ones with anEllen , Seinfeld , or TMZ theme . However , Wheel of Fortunedid make the cut – which is kind of a requirement in any Vegas casino .
The food
The restaurants will likely draw the most interest from topical anesthetic spoiled by the dining scene in Las Vegas . Much like the rest of the resort , everything is based around authenticity .
Phoenix show the most promise , although it was n’t open during the resort ’s gentle porta phase . The intimate dining room has just 60 seat and a secret balcony view of the Strip from the second floor . The card is pitch towards the adventurous diner , with kurobuta porc , deer tendon , and ear-shell among the rarefied and cautiously prepared dish aerial .
Pearl Ocean can be find next room access and is a slight more chance but still intriguing . Tanks of live seafood seat near the chief dining elbow room , offer an exotic catch of lobster and whole Dungeness crab louse flown in day by day . This is also where you ’ll find the salutary dim kernel in the building .
Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
The restaurants on the ground layer are for those on the move . Dragon ’s Alley is model after street markets in China and Taiwan and even features a lump of brick wall brought in from a government living accommodations back street in Beijing where those markets are vulgar . The solid food is serve from stations nutrient motor lodge style . That mean you could choose your noodles and stock for your soup , relish pork , duck’s egg , or boeuf barbeque fashion , and slurp down boba tea along with some pastry dough for dessert . The seat surface area is lined by lanterns and the nearby Jewel Kitchen is surround by windows showing every dish , from deep-fried Sir Tim Rice to vague sum , being made fresh on the spot . Bao Now is a snap - and - go window for quick snacks and if that was n’t enough , you ’re welcome to bring nutrient with you while playing gambling casino games . Just try not to dribble noodles on the Baccarat table .
The tea
Yes , the tea . If there is one trend that ’s quick to take off – it ’s tea tastings . And the Lucky Dragon could presently be have sex as the shoes where it all begin . There ’s no one else in the US ( or really anywhere ) that can match what ’s being done in the Cha Garden couch area . Tea is presented in its purest form with no processing or pesticides used – unlike the ones from the grocery store that are belike sitting in your kitchen buttery right now . In fact , ladybird are used in place of pesticides , giving straight signification to organic agriculture . The menu list details about each tea that include the location of where the farewell were produce , the summit , and even the name of the farmer . Each one is develop in China or Taiwan , and could arrive at the Lucky Dragon within five days of harvest .
The Lucky Dragon gives tea the same thoughtfulness that might be recover with wine or whiskey , including vintages and verticals . The curriculum is supervised by the only tea sommelier in Las Vegas and features a ceremonial presentation known as Gongfu . The teas can also be sold to take home . Free tastings are extend daily from 3 - 6pm .
The drinking
The Lucky Dragon features two master bars . The atrium stripe serve drinks for those on the second flooring as well as the restaurant guests inside Phoenix and Pearl Ocean . The pagoda - style bar on the flat coat level has a few more seats and is the centerpiece of the casino floor . Both hold an impressive raiment of spirits , including rare cognac , Asiatic whiskeys , and Baijiu – a Formosan grain drinkable that ’s similar to Grappa Italian brandy but more complex and not for the squeamish . Lovers of fine tone can also spend a few hundred dollar sign on a shot of Macallan M or devolve more than five thou on a bottle of Louis XIII .
The wine listing is keep to about 50 bottle , but include unassailable selections from small family - have landed estate in California , Oregon , and Washington , as well as Italy , France , and premium options from China that are hard to find in the United States .
thing really get sport with the cocktails . Even Buddha Gets wake is a Far East spin on a Bloody Mary made with shisito pepper infuse Belvedere , a special blending of Sriracha , soya , and sesame common salt – and garnish with a chicken ’s foot . Guan Yu ’s is a jazz band of Hennessy Black and Gallic banana liqueur that ’s fume with Eugenia caryophyllatum .
Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
Lucky Dragon is also eager to expound its beer selection in the near future . In addition to the usual domesticated suspect , the current inclination includes Tsingtao and Yanjing from China , Coedo and Sapporo from Japan , and Tiger from Singapore .
The hotel
The cherry shell that underwrite the exterior of the Lucky Dragon actually consecrate off a pinkish hue on the inside of every window in the hotel column . Whether being surrounded by pinkish is an exotic solace or annoyance may depend on the individual . But the hotel says most eye in general adjust to it in myopic time anyway . As for the rooms themselves , there are a short more than 200 total . The standard rooms are cozy and comfortable but not complicated . Twenty - two suites fall with a Strip sight and a short more space . A penthouse on the top floor spans the entire length of the construction with bird’s-eye purview and a dining room design for catered event . All of the rooms fare with Asian - inspired murals on the rampart , a selection of imported tea leaf for brewing , and more Asiatic language television programming than any hotel on the Strip . If you look at the elevator clitoris , you ’ll notice that there ’s no fourth story – since the number is considered unlucky in Chinese civilisation . In fact , you wo n’t find a " 4 " in any of the way numbers either .
Tourists may be more concerned in Baccarat than sunbathing , so the pocket billiards on the flat coat base is on the small side – more of a wading pool than a place to practice your Olympian laps . No dayclubs here . Just a few oak tree , lounge chairs , and cabanas that double as tea huts at night with food for thought and drink from Cha Garden next door .
The spa is a nice dodging but cut the extravagance of the ones commonly retrieve at bigger refuge in Vegas . Shuttles are on standby to take hotel guests to finish on the Strip or Chinatown .
Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
The Lucky Dragon wo n’t be a staycation spot for Vegas local already intimate with more indulgent resorts on the Strip , but it ’s not intend to be . The hotel provide an low-priced alternative for the foreign market – a major growing factor in the Vegas saving – while offering something truly dissimilar when it comes to drinks and dining . The Lucky Dragon is covering its basis and invest its money wisely – by appealing to different group on different levels at the same time . There are a few ground to visit . You just have to figure out which one is for you .
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Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
Rob Kachelriess/Thrillist
Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino
