Q: I'm happy to finally see a decent Ramen place in Las Vegas. I honestly did not miss the closure of Togoshi as it seemed to have gone down hill over the years. It appears that all of the negative reviews have resulted form misguidance and/or ignorance of some reviewers in terms of their experience or knowledge on what a "Ramen-ya" and thier customs are supposed to be. I would like to see Monta try not to expand their soup varieties as most Ramen-yas in Japan are supposed to stick with one type of broth, and feel that their tonkotsu ramen is very well done especially with thin noodles. Their miso is good, but not my favorite type and would like to see it evove to thicker/denser/full-bodied miso toward more of a sapporo style. all in all, a great additon to Vegas authentic Japanese food scene. those who can appreciate authentic Japanese food with its somewhat peculiar cultures would love it, for the noobies it may be too difficult to appreciate.

A: positive

Q: Just misses on all levels. 3 of us went there last night for a light dinner... here we go! 1 specialty cocktail $14, 1 Old Fashion $18 (really?) Big Eye Tuna Crudo - great fish, but the sauce was all high notes with no balance... fail. Beef Cheek Ravioli w/ 25 yr. old balsamic ($31) smallish portion, good taste, but the consistency of the filling was like baby food... fail. We wanted to order the "80 day" (doubt it) dry aged strip steak ($70) but the waiter suggested the bone-in rib eye steak for one (he didn't mention that it was $25 more. The steak was smallish and carved table side by a disinterested woman with her hand behind her back... never smiled or said hello. I've had much better steaks everywhere for half the price... fail. The smallish side of Italian Broccoli w/ Pork was totally forgettable... fail. I drink my coffee black w/ no sugar... I had to send it back as the beans had been burned more than Starbucks... fail. My brother ordered a double espresso on ice with half and half... they brought heavy cream, then claimed not to have half and half... he had to ask for milk to make his own... fail. My wife enjoyed her cappuccino. We also had a small fruit plate... meh. The bill? $235 plus tip. My wife and I got home 2 hours later and were starved... we will not be back. This is the second Mario restaurant we have gone to... the other one being his pizza joint in L.A. which was horrible.... no more Mario for us... maybe he should spend less time on TV and more time training his staff.

A: negative

Q: How did a $33.99/day rental of a small 4-cylinder "economy car" for 2 days turn into a $270.61 rip-off gouge? I rented from Budget Rent-a-Car at the Phoenix Internat. Airport ... linked to the rental via Travelocity. That's how. It is a lesson in the old "Yes, the basic rate is $33.95 - very cheap! - but, oh, you want a steering wheel on that car? That's an extra ..." type scam. And they added a mysterious 11.11 percent "Concession Recovery Fee" on top of the quoted rate - no extra service or feature gained - it's just an unadvertised "additional fee" - I assume the argument is that the quoted rate was just for the car, but the act of the customer simply showing up to pick up and drop off the car (on time) is "extra cost"!! The "LDW" was almost as much as the car rate, at $25.99/day (I am sure that rate is inflated to maximize costs ... It's actually not even insurance. It just absolves you of the responsibility for car damage - so what they "choose" to charge you is not fixed to any market-controlled rate) - it's whatever they can get away with. The personal injury waiver (also not insurance) was $14.49/day. Etc ... Etc ... The contract actually states, "If I (renter) return the car prior to due date, I may be charged a higher rate." !!! - what!?! Worse of all - the agent at the desk, when hearing where I was going, INSISTED that I would use a full tank of gas to get there and back, "and probably a bit more." So she really pressed that I opt for the "purchase a tank of gas" to "save money" - also stating that it was cheaper than the going rate "outside". But any unused gas was non-refundable ... You guessed it - I had a whole one-third of a tank left, on return of car - Ka-Ching! More money in their pocket! (and they can re-sell the same gas again to the next sucker!) ... and - the rate Budget charged me for the gas was EXACTLY the same as what gas was sold for on the street. I complained upon return and seeing these charges rack up, but they smiled and said, "sorry ... I see a signature here ... that yours? " So - I will NEVER, EVER use "Blood-let" Rent-A-Car again and will steer my friends and colleagues away from them. Yes, I take some responsibility for being such an easy "mark" - but they are trained to be snake oil salesmen and openly con people into every expense they can. I have rented cars multiple times before from various agencies - never have I come up against a "shake down" like this - and was unprepared for the "gaming" I was put through. If you must use them, go over everything with a fine toothed comb. Take your time. Ask every "dumb" question ... Even if you assume you know - ask them to explain ... you very well may be surprised. Check with your own auto insurance to see if they cover car and personal injury, to see if you can decline all waivers ... else know your rate is something quite astronomically inflated from the "stated rate".

A: negative

Q: Celebrated my Valentines dinner here with a beautiful view, wonderful service, and unbelievable food! The taste of that hanger steak and frites still lingers in my memory, each and every day........ This place has made it's way to the top of my "must dos in Vegas" Until we meet again, hanger steak..... Au revoir :')

A:
positive