How might one describe the sentiment of this review?
As the No1DP was staying at the Palazzo he passed by this restaurant a few times on his walk around the Venetian/Palazzo area and suggested this place as a possible dinner option. As we had wine as part of a "happy hour event" through the conference No1DP was attending, we talked to one of the line cooks about their menu and observed their open kitchen. Out of all the places we went to happy hour, this place impressed me enough to come back for dinner, so the No1DP promptly made dinner reservations later that night. CONCEPT/VENUE: The Venetian/Palazzo's fine dining option with an emphasis on "global water cuisine". Fancy schmancy way of saying upscale seafood. At the entrance to the restaurant there is a water-encased walk-in wine cellar. We both thought that this would be a perfect way to showcase their premium wines as the wines themselves were "hidden in plain sight" by the waterfalls and enticing potential customers to come inside. As we went inside No1DP wondered how much it would take to eat inside the wine cellar as there was a table that could seat two. No1DP and I were placed in the booth area where other couples were present. The booths provide a place to people-watch other diners in the tables while having a little area to ourselves. It was also easy for bussers and waiters to pass by without saying anything. SERVICE: Overall so-so. Service was good that silverware was replaced when a new dish was about to come out and that when you left your table, your napkin was remade for you. They were also quick to refill your wine glasses. The wait time between ordering our food and when the food actually came out was at least 20 minutes, and when the food finally came they gave No1DP the wrong dish, the Pacific Blue Prawns. We took a bite out of the prawns and thought it was good until No1DP realized that he ordered halibut. It took time to make another halibut and gave him a small salad for compensation as I ate my dish. No1DP liked his salad and the dressing. FOOD/DRINK Wine was a low-oak Chardonnay, which was chosen because our dishes consisted of fish with hearty sauces. Amuse was a very small "tuna salad" of sorts with a mushroom on outside. Mushroom was firm and tuna was lightly seasoned. Appetizer was a wild blue crab cake ($18): Chayote slaw, creole remoulade sauce. Crab cake was done perfectly as the crab fell apart after slicing it. Remoulade gave the crab a bit of spice and the vegetable medley on top sweetened the dish. My dish was a New Zealand john dory ($45): Lobster succotash, okra, wild mushrooms, sweet corn nage, black truffle. One of AquaKnox's signature dishes. The fish was soft, buttery and could easily be separated with a fork. Sauce was also delicious and went with the dish, made the fish a little more nutty. Sauce was heavy but not too heavy in that I could finish my dish. No1DP's real dish was a wild Alaskan halibut ($44): Lobster mashed potatoes, broccolini, piquillo pepper relish. I'm used to softer halibut and was a little disappointed in the texture, especially since I started realizing that I prefer fish with soft textures. No1DP did enjoy his fish as he's used to this type of texture for halibut and thought the sauce was delicious as well. Aside from the spotty service the No1DP and I enjoyed our experience here and I would recommend this place for fine dining/seafood if you want to stay in the Venetian area for dinner....Options are:
* negative;
* positive; I think the answer is
positive