Sea Stone Brings Pacific Rim Fusion to Boca Park


A grand opening celebration was held on April 24 for Sea Stone, a restaurant specializing in Pacific Rim fusion and innovative sushi creations. Patrons of the space, formerly occupied by Hannah’s, will be happy to discover that the interior is intact.

Water is everywhere, on a gushing but encased bar, cascading from the wall, even under your feet in a fish filled Lucite-covered pond. Propeller-like rattan ceiling fans circulate a gentle breeze. The floor is a deep brown wood and the fabrics are warm. High ceilings give the feeling of being in a regal place and when you taste the fare, you’ll know why.

Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hawaiian cultures influence the flavors, providing an unprecedented combination of textures and ingredients. Here’s where the fusion comes in, with a menu made to tempt the novice and veteran sushi consumer alike. Bento boxes with their varied compartments allow for a customized fill of your favorite dishes – no two have to be alike. Sea Stone prides itself on its variety of fresh ingredients.

Here’s just a sampling of what you can fill those boxes with:

The Rainbow Roll is made with Ahi tuna, salmon, yellowtail and crab mix, rolled in soybean paper and served with a balsamic-mango reduction. Divine to the last bite.

The Cucumber Wrap is made with tuna, salmon, white fish, crab, avocado and kaiware (sprouted daikon radish seeds). Riceless, but you won’t miss it, reveling in the freshness and crunch of this delight.

Or try a signature Boca Park Roll – deep fried yellowtail tuna topped with spicy tuna and scallions, eel sauce and spicy aioli (a mayonnaise-based, garlic flavored sauce). Your tongue will thank you.

A California Roll called TNT is generously topped with baked rock shrimp, shiitake mushrooms and scallops with creamy aioli & sweet onion sauce, while the Baja Roll is topped with marinated tuna, tomato avocado, flying fish roe and green onion. The flying fish roe was appropriate, as these creations almost literally flew into my mouth.

Other savory appetizers include the tender chicken satay, overstuffed shrimp shu mai, baked Miso Yaki butterfish, and a painstakingly plated goat cheese salad. The Potato Crusted Salmon is served upon a bed of stir fried vegetables, perched on sushi rice with a ginger lime butter sauce. I went fishing for this one more than once.

Meat lovers will enjoy the Mackatsu, a macadamia-nut encrusted pork loin in a coconut curry sauce, or the Bulgogi, Korean barbequed beef. Lobster and filet mignon are also on the menu. For those who favor lighter fare, there’s a braised tofu with spicy tomato black bean sauce.

The dessert menu is small but heavenly, as evidenced by the White Chocolate Bliss, a sponge cake layered with white chocolate and coconut mousse and served with a white chocolate mocha sauce and toasted macadamia nuts.

Fruit Flights arrive with less than four pairings of seasonal fruit and granitas (a sorbet-like frozen confection). If you like variety, this is your dish.

As welcoming as the interior of the place is, an inviting outdoor patio features charming conversation “clusters” complete with pillows and comfortable sofa/coffee table arrangements situated by the bar.

Sea Stone’s grand opening was sponsored by Vin Sauvage and It’s Just Lunch Las Vegas. The wine and sake offerings were extensive, featuring Karen Coy Sake, from Japan’s first female sake master. A lychee-flavored sake was a big hit as well.

Executive chef Derek Kinoshita and Sushi Chefs Jung Huan Yun and Jae Park make it all look easy and elegant. Coming from prestigious locations such at the MGM Grand, Venetian, and Fashion Show Mall, there’s no lack of expertise and innovation with these food artisans, whose collective wish is to take the diner on a “journey of the palate and feast of the senses.” Their food is colorful and served in hot and cold variations, incorporating culture and taste into the presentation and the first-bite discovery of new flavor combinations.

Proprietors Jin Myung and Wesley Chang (also a restaurant and business consultant) wanted to feature cooked and riceless rolls in their cuisine, proving that sushi is “more than just raw fish.” From what I’ve sampled, I’d say they have succeeded admirably, no small feat when you stop to consider that they’ve brought the Pacific Rim all the way to the desert and made it taste as fresh as if it were born there.

Judy Thorburn with Sea Stone Manager Marcella

For further information:
Sea Stone Pacific Rim Fusion
1050 South Rampart Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89145
(702) 478-9000
http://www.seastonelv.com
 

 14th Annual Thai Festival at Lied Discovery Children’s Museum


Saturday, May 3rd brought a cultural celebration to downtown Las Vegas in the form of the 14th annual Thai Festival, featuring the food, culture and dance of Thailand.

Festival organizer Supatra Chemprachum was on hand to oversee the activities. A diminutive septuagenarian, Supatra urged everyone to remember that the festival always takes place the first Saturday of May.

A buffet of authentic Thai food was offered to attendees, catered by Tipps Thai Cuisine (on Spring Mountain Road, between Jones and Lindell). Dishes included a beef tenderloin salad on spring greens, ground chicken with onions, peppers and spices, Pad Thai, the signature noodle, sprout and egg dish of Thailand, fried rice, marinated pieces of sliced chicken breast, white rice, and a choice of a sweet/sour dipping sauce, or one made soy & scallions. Mango rolls and banana pieces, both dried like fruit leather with cookie wafer rolls the circumference of pencils comprised a typical Thai dessert.

Thai iced tea was provided, a sweet concoction drenched in Half & Half that, when mixed, formed a light orange, opaque drink that people could not seem to get enough of, judging by the several gallons that were emptied within a short time.

The Thai Cultural Art Association of Las Vegas presented Thai Traditional Dancers who took the stage in singles and pairs to gracefully step, sway and gesture in full Thai costume. Ornate golden headdresses, bracelets and ankle adornments decorated the barefoot dancers as their colorful, red, gold, green, and orange sequined and sashed clothing swayed with their movements, creating a prism of sparkle with each turn.

A total of five dances were performed, three as duets against a backdrop of a picture of the current and longest reigning king of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej and a display of Thai artifacts.

Creating a lotus flower from craft materials is a multi-step, complicated process and my hat is off to anyone who attempts to make one. Using wire, silk-like pink and green sheer material, pointy pliers and special thread, our expert showed us what went into making just one petal of the multi layered flower. The finished product is a thing of beauty, perhaps a bit too advanced for children to attempt (or their parents, or certainly your humble correspondent). An alternate room held materials for a lotus door decoration that was much more manageable for small hands to build.

Thailand was known as Siam until 1939, when a newly elected democratic government changed the name. Their independence day is September 28, in memory of the traditional founding of Siam in 1238. Known as the “land of the white elephants” Thailand continues to lure visitors from around the world on a continual basis.


About the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum:

The Museum was founded in 1984 by the Allied Arts Council and the Junior League of Las Vegas. The building of the Las Vegas Clark County Library in 1985 gave the Museum a permanent home; it opened its doors to the public in 1990. Its Mission “is to provide a vibrant and engaging experience, through exhibits and programs, where children from economically and culturally diverse backgrounds actively participate in playful learning experiences that ignite a love of lifelong learning."

Through its continual quest to bring visitors traveling exhibits, cultural programs, job training for teens, special demonstrations and activities, and over 100 permanent, hands-on exhibits in the Arts, Sciences and Humanities, the Museum makes hands-on learning fun. There’s nothing here that can’t be touched, pulled, waved, twisted or manipulated in some way.

Just a casual walk-through had your humble correspondent caught in a level one hurricane, nearly encased in a five foot bubble, capturing her own shadow on a wall and playing a steel drum. I could have made a bean bracelet, poncho or maracas in some of the craft rooms. My hand played a laser harp and caused two weights, a pen and a paper to make shapes by themselves.

Additionally, there are volunteer opportunities, museum membership opportunities, birthday parties and facility rental available. The museum is a member of the Association of Children's Museums and Association of Science & Technology Centers.

Best of all, the magic of physics and fun is located right in our own backyard. This time it was Thailand; next time, it could be exploration of deep space, experiments with liquid nitrogen, or mosaics made of seeds. Who says Las Vegas has nothing to offer kids? Here they’ve stuffed the entire universe into one building on the Boulevard, just waiting to be discovered – it’s even in the name.

For further information:
Lied Discovery Children's Museum
833 Las Vegas Blvd. North
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 382-5427
http://www.ldcm.org

Hours:
Tuesday-Friday 9:00-4:00, Saturday 10:00 – 5:00, Sunday, Noon – 5:00
Closed Mondays EXCEPT most school holidays
Admission prices:
Adults: $8, Children 1-17, Seniors, Military: $7
Museum members free

Thai Cultural Art Association of Las Vegas
Contact: Supatra Chemprachum
2311 S. 15th Street
Las Vegas, NV 89104
(702) 369-5439