 On the second floor of the colossal Aria hotel, the American Fish restaurant shines as a little gem of refinement and enchantment. The bar planted at the edge of a wood---at least, seemingly, thanks to rows of artistically synthesized trees---towers over the rectangular room, which has slices of tree logs as flooring. The green touch: recycled wood was used for the tables. The ceiling is populated with black forms in which diners can identify, depending on their mood and preferences in nature, as birds, fish or just abstract sculptures à la Calder. The exposed kitchen reveals an oven fired by Californian apricot tree wood and sophisticated rotisserie machinery that rises or drops with heat to ensure the required cooking temperature. Although chef Sven Mede (who trained with Charlie Trotter and Bradley Ogden) hails from Germany, he does perfect justice to American fish. He adorns Alaska king crab with a delicately balanced purée of avocado and papaya, topped with a heart of palm, and the Pacific yellowtail with fermented black garlic, pluots and shiso. He also visits the surf ‘n’ turf territory with a moist scallop accompanying sautéed fresh foie gras, smoothed with a poached pear and a dollop of wine reduction. Among the mostly fish-based entrées, the Alaska halibut in a lemon grass broth with couscous complementing the shiitake mushrooms is as light and tasty as a fish dish can get; this one, albeit simplified, is most likely inspired by the famous Flemish waterzoï. The Tasmanian ocean trout with cipollini, peas and mint on a bed of crispy polenta and the simple Mediterranean branzino are also exemplary. Carnivores are not totally overlooked: they have a choice of steaks or bacon-wrapped Kurobuta pork. One cannot resist the seductive Valrhona chocolate custard with a red velvet cake and cocoa nib ice cream nor the mascarpone cheesecake under a vanilla crust. Service is well-oiled while the wine list deserves a special mention, not only because it is huge and offers extraordinary vintages---at astronomical prices, like a Romanée Conti 1990---but mostly because the savvy sommelier Bruno Bonnet has composed the core of his inventory with bottles of little known vintners in France and elsewhere that are rare finds at affordable prices, like his artisanal Champagne Chartogne-Taillet from Mersy near famous Mesnil sur Ogé.
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American Fish Restaurant is one of our 2012
| Top 10 Las Vegas Seafood Restaurants
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Chef Michael Mina is our 2011 Best Restaurateur in the US. 
Go behind the scenes of American Fish restaurant! Watch our exclusive interview with chef Sven Mede and see photos of our dinner at GAYOT.com blog.
