Poker Meets Pad Thai at Ameristar Casino's New Restaurant Asia

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Wonton Soup Bowl: egg noodles, baby bok choy, head-on shrimp, and more

One must appreciate when a new restaurant takes a bold step to accommodate its customers—or, in the case of Asia at Ameristar Casino, hedges its bet. Each item on the menu was tasted, “like, 50 or 60 times,” says executive chef Don Yamauchi, a former Food & Wine “Top Ten New Chefs in America” and James Beard Foundation “Top Five Rising Chefs in America.” Part of the feedback came from the casino’s Chinese and Vietnamese clientele, many of whom own their own restaurants. We’ll double down on our bet that the feather-light Szechuan Wontons—precisely placed in a ceramic takeout box, an edible Jogan sculpture—will become a customer favorite. We’d also bet heavily on the Hot Chili Catfish, served beneath a stainless steel dome. Bespoke pieces and a whimsical wash of sake-branded art serve as a reminder to consider a cup, especially because each dish has a suggested pairing. And remember that you enter by way of the casino floor: May you win enough on the way in to buy dinner.

See also: New Restaurant, Asia, Now Open at Ameristar Casino