What is the dress code at Pearl?

Travel Guide Inspector

You’ll find a casual and serene environment at Pearl, MGM Grand’s Chinese Restaurant. Chinese cuisine is artfully prepared with nods to Canton and Shanghai spices and recipes, and features traditional dishes like chicken with bitter melon and black bean sauce and a steamed half chicken with five-spice sauce. The smart, contemporary décor is thanks to hip designer Tony Chi; he’s combined honey-colored furnishings, lined in rich wood trim, with color pops of red modern-style lamps and two impressive teal mosaic walls. Match this style-sensibility with your own attire in a casual, resort style look. You don’t need to arrive in a three-piece suit, but we do suggest leaving the torn jeans, flips flops and baseball caps at home, and putting together a look that is classic yet comfortable.

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  • On September 18
    Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question: Forbes Travel Guide Inspector

    Does the restaurant have a kids’ menu?

    Their family-style six-course menu easily makes Pearl one of MGM Grand’s most group-friendly locales, and you shouldn’t have a problem pleasing diners of all ages here. While the Las Vegas restaurant doesn’t offer a designated kids' menu, chef Kai-Wa Yau does whip up these two combination menus including dishes that are certainly children approved — pork fried rice, spring rolls and spare ribs all make the cut, naturally. And if you choose to order the à la carte route, you’ll easily be able to find kid-friendly options: roast chicken, chow fun noodles and pan-seared dumplings are all options that should keep your younger diners happy. Of course, a bowl of milk chocolate mousse won’t hurt, either.
  • On September 18
    Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question: Forbes Travel Guide Inspector

    What are the desserts like at Pearl?

    With its family-style six-course meals, Pearl, MGM Grand’s Chinese locale, may be a great spot for group dining, but don’t fill up too fast on the honey-glazed barbecue spare ribs, shrimp fried rice and Dungeness crab spring rolls. You’ll most certainly want to leave some room for the expertly prepared desserts of pastry chef Adrienne Elliott, Pearl’s reigning sugar queen. Whether you split a few dishes of her azuki bean ice cream, or savor a ginger crème brulee all on your own, make sure to order dessert at this Las Vegas restaurant. Elliot’s more traditional Chinese preparations include a coconut tofu cheesecake with candied pineapple and flavored mochi, but sweets like the Lucky Purse, a milk chocolate-filled crispy pastry shell, are sure to please every sweet tooth.
  • On September 18
    Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question: Forbes Travel Guide Inspector

    What is the menu like at Pearl?

    If you’ve had your fill of the Las Vegas steakhouse scene, head to Pearl, MGM Grand’s Chinese restaurant, where you can sample chef Kai-Wa Yau’s modern take on Cantonese and Shanghai cooking. Traditional dishes included everything from steamed chicken with Chinese sausage to shredded pork with bean curd; the more adventurous eater can revel in the Las Vegas restaurants selection of live seafood. A seven-course tasting menu is available if you want to try a little of everything, and the plush low-back banquettes, inspired by the typical seating areas of ancient Oriental opium dens, are the perfect place to relax with a cup of hot tea, prepared tableside by a tea trolley offering a selection of Asiatic brews.
  • On September 18
    Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question: Forbes Travel Guide Inspector

    What are the five best things to order at Pearl?

    You won’t find chopsticks on the table at Pearl, MGM Grand’s option for Chinese cuisine, but you will find artfully prepared traditional Cantonese and Shanghai dishes from chef Kai-Wa Yau. The contemporary décor (think graphic color block elements and uber-plush furnishings) is thanks to hip designer Tony Chi, and the dining rooms high-ceilings make an open, inviting feel. Although the menu changes seasonally, and often features specialties of the chef, here are some options that stood out to our hungry eyes:

    1. Chef Yau’s Hong Kong origins are nowhere as apparent than in his seven-course tasting menu, a stunning combination of contemporary and traditional Chinese dishes. Recent dishes have included a creamy shrimp and scallop chowder, honey-glazed spare ribs and Maine lobster fried rice.

    2. Pearl’s crisp-fried spider prawn dumplings are the kind of snack you won’t be able to put down: tender prawns are wrapped in wonton skins and are fried into a crispy perfect bite. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

    3. It’s not surprising the crispy garlic chicken is one of Pearl’s most popular items; this marinated chicken packs a lot of flavor. Alongside this juicy chicken you’ll find roasted beech mushrooms.

    4. If you’re looking for a dish with a kick of spice, the fire-roasted Mongolian beef will do the trick. This juicy beef tenderloin receives an earthy wok-char grill, and is then tossed with vegetables in a sweet and spicy sauce.

    5. After a family-style meal or a few wok-fried courses, make sure to stop and leave some room for the dessert-side of the menu. The dragon’s kiss, a mandarin rice pudding and milk chocolate parfait, offers a refreshingly sweet bite.
  • On September 18
    Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question: Forbes Travel Guide Inspector

    Does Pearl have a bar?

    Although Pearl, MGM Grand’s Chinese restaurant, doesn’t have a traditional bar area, it does offer an enticing menu of specialty cocktails. If you want something strong to drink alongside the fantastic Chinese cuisine of chef Kai-Wa Yau, order one of these fruit-forward concoctions. The red lantern features watermelon, vodka and fresh sour mix, while the blue rabbit is a mixture of lychee vodka, sparkling sake and fresh blueberries. A twist on the classic mojito adds guava to the mix in Pearl’s version, but it’s the Pearl, with a splash of mango vodka, fresh lime and ginger ale that has us really intrigued. Of course, if liquor isn’t to your liking, you can sip on something more aromatic: a tea trolley patrols the dining room offering a selection of Asiatic brews.
  • On September 18
    Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question: Forbes Travel Guide Inspector

    Is Pearl a romantic restaurant?

    The city of lights can certainly be a romantic one, and an evening at Pearl, MGM Grand’s Chinese restaurant, is a great way to celebrate your big win or a new found love. Whatever the occasion, the ultra-modern décor of designer Tony Chi and the contemporary Cantonese and Shanghainese cuisine of chef Kai-Wa Yau make for a special evening. The seven-course tasting menu is a perfect way to celebrate and try a little of everything. After your meal, retire to the plush low-back banquettes, inspired by the typical seating areas of ancient Oriental opium dens, for a cup of hot tea, prepared tableside by a tea trolley offering a selection of Asiatic brews and an intimate conversation.
  • On September 18
    Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question: Forbes Travel Guide Inspector

    What’s the best table at Pearl?

    If you are looking for a meal of the Chinese variety, head to Pearl, in MGM Grand, where you’ll find a variety of traditional Cantonese and Shanghainese dishes in a contemporary setting designed by the hip Tony Chi. Whether you snag a seat in their airy main dining room or feast with friends in the intimate private dining space, you won’t be disappointed with a meal by chef Kai-Wa Yau. The plush low-back banquettes, inspired by the typical seating areas of ancient Oriental opium dens, offer a more relaxed dining experience. But no matter where you sit, make sure to catch the tea trolley, which brews a variety of Asiatic blends tableside.
  • On September 18
    Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question: Forbes Travel Guide Inspector

    What is the interior design of Pearl?

    ©TheFiveStarTravelCorporation It’s no secret Las Vegas is upping the ante on its dining options, and spots like Pearl, MGM Grand’s palace of Chinese cuisine, prove why you can skip the all-you-can-eat buffet and not break the bank. Head to this Forbes Travel Guide recommended locale and you’ll find a wide-open space artfully designed by the hip Tony Chi. A warm palette of honey-hued furnishings, wooden accents and chocolate carpeting fills the high-ceiling space, and the plush low-back banquettes, inspired by the typical seating areas of ancient Oriental opium dens, are immediately inviting. The contemporary rooms are updated with ultra-modern mirrored ceiling light fixtures, swanky red lanterns and two parallel, floor-to-ceiling teal mosaic walls. And although you’ll find rotating lazy Susan-like tops on many of the tables, don’t expect this to be your typical Chinese restaurant experience. You won’t find chopsticks on these tables, and chef Kai-Wa Yau’s offers an updated version of classic Canton and Shanghai cuisines.
  • On September 18
    Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question: Forbes Travel Guide Inspector

    What is the price range for a meal at Pearl?

    You can easily spend hundreds of dollars on a meal in Las Vegas, but at Pearl, MGM Grand’s temple to Chinese cuisine, you won’t have to. Choose to dine at this contemporary spot, artfully designed by the very hip Tony Chi, and you’ll find a large selection of traditional Cantonese and Shanghai cuisine, including everything from live seafood to Singapore-style noodles. For dining made easy, chef Kai-Wa Yau presents two family-style, six-course menus, combing a variety of traditional courses including fried rice, stir-fried vegetables and meats, and spring rolls ($50-60 per person).

    A more extensive tasting menu ($70) offers a finer taste of Yau’s culinary techniques, with items like Maine lobster fried rice and wok-fried beef tenderloin. If you’d prefer to hand select your menu, the à la carte options include a variety of appetizers, soups, seafood, poultry and meat dishes. Start off with a creamy shrimp and scallop chowder ($9), split a dim sum sampler ($13) between the table and enjoy entrée options like crisp-fried pork ($24), macadamia nut kung pao chicken ($23) or beef brisket clay pot ($30). After your meal, catch the tea trolley that parades through the high-ceiling dining room, offering a tableside brew of a selection of Asiatic blends.
  • On September 18
    Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question: Forbes Travel Guide Inspector

    What is the dress code at Pearl?

    You’ll find a casual and serene environment at Pearl, MGM Grand’s Chinese Restaurant. Chinese cuisine is artfully prepared with nods to Canton and Shanghai spices and recipes, and features traditional dishes like chicken with bitter melon and black bean sauce and a steamed half chicken with five-spice sauce. The smart, contemporary décor is thanks to hip designer Tony Chi; he’s combined honey-colored furnishings, lined in rich wood trim, with color pops of red modern-style lamps and two impressive teal mosaic walls. Match this style-sensibility with your own attire in a casual, resort style look. You don’t need to arrive in a three-piece suit, but we do suggest leaving the torn jeans, flips flops and baseball caps at home, and putting together a look that is classic yet comfortable.