Las Vegas Mixtape v3: Freewheeling In Vegas: Shows, Eateries, Movie Theaters, and a Mind-Altering Museum

Track #1: Pepper Club

Feeling bad lately and can’t afford therapy? No worries—The Pepper Club By Todd English (in The English Hotel in the Arts District) will uplift you with its massive Ube Honey Toast consisting of Japanese shokupan stuffed with ube cream, churros, strawberries, ube glaze, and ice cream. This dazzlingly prepared creation will set you back only $20.00—and your ego will also benefit from the eatery’s seriously sexy lighting.

The Pepper Club bills its eclectic cuisine as “Ocean Asian Fusion.” The Crispy Rice (coconut rice, spicy tuna, avocado, and microgreens) is first-rate, as is the Orange Miso Salmon (plated with bok choy and serrano rings). Chef Roman Sarmiento also creates red meat magic with the succulent Genghis Short Ribs platter (teriyaki glazed short ribs, pearl onions, broccolini, pineapple, and fingerling potatoes). It’s hard to leave without ordering a side of the sublimely flavored Wasabi Creamy Mash (Yukon mash and crushed wasabi peas). If I were on death row, a meal from The Pepper Club would be my final request.

One of the best “steals” in town is their daily 3-5:00 pm happy hour menu, with appetizers and drinks priced at $8.00. There’s also a breakfast/brunch menu featuring the JFC & Waffle: Japanese fried chicken thigh and matcha-marbled waffle with maple syrup. The restaurant has a spacious outdoor patio for those who prefer dining in the daytime with “risky” natural lighting.