This might be the longest line I've seen since we've been here. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: No, it's way over there somewhere.īERAS: Oh, it's over there. GUO: But the real reason we went to Vegas was because Vegas is home to some of the biggest, most extravagant, all-you-can-eat buffets in the world.īERAS: Oh, this is it here? Oh, this is. We rode a roller coaster that went through a hotel. SYLVIE DOUGLIS, BYLINE: This is PLANET MONEY from NPR. Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at /planetmoney. It was edited by Jess Jiang, engineered by James Willetts, and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Today's show was produced by James Sneed and Nick Fountain with help from Emma Peaslee. And along the way, an economist and fellow buffet-lover will teach us his hyper-rational strategy for optimizing his buffet experience. Our mission? To feast ourselves on all the economics we can handle at the all-you-can-eat buffet. Today on the show, we're headed to the place where the modern buffet may have been born: Las Vegas.

From classic concepts like adverse selection, sunk costs, diminishing marginal returns, to more exotic economic mysteries, like the flat rate pricing bias. Here at Planet Money we believe there's a lot of economics going on at the all-you-eat buffet, tucked in between the mountains of brisket and troughs of mashed potatoes. But you know where you can really see a lot of economic concepts in action? Buffets. For dim sum, we recommend the pork and shrimp dumplings, steamed prawn dumplings, steamed barbecue pork buns and pork pot stickers.An economic scavenger hunt at a Las Vegas all-you-can-eat buffet : Planet Money You might expect to find economic concepts in the pages of an economics textbook. As for the food, a combination of Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Singaporean cuisines can be found at this locale, which translates into nine dragons in English. Wazuzu at Encore Las Vegas is where you can dine under the watchful eye of a 28-foot-long dragon with 90,000 Swarovski crystals accented by 2,400 flickering lights that reflect from an accent wall.

The dim sum menu changes daily, but you can find it during lunch from 10 a.m. Think of this as the entryway to Vegas’ Chinatown on Spring Mountain Road. Just off the Strip, you can find some of the best Chinese cuisine in Las Vegas at Ping Pang Pong at the Gold Coast. Ping Pang Pong at the Gold Coast Las Vegas, 702.367.7111 Look for Executive Chef Li Yu’s imperial seafood soup dumplings, steamed pork buns, shrimp dumplings, pork and chives dumplings and Beijing beef dumplings among the dim sum options. The noodles are handmade in an open kitchen. The entrance is flanked by two gigantic fish tanks that lead you into this Northern Chinese restaurant at Caesars Palace. 9, you definitely come for the decor, then the noodles and finally the dim sum. 9 at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, 877.346.4642Īt Beijing Noodle No. Dishes from Thailand, Japan, China and Vietnam make Executive Chef Patrick Lee’s menu.īeijing Noodle No. On the weekends, add some of the dim sum treats presented on rolling carts from 11 a.m. Every Asian noodle dish known is represented on the menu. If there’s a type of noodle you wanted to try, this is the spot. Noodles at the Bellagio Las Vegas, 702.693.7111 For dim sum, look for pan-fried chicken dumplings and steamed pork and shrimp dumplings, among others, on the menu. He finds influence from Cantonese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Szechuan and other Asian cooking styles. Chef Simon To received the prestigious blue ribbon by the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts created the Paiza Club before bringing his talents to The Palazzo Las Vegas. Zine has been called one of the 10 best Chinese restaurants in the United States by Chinese Restaurant News. Zine at The Palazzo Las Vegas, 702.607.2220 Here’s a look at the top five dim sum restaurants in Las Vegas. They can be served up on the menu or on a roving trolley where you can delight in what you might find. Served up in little steamer baskets or on small plates, these tiny treats give you a way to try a multitude of flavors without committing to one. Take a break from the ordinary tapas options and head to one of the Chinese restaurants of Las Vegas to try dim sum, the Cantonese version of small dishes. UPDATE:Check out our new Dim Sum Hot List for 2014 here!

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