I had the honor of taking my wife to Chef Jamie Tran‘s modern Vietnamese American restaurant, The Black Sheep for her birthday and it didn’t disappoint. Bravo TV fans know Chef Jamie from the 18th season of Top Chef, but Las Vegas locals have the luxury of enjoying Jamie Tran’s refined, casual eatery in a convenient neighborhood environment.
The restaurant’s name is an homage to Jamie’s playfully rebellious spirit that fans fell in love with on Top Chef. Mix Chef Jamie’s quirky personality and her masterful ability to create Vietnamese comfort food and you’ve got The Black Sheep.
Ambience-
Nestled in a busy intersection near Las Vegas’s Rhodes Ranch community, The Black Sheep is a prime spot to leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind. With only a few dozen tables, Chef Jamie provides a sophisticated environment for guests to enjoy premium cocktails and exceptional food.
Unfortunately, Chef Jamie Tran was not on property the Tuesday night we celebrated my wife’s birthday, but the Top Chef favorite is often spotted schmoozing with restaurant guests on the weekends. Our server/bartender, Jayna, provided fantastic recommendations and had extensive knowledge of the menu. An added bonus was her non-pretentious approach to service, which is a welcomed change for the Vegas dining scene.
Cocktails-
We enjoyed three cocktails during dinner. Ashley ordered La Chinesca, a concoction of Mezcal, mango, jamaica, see mui, with a black lava salt rim. Served in a highball, La Chinesca balanced smoky and sweet flavor profiles leaving a hint of spice on the tip of the tongue at the end.
I opted for the Upside Down which featured Martell cognac, rum, caramelized syrup, pineapple foam, and spiced cherry bitters. The bitters and pineapple contrasted nicely resulting in an easy to drink cocktail that wasn’t too sweet. The bartender shook the hell out of the mixture producing an incredibly frothy foam top to savor.
The Sticky Bandit combines gin, elderflower, kiwi gomme syrup, and is garnished with a shiso leaf. Chartreuse in color, the Sticky Bandit was served in a goblet with a spherical ice cube. I feel this cocktail would have also been a home run; however, the kiwi didn’t taste quite ripe yet.
First course:
To start, Ashley ordered the Lettuce wraps. For $15, the starter combined thin rice noodles, an incredibly fresh herb salad, a variety of assorted pickles, and crying tiger sauce.
For $17, I had a unique twist on French onion soup. Chef Jamie’s take on the classic combines the traditional caramelized onions and oxtail broth to the bowl, but adds foie gras to the mix. The foie gras made the soup thick like chili. The broth was hearty and dark in color.
The Black Sheep’s French onion soup wasn’t topped with the usual gruyère gratinée. Instead, Chef Jamie adds a gruyère and brie cheese puff pastry to the broth. Although the contents of the puff pastry were delicious, I missed the act of cracking into the soup from its cheese coccoon. Breaking into the puff pastry inside the soup wasn’t as satisfying. Also, the deep-fried pastry left a greasy element to the soup that took away from the high quality ingredients.
Entrees:
Ashley’s chose Chef Jamie’s famous Fried Whole Trout for her entree. This $24 entree features a deboned trout that is intended to be eaten head to tail. The fish is paired with sautéed rainbow Swiss chard, fluffy steamed jasmine rice, and finished with ginger and rice wine vinegar.
The first bites of the crispy fish were absolute heaven. The contrast of the brittle outside and the tender flaky fish worked well with the rich sauce. Unfortunately, the fish lost it’s crispy texture about halfway through the meal. Although the plating was immaculate, it would have made more sense for the fried fish not sit on top of the sauce, which was delicious. It was finished with cilantro micro greens which brightened the rich broth.
I ordered the Chef’s special of the night, Duck Confit. While the crispy duck was salty on its own, it was perfectly balanced when eaten with other ingredients. The pearly cous cous were delightfully creamy and the varying textures worked well together. A bit of acid would have served the duck confit nicely. Something pickled – similar to what accompanied with the lettuce wrap appetizer – would give the already spectacular entree even more complexity.
Dessert:
My wife turns into season one Stassi every year for her birthday (iykyk). So, I knew not to get in the way of her and her chocolate tres leches cake. White chocolate is poured on top of the dark chocolate cake table side and features a delicate chocolate latice on top – which added texture to the sweet treat. The bitter cream on the side stabilized the contrasting elements of the dish nicely.
The Black Sheep continues to be a neighborhood staple for us. If you’re ever in southwest Las Vegas, do yourself a favor and stop by. Our favorite cocktail (which isn’t always on the menu, so order it if it’s there) is called Mr. Brownstone – and, yes, is named after the Guns & Roses song. The salmon skin tacos are a must-have appetizer for first time patrons.
