The Atlantis eatery is serving up Asian cuisine with a luxurious twist
By Nora Heston Tarte
The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa has long been hailed as one of the great culinary meccas of Reno, but it seems the esteemed Atlantis Steakhouse and Bistro Napa get most of the praise (not that it’s unwarranted).
There is a third restaurant, however, downstairs, serving up just as delicious of a menu on the casino floor. Overseen by Executive Chef Dennis Hogue and Assistant Executive Chef David Holman and executed by Room Chef Toan Loi, the Far East cuisine imagined in the Asian kitchen is nothing short of mouthwatering.
Red Bloom Asian Kitchen offers a robust menu of authentic Asian dishes, many offered with a modern twist. Whether you’re stepping off the casino floor for a break from gaming or have ventured into the Atlantis for a festive night on the town, Red Bloom, with its casual atmosphere yet high-end but accessible cuisine, is there to meet your every need—and make sure you don’t walk away hungry.
While the menu redesign did keep some of the stand-out favorites including pork belly bao buns, peking duck and chicken chow mein, it also brought many new items to the eatery, as well.
Chef Holman names the Korean Braised Beef Short Rib rice bowl among his favorites. The all-in-one meal boasts Daikon radish slaw, kimchi, marinated soft boiled egg, ginger scallion salad, pickled shiitake mushrooms and Korean BBQ sauce served over signature rice. The short ribs at Red Bloom are tender and delicious, so any application you decide to order them in (bao buns, rice bowls, aside rice and mixed vegetables) will not disappoint. Another suggestion is the Garlic Noodles with Roasted Crab Legs, always sold at market price. The presentation on this dish is what culinary dreams are made of, boasting a full crab atop a bed of stir-fry wheat noodles covered in a savory garlic sauce. The crab itself is crusted with garlic and parmesan cheese and served with a seafood cracker so you are getting the tender white crab meat nice and fresh.
For fans of pho, the Pho 775 is still on the menu. This classic presentation includes shaved beef, beef tendon, beef meat balls, rice noodles, bean sprouts, scallions, jalapeños, Thai basil, lime, shaved onions and cilantro for a savory creation rich in antioxidants and other healthful ingredients.
In addition to this menu mainstay, Red Bloom added the Da Lat Pho. This deluxe version is almost too pretty to eat, served with hunks of bone-in beef ribs and beef brisket simmering in the beef bone broth. Rice noodles soak in the umami flavors and a side of scallions, white onions, cilantro, bean sprouts, fresh lime, jalapenos and basil are served on the side so you can mix up your pho just the way you like it (or request the bowl come mixed). Any of the soups, including both phos, can be enhanced with a menu of available add-ons, including baby bok choy, shrimp, wontons, serrano peppers, a marinated soft-boiled egg and a habanero spice bomb.
Naran Wegner, the restaurant’s manager, has her own list of favorites. She’s quick to recommend the Pork Belly Adobo. The tender meat melts right in your mouth while the crispy, pan-seared outer layer adds texture and flavor. The pork belly is covered in a sweet and savory soy-vinegar sauce and accompanied by steamed jasmine rice, scallions and mixed Asian vegetables. It’s quite unlike a dish I’ve tried anywhere else.
Another menu favorite is the fried rice, but a Kimchi version ups the ante, and adds a bit of spice. Starting with a base of wok-fried jasmine rice, kimchi, a sunnyside-up egg, rainbow cauliflower, red bell pepper, scallions, garlic, and ginger are all expertly sliced, chopped and diced to create a flavorful final product. And for a bit of kick, chefs use Gochujang, a fermented red chili paste. To make it a meal, add chicken, pork or shrimp.
If you’ve come in with a smaller appetite, the lunch specials should do a trick. A short and sweet menu of smaller dishes, each is served with your choice of daily soup or a side salad with sesame dressing. The chicken teriyaki takes the standard dish and kicks it up a notch with fresh ingredients like hearty chunks of chicken marinated with a slightly sweet teriyaki sauce and baby bok choy served atop jasmine rice. The Korean Beef Bulgogi Bowl offers just a hint of spice from the kimchi, but also boasts marinated beef, bulgogi sauce, steamed broccoli and jasmine rice. Each of the lunch specials offers a smaller portion than the bulk of the menu.
In addition to these inventive dishes, Red Bloom doesn’t skip the favorites. Diners can order up pot stickers, egg rolls, tempura prawns, pork and chicken katsu, ramen and honey walnut shrimp (featuring full-size jumbo shrimp expertly breaded to be crunchy not soggy) to their heart’s desire.
Even these highlights only touch on the menu, which includes full sections of dim sum, soups, sakes and more. Beer and wine are also on the menu, alongside a short list of mocktails for when you don’t feel like adding booze.
A pleasant surprise, the mocktails at Red Bloom are not overly sweet, the way many turn out. Instead, they are refreshing and straightforward, not trying to mimic the flavors or strength of alcohol. The Garden of the Ancients uses hibiscus syrup and chamomile tea to create an herbaceous sipper. Then, fresh grapefruit and lime are added before its finished with a splash of soda water and blood orange bitters and served with a hibiscus flower on top. The Blood Moon Eclipse uses San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa, ginger puree, grapefruit juice, fresh lime and blood orange bitters to create a similar flavor profile, although a less herb-forward one with a hint of sweetness. The final mocktail on the menu is a Yuzu-Ginger Spritz, made with Fever Tree Lime-Yuzu Soda, ginger puree and fresh lemon.
And we never recommend leaving the table without at least peeking at a dessert menu. Red Bloom plays with traditional Asian dessert items and gives them a twist to become standouts. The trios, especially, are easy to share, and the vibrant presentation makes them even more fun to indulge in. The Trio of Mousse provides three mini desserts in flavors of ube, mango and coconut, each atop a chocolate cookie. The mochi offers a similar presentation, with a line-up of chocolate, strawberry and matcha mochi. Candied Ginger Ice Cream, Ginger Crème Brulée and Crispy Sesame Balls round out the offerings.
With this many hearty items to choose from, it’s easy to become a repeat customer at Red Bloom. Menu dishes are routinely evaluated and changed up to offer the freshest ingredients and most interesting takes on authentic Asian fusion fare. And, as an added perk, if your eyes are larger than your stomach, the team are experts at packing up those extras in a way that makes them easy to enjoy later.
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