Royal Star is located in the Venetian, one of Vegas' premier hotels. Located near Aqua Knox and Delmonico's Steakhouse, Royal Star offers a more casual upscale experience than its competitors. (We dined here because they accepted guests without reservations!) The dining room is very comfortable - well lit and open. It seemed there was not another table within hearing distance. (I dined with only one other person, but there were several tables designed to share a meal with larger groups, complete with very large lazy Susans allowing all diners access to each wonderful dish!)

Our meal was incredible. We started with lettuce cups and moved onto Yin Yang scallops (half served with spinach and half in a red chili sauce) and Shan Yu filet, great beef in a wonderful pepper sauce. The fried rice was tasty. Our waitress (who was lovely) hailed from Green Bay, Wisconsin. This was the only detail that reminded us that we were, indeed, not in the tranquil Far East. The desserts were underwhelming, but the entire experience was extremely delicious!

Though it’s best known for its pan-Asian cuisine and oriental décor, lunch at the Royal Star could also include dim sum with a large selection of seafood, hargow, noodles, dumplings, shumai, and other assorted varieties of meats and vegetables (served on traditional metal carts), along with hot white steamed rice. The service is excellent. You use chopsticks or a fork if absolutely required. To make sure the seafood is fresh, there’s a live tank containing crabs, lobsters, fish, prawns, and shrimp. There’s also a selection of wines, or sake if you prefer.