fat choy / las vegas, nv

Back in 2012, my friends and I went to a little place inside of a hair salon (yes, you read that right) called Great Bao. They were kicked out of the salon shortly after our visit and I’ve kept tabs on them over the years. When we decided to go to Vegas again, I tried to see if they got a new location and I was very happy to see them up and running in a proper restaurant under a new name.

Welcome to Fat Choy! This time Fat Choy is located inside Eureka Casino instead of a hair salon, which is much less quirky than their first spot (that only made me slightly sad). Eureka Casino is kinda small – it’s just one building with a bar and lots of slot machines. Fat Choy sits on one side of the casino.

I waited until a bunch of people left to snap this interior shot. They’ve got sparkly red booths and sparkly red bar stools (I love sparkly stuff). It’s a much nicer spot. At the hair salon there were only two small tables outside. I’d much rather sit in A/C when it’s 100 degrees out. 

At the end of the bar stools they’ve got a dessert board showing the sweet offerings. 

We decided not to partake in any desserts that afternoon since I had dessert plans for later. 

Near the entrance they’ve got a cool personalized mural showcasing a bit of their history and journey. The owner, Sheridan Su, was originally from Los Angeles (hence the 626 Monterey Park reference) before coming out to Vegas and starting a food truck and then moving into the hair salon. Below the mural are the magazines and news articles about Fat Choy. I love this personalized little touch that shows how far they’ve come over the years. 

Earlier this year, my favorite (*ahem*) dude, Guy Fieri, stopped by Fat Choy for a visit for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Very cool! I haven’t actually seen the episode yet but apparently it aired in late July. I do take a little bit of joy in knowing I visited a place before he did. HAH! In yo’ face, Guy! 

Menus! Apparently Guy came here to check out the Short Rib Grilled Cheese, if you’re wondering. 

[pork belly bao with pickled mustard greens, cilantro, and crushed peanuts / $7]

But I came here for Bao! They have peking duck, pork belly, and tofu & mushroom bao. Since the three of us were sharing, I just got two orders of Pork Belly Bao for us to share. I didn’t even read the menu description before ordering and I had no idea until now that I ate pickled mustard greens. It wasn’t too strong though since I devoured that thing. Pork belly rules allllllll. 

The pork belly is super tender and the very outer edge is slightly crisp. The cilantro, peanuts, and greens just meld in with the pork belly and the soft bao bun makes this a heavenly sandwich. 

Jake commented that he thought these were BETTER than when we had them back in 2012. Can’t say I argue with him.

I love these Lucky Buddha Beer bottles. Also: they make their own dressings! This one is ranch, which was for our other shared appetizer.

[buffalo chicken wings / $7]

Chicken wiiiiiiiings. 

Maybe I should have gotten the short rib sandwich or something but wings sounded SO GOOD that day. And these wings did not disappoint! They were perfectly crispy on the outside, very meaty, and juicy. 

You could get them mild, medium or hot. I went with medium and then drowned them in ranch sauce. Mmmmmm! 

We were quite happy to see that Great Bao has moved on to become Fat Choy and we can still get those tasty little bao sandwiches! Hooray!

Fat Choy
Inside Eureka Casino
595 East Sahara
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 794-0829

After our snack, we headed over to visit the Gold & Silver Pawn shop that’s featured on the History Channel’s Pawn Stars. Fat Choy isn’t too far from here so it was an easy drive over.

You can see the Stratosphere in the distance. The last time we tried to go here it was after 9PM and only the little side window was open. This time we actually got to go inside. In the parking lot on the right is all under construction because they’re building some weird little Pawn Stars strip mall. (Can you say sell out?)

I remember watching them buy that green jacket on the show. All stuff featured on the show has a tag on it that says “As Featured On Pawn Stars” with the date. That jacket is from last November, I think. There’s lots of musical stuff in here and A LOT of jewelry (it is still a pawn shop). 

In the back is a souvenir shop so you can wear t-shirts and crap.

They also had this little interactive thing and we took a photo in it. I could barely get myself into the photo! It was fun to visit, anyway, but don’t think you’ll see the guys from the show in here. They probably only come in for filming.