Local chefs and businesses are having fun with fungi lately. So let’s get familiar with some of the best ways to enjoy mushrooms in Las Vegas.
🍄 Las Vegas Tasting Society
The Las Vegas Tasting Society tends to organize events for tequila, whiskey, and stuff like that, but the group is presenting Magic of Mushrooms: An Exotic Tasting Experience this Sunday, March 1 in the Arts District. Roam between stations to munch on 10 plant-based mushroom recipes, including fun stuff like lion’s mane “crab cakes” and king oyster carpaccio. Upgrade the experience to add on a menu of potato dishes as well as vodka or wine pairings.
🍄 Desert Moon
Desert Moon grows their own mushrooms right here in Las Vegas — sold to the general public and prized by some of our city’s best chefs. Order familiar favorites like shiitake, maitake (hen of the woods), and a variety of oyster mushrooms, or less familiar options like pretzel cap and coral tooth. Desert Moon also sells grow-your-own mushroom kits and makes regular appearances at farmers markets at Downtown Summerlin and St. Rose Corporate Center in Henderson.
🍄 China Mama
My wife loves the wood ear mushroom salad, served cold, drenched in sesame oil and soy sauce, at China Mama’s two Chinatown locations (the original on Jones and a newer one in Shanghai Plaza), as well as offshoots Spring and Hao Chi. The Palace Station China Mama stir fries wood ear mushrooms (named for their color and shape) with sweet potato and snow peas as a vegetarian-friendly side dish.
🍄 High Steaks Vegas
One of my all-time favorite mushroom recipes … is served at a steakhouse. High Steaks Vegas at the Rio steams a large Desert Moon lion's mane mushroom and soaks it for two days in beet juice, garlic, thyme, and ginger, which then develops a steak-like crust when broiled. It arrives on the table with black garlic puree and charred cabbage.
🍄 ChagaRoot
This Las Vegas business closed its brick-and-mortar shop and cafe last year, but remains active as a health-focused online retailer. The signature MycoProtein powder at ChagaRoot is a fermented combination of shiitake mushroom mycelium plus lion’s mane, turkey tail, reishi, and chaga mushrooms. (A 20% Valentine’s Day discount continues through the end of February.)
- Why stop there? See what else gets yanked from the ground when foraging in Las Vegas during spring. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
