text: In typical birthday tradition, my wife and I always go somewhere different, usually an establishment with a a-list chef, or at least a michelin star or james beard nom...where else to go while in Vegas, but Bouchon, Thomas Keller's restaurant.\n\nI had extremely high expectations on this restaurant, as I have been to Thomas' other restaurants, Per Se and French Laundry.  Bouchon seemed like a cross between The Palm and a high end Cheesecake Factory.  Perhaps it was because we were in Vegas,  and Bouchon was in the Venetian with a heavy tourist population, but nonetheless, the vibe didn't scream out \"5 stars\".\n\nThe service was slow, probably due to the overly packed restaurant, and the vibe really reminded me of an energetic Cheesecake Factory.\n\nThe food itself was good.  There definitely was no comparison to Keller's other restaurants...not even in the same category, but regardless, it was good.  I started with the squash salad, which was interesting and good.  For my entree, I had the special, which was a top sirloin prepared sous vide with a side of spinach and mashed.  The meat was very lean and prepared very well, no complaints here.\n\nThe part of the meal that did stand out was the homemade bread.  So good and buttery.\n\nI might give Bouchon another chance and try the one in Beverly Hills.