5 sweet ways to celebrate National Dessert Day in Las Vegas

Chef Jamie Tran’s brilliance at integrating her French fine dining training and her Vietnamese heritage is never sweeter than in her white chocolate tres leche cake ($12). The soggy cake hidden in a chocolate nest and drizzled with Vietnamese coffee cream offers contrast in textures and flavors. 8680 W. Warm Springs Road, 702-954-3998, blacksheepvegas.com

Black Tap

Black Tap’s milkshakes are all delicious, but the CrazyShake menu includes some of the most visually stunning dishes in town adorned with everything from cotton candy and lollipops to assorted breakfast cereal treats ($15 to $17). Wide-eyed kids, millennials seeking an Instagram moment and anyone else with a sweet tooth will be grinning from ear to ear, from their first glimpse through their last sip. The Venetian, 702-414-1000, venetian.com

Beauty & Essex

The old peanut butter pie sundae at this sexy Cosmopolitan restaurant was one of the best desserts in town and really didn’t need any improvement. But its recent “carnival” makeover ($16) adds mini M&Ms, peanut butter chips and chocolate-covered potato chips to the blend of smooth peanut butter gelato, chocolate chunk and pretzels, all but guaranteeing it a few more likes when you post it on social media. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, 702-737-0707, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

Sweets Raku

Las Vegas’ so-called Chinatown has recently transformed from a destination for amazing Asian cuisine to one of the valley’s most well-rounded culinary hotspots. But this companion restaurant to the nationally-acclaimed robata restaurant Raku still stands in a class by itself. Despite a handful of savory dishes, and a weekend lunch service, diners in the know continue to flock here for Chef Mio Ogasawara’s delicate and gorgeous Japanese desserts. They’re open until midnight most evenings (until 9 p.m. on Sundays), so you can come in late after you’ve digested the evening’s dinner. 5030 W. Spring Mountain Road, 702-367-3511, raku-sweets.com/sweets

Gordon Ramsay Steak

Gordon Ramsay offers a spin on his famed sticky toffee pudding at all five of his local restaurants, but the most elegant and decadent is the one offered at his steakhouse ($16). The key to this version, which you can enjoy in the lounge if you’re not up for a full meal, is the accompanying stick of brown butter ice cream. Paris Las Vegas, 800-712-6600, gordonramsayrestaurants.com

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands operates The Venetian.

This story was published originally on Oct. 14, 2018. It has been updated.

Contact Al Mancini at amancini @reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5250. Follow@AlManciniVegas on Twitter.