Instructional Poker & Dinner at the Gardens Casino
I had the most wonderful experience dining and learning how to play poker at The Gardens Casino in Hawaiian Gardens, CA a few weeks ago with my boyfriend Scott (he loves to play poker so I thought this would be fun for the both of us). I'm typically not that interested in going to casinos as I'm not much of a gambler and can only spectate others gambling for so long. The Gardens Casino recently underwent a $90 million renovation and now features over 200 card game tables, a premium new restaurant, and an upscale bar/lounge (they also have a banquet hall space) - they are set to officially grand open early 2017. I had never experienced the previous casino space, but my boyfriend had, and now coming to the re-launched space was completely blown away by the changes.
THE SPACE
Upon arriving to the casino in the evening, we noticed a sign that valet was complimentary until 6am! You can either pull into the left towards the entrance to the casino to valet (which wasn't quite efficient when we pulled in but was quick to fetch our car when leaving) or turn towards the right to self park. Walking through the front doors, I immediately was taken back by the amount of open space and yet every single table I could see was filled with people. However, there isn't a crazy commotion and overwhelming sounds, lights or smokey air like a typical casino. There are separate sections for the various types of card games, a VIP poker room in the back, and also an extremely spacious banquet hall upstairs that can be used for performances, conferences, you name it!
The casino is minimal with touches of elegance as well as Asian influence, and there is an abundance of security outside and inside the casino. The restaurant and bar/lounge is right near the front and features a plush seating experience or a place to quickly grab a bite/drink. I also noticed that players could eat/drink at the table they were playing at and both the players and restaurant guests have a wide array of menu items to choose from.
THE RESTAURANT
I couldn't stop telling Scott how much I loved the food at the restaurant. Our server Tevin was very informative on the menu items, offering suggestions of his favorite items as well as popular dishes, and overall making our dining experience an exceptional one. We started with garlic edamame, then Scott had a steak and eggs dish and I, a Korean galbi dish. We ended the dining experience with deep-fried ice cream (which was beautifully plated). My galbi tasted very authentic (especially since I had just come back from Seoul and had been around authentic Korean food for 2 weeks) and even including the side kimchi dishes; I was convinced that there was a Korean chef back there (which was later confirmed). I really was in awe of the variety of food available on the menu, from classic breakfast and comfort food dishes to Vietnamese and Korean cuisine; they had it all (and that wasn't even the entire casino menu).
INSTRUCTIONAL POKER
Earlier during dinner, our instructional (Texas hold' em) poker host, Laura introduced herself for the evening and got me all sorts of excited to learn how to play. Now, I would say that Scott is an avid poker player and I wanted to be able to acquire a skill that we could both have in common. After a tour of the casino, I was escorted to the VIP poker room and given a private table. Laura already had a bottle of red wine ready for us and could order anything else we wanted for our instructional card game experience. To me, poker has always been very intimating, and quite honestly would go right over my head when watching it - I just couldn't grasp the concept on how to play. In this instructional Texas hold' em poker environment I learned at the pace I wanted with play chips and it was extremely interactive between the dealer Elias, our host Laura, Scott and I. After learning the basics and asking questions I found myself really enjoying playing the game, Laura and Elias really made learning Texas Hold' em poker quite exciting and fun - I believe I had been at the table for over an hour. Any guest can request for an instructional experience for any card game, and I'm really glad that I learned how to play because now Scott and I can play on our own.
MY THOUGHTS
I had an extremely enjoyable time, so much so that I continue to ask Scott to play Texas hold' em with me (almost) every time we see each other. The Gardens Casino is a beautiful casino, despite the area that it is located (it's not the best part of town but the surrounding businesses on the street seem to look built up) which tends to bring up a question of safety. However, there wasn't one point during my experience that I felt un-safe, the casino has done a great job providing a strong (but not overpowering) security presence and will not allow overly intoxicated or unbecoming individuals into the casino. This is a place for people to enjoy themselves as they play their favorite card game, or learn to play others; and I highly recommend experiencing the elevated Gardens Casino for yourself!
The Gardens Casino
11871 Carson St Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716
Phone: (562) 860-5887
Amanda of Feast.Fashion.Faves was not given monetary compensation to compose/publish this post but was given the dining experience gratis to experience the dining offerings of the Gardens Casino organized by Bolt PR. The instructional card game experience is a complimentary service but must be requested/coordinated beforehand. Amanda was given permission by The Garden Casino to photograph the casino, any guest faces have been blurred to protect their privacy. All opinions expressed are of her own.