Taste

David Chang’s Majordomo amplifies his sudden Vegas impact

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Explore the menu at Majordomo.
Photo: Andrew Bezek / Courtesy

Chef David Chang first arrived in Las Vegas with the late-2017 opening of one of the Strip's most exciting new venues, Momofuku at the Cosmopolitan. The follow-up Majordomo Meat & Fish—an offshoot of Chang's first (and wildly successful) LA outpost—strikes a similar note but in a more subdued manner. And for local diners, it offers a chance to score one the country's hottest seats here in our own backyard.

Majordomo takes one of the few rooms in the city capable of accommodating its grandiose vision—the former Carnevino space at the Palazzo. If you ever visited that Mario Batali steakhouse before its 2018 demise, Majordomo should be somewhat familiar. Beyond the reworked bar—smartly converted into a semicircle raw bar—the main rooms remain similar. (One significant new addition has yet to open: Moon Palace, Chang's upscale slider joint, which will sling burgers in a former Carnevino dining room across the concourse.) But while this might seem like one steakhouse converting to another, Chang's vision is undoubtedly different.

The menu begins with seven preparations of bing, a Chinese flatbread somewhere between a pita and a pancake. Chang's grilled-to-order versions are a play on Korean hotteok, toasty and spongy while hinting of sweet. They're made even better with accoutrements such as umami-rich shaved foie gras ($24) served atop ricotta cheese or a silky soft-boiled egg decorated with smoky roe ($18) and perched upon onion soubise.

An ingredient doesn't get more hipster than 40-day aged butter from a Brooklyn cave, a Chang bing exclusive that's funky like a mild Roquefort. It's interesting, but the accompanying dollop of Kaluga caviar gets lost in the mix, disappointing given its $36 tariff. In comparison, the $13 Tingly Lamb bing is an absolute steal. Highlighted by scattered chiles and balanced by a cooling swath of labneh (yogurt), it's a Sichuan-inspired must-try.

Some dishes surprise. As in-your-face as much of Chang's cooking can be, the mafaldine pasta ($48) is welcomingly subtle, rife with sweet Dungeness crab and tinged with ginger. Stuffed peppers ($16) aren't the bell peppers typical of Eastern European fare but rather battered shishitos filled with Benton's sack sausage and served with creamy buttermilk ranch for dipping.

Chang's flair for pageantry is evident in Mojordomo's large tableside presentations, including a smoked prime rib at the menu's center. The major double cut ($75) arrives on a massive serving cart reminiscent of a backyard grill, its two 8-ounce slices wading in au jus and accompanied by mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. The fork-tender meat hints of smoke without being overpowering, the potatoes are (thankfully) more butter than spud, and the spinach is entrancing—a delicious combination with portion sizes that justify the cost. For those wise enough to save some bing, now's the time to use it for sopping up excess jus.

Like Momofuku before it, Mojordomo has arrived as a joy for Strip-going diners. It will be interesting to watch how one of 2020's most significant Vegas openings continues to evolve in the years to come.

Majordomo Meat & Fish Palazzo, 702-607-3060. Daily, 5:30-10:30 p.m.

Tags: Dining, Palazzo, Food
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