Internet memes don’t have the longest shelf life, but Salt Bae has done a great job of preserving his celebrity. Turkish chef and restaurateur Nusret Gökçe, the man with the world’s suavest seasoning skills, has used his viral fame to expand his portfolio of lavish steakhouses and transform the dinner table into his world stage.
In February, Gökçe and his partners debuted the two-story, $4.5 million Nusr-Et Las Vegas at the Park on the Strip. And after experiencing Salt Bae’s meat-centric culinary offerings for ourselves, we’re confident this is no flash in the pan. In fact, it’s a very Vegas example of performative dining theater.
Starters like the beef carpaccio ($31) are the quickest way to impress the table. The dish arrives deconstructed, then a server breaks down the aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese right before your eyes and delicately folds and cuts the raw meat into its appropriate shape before applying a careful drizzle of 12-year aged balsamic.
If that isn’t too extra on its own, Nusr-Et servers bring overhead lights and smoking dry ice rigs to the table for the displays, so you’re always guaranteed the best Instagram shot. And there’s plenty more where that came from.
For leaner cuts, we can’t say enough about the seven-ounce Lokum tenderloin ($80). It’s a melt-in-your-mouth situation, so tender it’ll tear at the touch of a fork. But for the ultimate spectacle, order the Woww Wagyu steak ($105), a 10-ounce thick-cut striploin oozing with juicy flavor and served on a family-style wooden cutting board. The staff delivers the full Salt Bae treatment, slicing the meat at your table at blurring speeds and announcing, “Salt, salt, Salt Bae!” as they season it with the famous wrist technique (which really works).
For big spenders, the restaurant offers Salt Bae Gold Selections, a separate menu for marbled Wagyu tomahawks, short ribs and other meaty options coated in 24k gold for the humble price range of $180 to $2,400—in case you want to drop a month’s rent on something tasty.
End the meal with something sweet, like Nusr-Et’s pistachio baklava ($25) topped with Turkish ice cream, likely one of the best versions of the dessert you will ever have.
Nusr-Et redefines the idea of dinner and a show, and its style and spectacle feel right at home in Las Vegas.
NUSR-ET LAS VEGAS The Park, 702-623-0664, nusr-et.com.tr. Sunday-Thursday, noon-midnight; Friday & Saturday, noon-2 a.m.
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