Taste

Wakuda reaches the heights of Japanese cuisine at Las Vegas’ Palazzo

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Wakuda’s caviar, among other seafood and steak dishes
WRE / Courtesy
Genevie Durano

Walking into Wakuda at Palazzo, it’s easy to be starstruck … two Michelin stars, to be exact. Tetsuya Wakuda’s first foray into Las Vegas’ culinary constellation—and his first stateside restaurant anywhere—arrives with considerable credentials.

The chef first gained fame in the 1990s with Tetsuya’s in Sydney, Australia, named one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. Waku Ghin in Singapore is a two-Michelin star destination. Singapore Wakuda debuted earlier this year. And with this outpost at Palazzo, we get to experience an interpretation of traditional Japanese cuisine through the hands of a master, whose abiding principle of shun—using seasonal ingredients at their peak—informs every delicate bite that comes out of the restaurant’s four distinct kitchens.

The Wakuda experience begins well before the first dish lands on your table. The first sense to awaken is visual, starting with the dramatic entry portal that marries Japanese art and street culture and the very particular energy of the Las Vegas Strip (read: lots of neon). Inside, ballpoint pen images by artist Shohei Otomo marry traditional Japanese subjects with a decidedly modern take—geishas and samurais with a punk-rock feel—covering the walls.

Inspired by Tokyo’s Shinjuku Golden Gai area, the restaurant is a textural panoply of dark woods, stone surfaces and paper, studded throughout with neon accents and mood lighting. The centerpiece of the main dining room, a sculpture of sumo wrestlers by Otomo, nods to Japan’s revered tradition.

Settle into your banquette and divert your attention to the menu, starting with hot and cold dishes for contrast. The chamame ($10), boiled Niigata edamame finished with crunchy Maldon salt, makes for a good palate starter. Follow that with the kanpachi carpaccio ($35), served with orange segments, baby mizuna and yuzu kosho, a Japanese condiment made from fresh chilies, fermented with salt and the zest and juice from yuzu. The freshness of the fish blooms beautifully with the citrus. Try one of the sashimi toasts, particularly the Tuna Zuke ($15). Bluefin tuna, marinated in sake, soy and mirin, sits atop a most delicate crouton where it’s topped with Beluga caviar. It’s two (or three) bites of perfection.

Wakuda’s menu delves into the pillars of Japanese cuisine. You’ll find nigiri and othersushi, rice and noodles, tempura, and various proteins grilled yakimono style. The signature sushi selection might best showcase the chef’s mastery of flavor and technique. The king salmon ($12 per piece) hails from the pristine coastal waters of Big Glory Bay in Stewart Island at the very bottom of New Zealand, where the cold currents give the fish time to develop a distinctive, smooth flavor. Here, it’s sliced thin and minimally prepared with mirin, soy and wasabi. The bite is delicate and buttery, gone too soon in the mouth but lingering in the memory long after.

Contrast the fish with some of the finest Japanese A5 Wagyu ($25 per piece) you’ll find anywhere on the Strip. Served nigiri style, the Omi Wagyu from the Shiga Prefecture, is lightly torched, lending the meat just a touch of warmth, its distinctive marbling draped over a thumbful of rice.

It’s tempting to order up more sushi—sea urchin or scallops, for example. But make sure you don’t miss one from the yakimono grill: Patagonian toothfish ($60) marinated with Saikyo Miso from Kyoto and served with pickled myoga, a Japanese ginger. It’s broiled and then seared, resulting in delicate flakes of white fish that melt in the mouth. Its simplicity in preparation and presentation is Japanese minimalism at its maximal, and the ephemeral flavor that comes through is so rarefied, my dining companion declared that she’ll never have a more sumptuous bite in her life.

A meal at Wakuda is a delight for the senses, and there are many ways to experience it, from a la carte dishes to the tasting menu ($300 per person). Along with the extensive sake and whiskey selection, it’s a singular experience that stands out in a city of culinary stars.

WAKUDA Palazzo, 702-665-8592, wakudajapanese.com. Daily, 5-10 p.m.

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