While Mizumi’s away, the chef’s gonna play. Wynn’s indulgent Japanese restaurant is undergoing an extensive renovation and Min Kim is using the downtime to take his team on a culinary adventure with a pop-up dinner experience at Jardin, available through late fall.
“I thought it would be fun to try something innovative and different,” he says. “I wanted to push the envelope.”
Chef Min Kim
Min’s Test Kitchen has the same quality of food you’d expect from Mizumi but in a more casual setting, whether on the poolside patio or in the main dining room where a DJ mixes high-energy dance beats and familiar hits. The staff’s decked out in T-shirts and sneakers, a move coordinated with the flagship Feature store on property at Wynn Plaza.
The menu comes with a personal touch, based on the chef’s professional history, which began when he was an apprentice in his father’s South Korean restaurant and then continued in Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and Macau, where he was executive chef at Mizumi at Wynn Palace in Cotai. Kim did so well, he was enlisted to lead the Vegas version in 2020.
A few dishes at Min’s Test Kitchen, like the crispy rice ($33), don’t stray far from the Mizumi formula, with simple modifications in garnish and presentation. The Korean fried chicken ($42) is a more dramatic change of pace, an unquestionably elevated take on a common comfort food. Kim marinates the chicken in milk and pineapple for 12 hours to manipulate different acids and bring out the flavor while tenderizing the meat. (The chef sounds like a science professor when discussing the process). The chicken is fried at three temperatures to lock in a juicy texture with a crispy exterior.
Even the short rib that appears inside a bao bun ($9) takes five days to make. The meat is brined, tenderized and slow-cooked for 72 hours before it’s finished over charcoal. “Five different people get involved to make sure that dish gets executed perfectly and consistently every single time,” Kim says.
Sourcing is critical. Mizumi is known for its high-end Kobe beef, but Min’s Test Kitchen switches things up with ultra-exclusive Wagyu from the tiny Kagawa prefecture in Japan. The cattle graze on olive trees, producing a finer marbleization that breaks down easier on the palate. Kim personally visited more than 20 ranches to track it down. “I went through an extensive search to find the best products in the world,” he says.
Sushi and sashimi selections are made with the same flown-in-fresh Japanese seafood used at Mizumi. Try the Hokkaido scallop appetizer ($13), sliced thin and rolled with truffle, seaweed, asparagus and shrimp. The combination is baked, fried and presented at the table in a phyllo shell—a simple, perfect bite made with care, precision and time.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see it show up on the menu at the reimagined Mizumi, which returns this fall. Kim has been tight-lipped on details, but aside from cosmetic improvements, reveals, “We’re going to elevate the whole experience—food, beverage, service and beyond.” One surprise: the main dining area, sushi bar and teppanyaki room will each have their own omakase menus. And don’t worry. Mizumi’s iconic 90-foot waterfall will stick around.
In the meantime, check out Min’s Test Kitchen. Pop-ups don’t last forever.
MIN’S TEST KITCHEN Wynn, 702-770-3463, minstestkitchen.com, Tuesday-Saturday, 6-10 p.m.
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