Durango’s Ai Pono Caféis just the third Hawaiian-owned restaurant in a Las Vegas casino, according to its unfiltered, tattoo-clad founder Gene Villiatora. But the seasoned chef and self-styled “culinary gangster” is confident his Hawaiian street food is the most authentic in the Valley.
“The whole concept of Ai Pono is that we want to re-educate everyone ... because what the general public knows as Hawaiian food is not Hawaiian food,” he explains. “Chicken katsu is actually Japanese, and kalbi short ribs are Korean. And we have those same things here, but we also have original, gnarly combination plates of different flavors that make it a much better experience for people who want to try it.”
The savory beef short ribs ($25) are bolstered by Villiatora’s signature OG Black Magic teriyaki marinade, while newer, creative additions like the poke nachos ($16-$18)—served with spicy or shoyu-style poke atop 100% Mishima beef tallow-fried wonton chips, blanketed in garlic aioli and unagi sauce—are equally drool-worthy.
This blend of the traditional and innovative was informed by Villiatora’s upbringing in Whitmore Village, Oahu—“where all the pineapples are”—as well as his 1993 relocation to the Ninth Island, where he initially found work as a dishwasher at Aloha Specialties in the Hawaiian-favorite California Hotel and Casino. From there, he put in time at Tao Asian Bistro, Rainforest Cafe, House of Blues and even served as the personal chef for Station Casinos owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta. In 2008, he also became the first Hawaiian-born contestant on Top Chef.
Villiatora channeled these experiences into opening a California-based meal prep service ahead of launching the first Ai Pono in Costa Mesa in 2019. The upstart ultimately thrived amid the uncertainty of the pandemic, and when it came time to scout for a second location, Las Vegas seemed like a no-brainer. Then, a chance encounter solidified its fate.
“Whenever I come to visit Vegas, I stay at Red Rock,” he says. “I was staying there before I had a meeting with Boyd Gaming to bring my cafe to one of their properties. As I was leaving for that, I bumped into Lorenzo [Fertitta] and we started catching up.”
Fertitta didn’t hide his interest, and Ai Pono landed at Durango Casino & Resort instead.
Now, guests can explore staples like Da Side Chick ($14), a delicious take on a spicy chicken sandwich nestled inside a purple ube brioche bun; Crackhead Chicken ($18), made with a secret batter, “Sob” sauce and coconut-garlic miso glaze; the self-explanatory guava chili pepper chicken ($18); and varied combination plates with proteins ranging from poke, shrimp and beef nestled alongside accompaniments like Hawaiian mac salad, rice and greens.
Consistent with the Ai Pono name—roughly translated as “to eat or nourish” and “with ease, naturally, in harmony and wholeness”—Villiatora touts his use of quality ingredients like beef tallow and cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil he sources directly from Lebanon.
“With just those two components alone, we’re already above, as far as being health-conscious,” Villiatora says. “That, as well as the creativity of our menu, is how we stay ahead.”
AI PONO CAFÉ Durango, 702-567-7842, durangoresort.com. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-9 a.m.
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