Friday, November 16, 10:45 p.m.
I would swear this bar wasn’t here last night.” All around Planet Hollywood are the signs of a grand-opening weekend, the glowing new Halo bar seeming to have sprung up outside the Theater for the Performing Arts almost overnight. Nearly every week, something new is opening at the “Ph” or in the Miracle Mile Shops: Trader Vic’s, Strip House and soon the Hawaiian Tropic Zone, Privé and the Living Room. Also opened recently is Koi Restaurant & Lounge, the Koi Group’s fourth venue, along with outposts in LA, New York and Bangkok, Thailand.
It’s not difficult to imagine a night of seeing and being seen in Koi’s pan-Asian-inspired lounge and the understated dining room that lies beyond. Three chubby, golden see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil Buddhas greet me at the entrance from their perch between two Thai bells and amid Egyptian alabaster candle-holders. I give the wall of Thai prayer wheels a spin for good luck.
Located at the end of a mezzanine Planet Hollywood calls “The Mezz,” Koi sits pretty, just beyond Strip House Restaurant and the Stomp theater. Through the carved wooden doors, I travel along a gently curved verandah overlooking the casino floor, a bird’s-eye view obscured only by flirty silver threads. In the circular lounge, beneath seductive saffron-colored lighting, low silver and ivory banquettes are elegantly lit by hurricane vases with horsetail and sturdy-but-delicate live white orchids. The seating radiates out from a central column and a natural stage, which I can only image will soon get much use for fashion events and charitable socials.
A second lounge, the exclusive 14-table Fountain Lounge, is hidden beyond the main dining room and overlooks Bellagio’s dancing waters. Featuring tables low enough for lounging and substantial enough for dinner, this is dining with a scene! Outside, additional patio space facing the CityCenter jungle gym has been acquired though not yet renovated.
Between the lounge and the restaurant, serpentine cream and onyx tiled walls form the bar and DJ booth where the House Society Crew’s Keith Evan has his headphones clamped on and periodically sips on what looks like a nice red wine. From his perch he not only can see over the bar and into the lounge, but a contemporary window cut-out behind him allows him to keep tabs on whether heads in the restaurant and sushi bar are bopping to his down-tempo, international beats as well. The music is much appreciated by tonight’s fashionable crowd. At the end of the bar, Mark McGrath and the whole Extra tele-tabloid team have commandeered an area for about 15. Every once in a while strange bird sounds emanate from McGrath and his cranberry vodka.
“The grapes used to make this wine had better be extinct,” my boyfriend says, grumbling just a little into his $18 glass of Pinot Noir. Admittedly, Koi’s prices are steep. But there is value to be found yet. I dive head-first into the voluminous sake list and emerge with 4 ounces of Dassai Go Ju, an unfiltered Nigori sake available for $12 (or in an 8-ounce carafe for $23), and Nanbu Bijin Ginjo sake, $15. Six such sakes are available by the glass and carafe, while another 26 are available by the bottle. Steer clear of the wines-by-the-glass list unless you really want to make an investment. The cocktail list reads like a dessert menu, and fortunately, Koi has one of those, too. The full dining menu is available at the bar and in the lounge, so while I munch happily on my special-request spicy tuna with eel roll, I keep my eyes peeled for anyone indulging in one of the six desserts or the $46 sampler platter.
It had occurred to me during a pre-opening walk-through with GM Will Dunbar that Koi is designed with the idea that we are fish in a beautifully appointed koi pond. The stone, the tiles, the sensuous curves and the forests of bamboo and grass are all meant to smooth out our rougher edges in a manner that is both Zen and full of energy (chi). I’m so enchanted by the notion, I hardly notice the sting of the bill. Sneaky ...
Xania Woodman thinks globally and parties locally. And frequently. E-mail her at [email protected] and visit www.thecircuitlv.com to sign up for Xania’s free weekly newsletter.