Chef Masaharu Morimoto stood behind the curve of the teppan grill in a black chef's coat, his silver hair pulled into a tight ponytail and a blowtorch in one hand.
He carefully ignited a petite pile of wood chips and spices, then covered it with a large wine glass. Once the bowl of the glass had trapped enough smoke, he transferred it to cover a couple of slices of raw yellowtail dusted with togarashi chili powder and topped with a dab of gin creme fraiche.
"Yellowtail 'pastrami,'" Morimoto said as he presented the finished product, served with a swig of his own aged sake brand poured into the smoky glass.
Whether it's a breadbasket, a cocktail or an amuse-bouche, your first taste of a restaurant can speak to the experience that will follow. That bite, offered to a small group of invited press at a preopening luncheon for the chef's new restaurant in the MGM Grand, spoke firmly and said, "This is not what you think it is. This is more than another Strip sushi joint."
In a town that's already home to traditional Edomae sushi (Yui, Kabuto), modern raw-fish restaurants (Andrea's, Yonaka), an outpost from chef Masa Takayama and a pair of Nobus (along with an entire branded hotel tower), it would be easy to assume that the Morimoto Las Vegas, which debuted late last month, is a superfluous addition to the dining scene.
But if that preview meal was any indication, the Iron Chef's long-awaited entry into Las Vegas, which was initially slated for a 2014 opening at the Mirage, will win over diners with big flavors, exclusive dishes and a playfulness that balances the pristine ingredients and careful execution.
Sustainable toro tartare, made with farm-raised tuna, is served with a palette of six condiments and a tiny, silver paddle for mixing the perfect bite.
Along with staples such as braised black cod and spicy tuna tacos, the menu includes intriguing departures from the usual suspects: Pork Chop and Applesauce, with kimchi and bacon, or Duck, Duck, Goose, which is a duck meatball soup with duck confit fried rice and a gooseberry compote.
The teppan grill table at the Morimoto Las Vegas restaurant, which opened in late October in the MGM Grand hotel.
The bar area welcomes guests in for a drink, and a lengthy sushi bar leads to the main dining room, which features Morimoto's first teppan station.
An elevated take on live griddle cooking, the menu offers a la carte dishes such as the chef's take on Philly cheesesteak and garlic-fried rice with salmon or a multicourse omakase experience from $180 per person.
There's no volcano onion or flying shrimp, but the A5 beef sukiyaki — saucy tofu, bok choy, noodles and strips of perfectly cooked meat served with a soft, cooked egg for dipping — is a must.
You can certainly sit in the dining room (centered around a carving station with a shiny case of marbled meat) or at the sushi bar and have a lovely meal at Morimoto. But the teppan table will likely become the most coveted seats in the house. It delivers a fabulous mix of cooking and entertainment, much like the Iron Chef himself.
See www.mgmgrand.com/en/restaurants/morimoto.html.