A new high-end Japanese restaurant has opened at The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The restaurant, Kumi Japanese Restaurant and Bar is an addition to the restaurant collection form The Light Group.
The chef at Kumi is Akira Back whose the head chef at Yellowtail at Bellagio as well. For Back, Kumi has inspired menu options that mirror his Korean-American heritage.
Back told USA Today Travel that the mission behind the restaurant was to bring in new influences from his Korean heritage.
"Seeing the Wow factor on peoples' faces and the excitement when they come to eat in one of my restaurants is the ultimate goal. Like all chefs, my passion for food is passed onto the guests through my dishes. At the end of the day we just want everyone to be happy," he said to USA Today Travel.
Back notes that at his other eatery Yellowtail they kept the menu mostly traditional Japanese with a few different twists. However at Kumi they branched out even more with a goal of havinga broader market and making food fun and inventive while still approachable.
"Some of my inspiration comes from my Korean-American heritage. You'll get a glimpse of that with some of the signature rolls such as the Seoul Garden which features baby spinach, carrots and grilled shiitake which is similar to the bibimbap (rice topped with sautéed vegetables) my mom used to make for me when I was growing up, and the Fireball with crab, cucumber and XXX Hot Kimchee sauce," he said to USA Today Travel.
Back recommeneds their shared plates such as the crispy rice with blackened tuna, "seaweed and screaming O sauce followed by the Kobe tataki with micro arugula, garlic crisps, ponzu and olive oil. The miso black cod is also a must-do followed by Colorado lamb chops which are served with edamame coucous and a really flavorful Korean anticucho sauce," he said.
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