Author: mitchell

Yonaka: Modern Japanese, Even More Modern-er

So, dig on this new restaurant, friends: YONAKA.  It’s been open for less than a month, but already it’s starting to beat out a lion’s share of the hip Japanese-fusion restaurants on the strip by a country mile, in my opinion.  Granted, we are plagued by those paint-by-numbers sushi joints in disguise, two or three to a casino property (hopefully a tide to be turned by the recent Palazzo top-tier sushi announcement), but honestly the quality and downright artistic creativity I’m seeing here is SHOCKING.

The meal starts out with an Amuse-bouche, mine was a little square of edamame tofu with just a dab of yuzu tobiko roe and maldon salt.  The nuttiness of this, I assure you, groves of nut trees would covet.  Nice to see this small but appreciated wink-and-nod to the coming meal can be practiced off-strip without being contrived.  It’s fun, it’s simple, and the creamy/nutty tofu with just that tiniest bit of citrus and fish comes off pitch-perfect.  Hopes, consider yourselves raised.  Looking back, this was going through my mind.

I'd covet this.

A cursory glance at the menu won’t give any real indicator to the food to come, but once you start noticing menu descriptors like “apple chips” and “kafir lime vinaigrette” and “preserved lemon”, one does begin to wonder.  Mainly choosing with my empty stomach, I got the item with two types of fishes (my stomach is not logical…), Konpa: Atlantic Salmon and Hamachi, with yellow bell pepper, almonds, tiny slices of preserved apricot, super thin jalapeno wheels, and almost transparently thin dehydrated tomato chips, all in an orange ponzu.  Whew, that’s quite a list of elements, but it really is a bit of a salad in and around and highlighting some extremely superb fish.  The duo of rich, fatty fish cut into sashimi bits contrasted well with the bright, tangy ponzu (like all their sauces, made in-house), sweet preserved apricot, and surprisingly addictive tomato chips.  Perhaps most surprising was palate of textures presented, making each bite a fun little game of “find the best combo” (although, if that puzzle was solved for me and topped neatly onto the sashimi, I wouldn’t complain…).

Atlantic Salmon and Hamachi hodge-podge salad

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Hi-Scores/The Players Club is a 1up in the Rough

Anyone who’s talked food with me in the past week will attest to my vigor in recommending this hip little spot down in Henderson.   If you can remember way way back when people couldn’t stop talking about Insert Coins because it was a new, cool idea?   Then, in our embarrassment at having had high hopes for a bar/arcade (I am loathe to use the portmanteau: Barcade) which were quickly dashed by what became one of the least appealing bars downtown, we quickly developed a Pavlovian gag-reflex against the concept?   Well, I do; that’s why the overbearing theme for my visits here at Hi-Scores were just “Surprise”.   A preface: I’m not even a ‘video game guy’, and even without that much interest in the subject (I’ll shoot up some Zombies when I’m there if the mood strikes, but that’s it) Hi-Scores and The Players Club stands very well on its own.  I have to say that there is no other restaurant or bar that has surprised me so thoroughly, in almost every facet.

The Hi-Scores Bar

First:  While these are technically two separate places, there are only a couple differences.  Primarily, it’s a matter of atmosphere;  the Hi-Scores side caters to a bit of a younger crowd, and is the primary video-game-centric side.  This is the side that has a slightly longer tap-list, is a bit more of a high energy setting, and has a ton of old arcade cabinet games, racing chairs, tabletop Pac-Man, and a row of modern gaming consoles on projectors.  The best part about this is that they are all free; not one red cent you’ll have to divert from your beer tab.  The other side is a more upscale venue.  It’s quieter, more relaxed, and just has a few Golden Tee type games.  They have a very solid list of whiskies and especially tequilas (look up that Casa Dragones tequila in the picture, it’s WORLD class), and is more cocktail focused than it is beer.  Aside from that, both sides have the same menu, same beer bottle list, and same craft cocktail list.

Casa Dragones. This is a beautiful tequila and I haven't seen it elsewhere in town...

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You say Andrea’s (an-DRAY-əs), I say Andrea’s (AN-dree-əs).

Named after Wynn’s wife and featuring her ever-present eyes glaring across the expansive lifted dining area Big Brother-style, Andrea’s opened just before NYE among a roar of… cautious optimism?  I’m not sure what everyone was supposed to feel about something as vague as another “hip Asian dining” opening in a casino that has Mizumi, Wing Lei, Wazuzu, and even a central dim sum kitchen (for buffet, brunches, in room, and any dim sum menu items in the restaurants) in the way most just have a central pastry kitchen.  While I’m sure the people tirelessly churning out mountains of dumpling steam-baskets were perhaps less than thrilled, the promise of Joseph Elevado taking the reigns as Exec Chef should pique a good interest or two.  With experience in Social House, L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, and TWO whole Nobu locations, Andrea’s looks right in his wheelhouse.  Wynn does have a penchant for churning out spaces that fit his specific view of  class, and Elevado’s cuisine sounds like a match made in heaven.  Well, let’s go ahead and take a look at the website, why not?

She's always watching...

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