Mizumi
Green Tea
Tempura Scallop with Avocado Puree, Osetra Caviar, Micro Basil
Chilled Shigoku Oysters with Ponzu-Red Wine Mignonette, Fresh Wasabi, Micro Shiso
Organic Tofu and Shinseki Pear Salad – Furikake Lavosh, Kokabu Turnops, Pomegranate, Yuzu Vinaigrette
Angus Beef Tataki – Fried Leeks, Ponzu Gelee, Ginger Oroshi, Kimchee, Kokabu Turnips
Giant Clam, Clam Muscle in Yuzu Butter Sauce, Pink Snapper, Kampachi, O-Toro, Bluefin, Ocean Trout, Bay Scallop with Premium Soy Sauce and Ponzu
Big Island Abalone and Black Truffle Chawanmushi with Mitsuba Leaves
Seared Foie Gras with Kabocha Puree, Micro Green and Pomegranate Salad, Chestnut Foam, Fall Spice, Pomegranate-Balsamic Reduction
Miso Grilled Octopus – Ruby Red Grapefruit, Frisee and Fennel Salad, Crispy Garlic, Yuzu Kosho
Kami Nabe Hot Pot – Seabass, White Shrimp, King Crab, Scallop, Tokyo Negi, Shiitake Mushrooms, Shirataki Noodles, Mitsuba, Carrots
Green Tea Panna Cotta – Green Tea Sponge, Pistachio Crumble, Fresh Plums / Liquid Lemon-Yuzu Cheesecake – Graham Walnut Streusel, Sour Cherry Compote, Sugared Walnuts, Morello Cherry Sorbet / Vegan Coconut Croquant – Coconut Snow, Organic Sugarloaf Pineapple, Lime Gel, Pandan Sorbet
Honey Toast – Toasted Brioche Cubes, Honey-Peach Jam, Brown Butter Ice Cream, Hazelnut Crunch
Mizumi Chocolate Mask – White Chocolate, Hazelnut Dacquiose, Chocolate Mousse, Praline Puffed Rice, Vanilla Ice Cream
Long residing on a fine dining ‘to-do’ list that never seems to shorten in a city where change is far more common than a truly classic space it was finally on Friday evening that myself and two friends sat down to dinner at Devin Hashimoto’s Mizumi within the Wynn, the former chef at Michelin 2* Alex serving up modern Japanese cuisine as exquisite in execution as it is high in price.
No doubt one of the best rooms in Las Vegas, a waterfall view in the main room sure to wow both tourists and locals alike, it was just after the restaurant’s 5:30 opening that all were seated in plush chairs gathered around a spacious marble four-top, the menu presented and perused as forgivingly light EDM pulsed overhead.
Greeted by the Chef who graciously agreed to cook for the table it was with hot green tea charged at $15 with unlimited refills that the evening commenced, one member of the table instead opting for a modestly priced sake that reportedly proved to be a bargain given the quality as a lightly battered scallop crowned in briny caviar spoke to high quality sourcing and plating intended to impress.
Served in five courses in a time-span just over two hours and a half, the first round saw the kitchen focus on raw presentations including a half-dozen oysters enlivened by fresh wasabi alongside strips of paper-thin beef as well as an ambitious tofu salad, each bite of the later showing a complex interplay of textures as well as flavors while melt-in-your-mouth Angus found balance in ponzu and cabbage aged to ferment.
Requesting the kitchen ‘go easy’ on sushi, but clearly ignoring such constraints when allowed to offer at their whim, course two saw Devin send out a large sampling of items flown in daily, the tender toro taken from just below the collar perhaps the best piece of tuna to ever grace my palate while the clam and its warmed extras were nearly as thrilling and tender, the snappy pink snapper another memorable bite.
Onward to warm items, all three menu mainstays with slight variance in the accoutrements depending on what is most fresh, suffice it to say that $40 for a small pot of egg custard seems expensive no matter how exotic the ingredients while both the unctuous duck liver and lightly grilled octopus competed to steal the spotlight from one another, the autumnal notes of the former no less lovely despite the warm weather while the bitter grapefruit gracing the latter dazzled in juxtaposition to fennel and garlic fried crisp.
Light on the stomach, as Japanese cuisine often seems to trend, a hot-pot was presented as the night’s final savory, the admixture of seabass and shellfish all cooked to a semi-firm texture above still-burning flames as the mushrooms, vegetables, and springy noodles all lent textural variance to a broth that was crystal clear but umami rich.
Truly a restaurant worthy its accolades, though the pre-tip bill trumped $350 even with few items offered as gifts, it was with Devin standing tableside discussing Las Vegas dining in general that the meal would end, a trio of molecular-influenced ‘sundaes’ each memorable in their own way while an additional request for cubed honey-toast riffing on a parfait or bread pudding was absolutely outstanding beneath fresh peach jam and brown butter ice cream, the “Mizumi Chocolate Mask” a destination sort of signature as beautiful as it was enjoyable to eat.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS: Only short of the city’s very best meals thanks to the premium charged for prime real estate along the man-made lake, there is no doubt that Mizumi offers a true dining ‘experience’ that extends beyond just sushi or contemporary Japanese dining, the humble chef’s French training coming across in plates reminiscent of Robuchon and at times even more refined.
RECOMMENDED: Toro, Angus Beef Tataki, Foie Gras, Chocolate Mask, Liquid Lemon-Yuzu Cheesecake.
AVOID: Oysters are aggressively priced at $4.25 each while the Chawanmushi, as elegant as it is, seems criminal at around $4-5 per spoon.
TIP: Offering several seating options beyond the main dining room, those interested in alternatives are encouraged to explore the bar, curved sushi counter, Robatayaki station, Teppanyaki room, or even the exclusive private dining room tucked behind a wall of fine wines.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/Dining/FineDining/Mizumi
