Steakhead in Las Vegas- Nobu

As part of the ‘Steakhead on the Road’ series, I turn my attention to my favorite city on Earth- Las Vegas!!! Seriously, Vegas has it all- gambling, great food, free drinks, and the occasional nudie bar. I usually get to Vegas about twice a year, between work conventions and trips with the boys. Last weekend, however, I took the wife. I figured this trip would incorporate more great meals and shows (correct), and less gambling, drinking and nudie bars (wrong).

The restaurant highlight was definitely Nobu, an upscale sushi experience (its way more than a sushi bar) in the Hard Rock. First things, first- this place is expensive. A former boss suggested the Omakase (chef’s selection dinner), which consists of 3 cold sashimi-inspired dishes, 2 hot dishes, miso soup, a platter of five pieces of sushi and dessert. What does a meal like this cost, you ask? There are two variations- $100/pp or $120/pp, with the more expensive plate consisting of a more exotic selection of fish. The Omakase differs each night (maybe for each meal), so giving you the exact run down will be somewhat useless. But I can say that the opening toro tartare (tuna belly) was amongst the most pleasurable experiences my palette has ever had. I don’t recall anything specific about the rest of the meal; could be the day of drinks, or simply because the first dish was so good, the rest didn’t matter. The service is deliberate, so you at least feel your dollar lasts a while (unlike a bad run at the blackjack table).

The questions here are: 1) Is the trip to Nobu worthwhile? The answer is absolutely yes. Is the Omakase worthwhile. That answer depends. I am really glad we did it, but I also had the luxury of some decent luck at the tables before we ate, so I didn’t really feel the price pinch. Overall, my advice is if you are a fan of sushi, you NEED to go to Nobu, and decide when you get there as to how to order. Another piece of advice, when with the wife, skip the trip to the Rhino (much more enjoyable when just with the boys). Grade: A.