Nearly every visible table is full midway through Thursday-night dinner service at Nobu Las Vegas at Caesars Palace. Open seats at the bar are quickly filled as visitors in town for Shot Show, World of Concrete, and Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show mill about in the kinetically social, business casual atmosphere of the lounge, where the sound system’s volume is optimally set to allow both music and conversation to be heard.
Some make it a point to come here every year for the superlative dining experience. Key to that experience is pairing sake with an exquisitely prepared delicacy. For neophytes, Nobu Junmai Daiginjo TK 45 is an appropriate introduction. Medium-bodied and creamy, “The Premium Sake” complements the pleasurable flavor explosions provided by six tender pieces of yellowtail jalapeño sashimi, pictured.
Small-bite lobster tacos and nigiri made with snow crab or Japanese wagyu can be enhanced by the “Music Sake”—Honjozo Ongakushu Koshu. Rich and full-bodied, it’s aged to the wavelengths and frequencies of classical music. Rare, silky-smooth Nobu Daiginjo YK35 satisfies sake connoisseurs and goes well with black cod with miso, a favorite of Nobu co-owner Robert De Niro.
It’s been 11 years since De Niro wielded a ribbon-cutting samurai sword for the opening of Nobu Hotel with partner Nobu Matsuhisa, who opened his adjacent restaurant with a traditional sake ceremony. There are now more than 50 Nobu restaurants around the world, and the hotel brand continues to expand, with many more in the planning stages.
The Caesars Palace location is the only one in the U.S. with teppan tables, which Matsuhisa made expert use of during the 10th anniversary celebration last year. It’s the preeminent way to experience items from the teppanyaki tasting menu, including marvelously marbled A5 waygu, cooked on flat griddles and served with signature sauces.
A to-go menu is available from 5-8 p.m., and a dedicated sushi bar is manned by a crack crew of chefs wise to the ways of raw abalone, barracuda, mackerel and sea eel. Whether seeking a group setting or a solitary sake pairing experience, Nobu should be part of every foodie’s dining destiny.
Caesars Palace, 702.785.6628, caesars.com
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