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| - Chicago Chef Merges has expanded to Las Vegas with his interpretation of Japanese street food. Yusho is located at the front of the Monte Carlo Resort and is quite an architectural departure from Monte Carlo's neoclassical style. Yusho's interior is contemporary, colorful yet there is a bit of austerity from its clean lines. Service is excellent, friendly, attentive and descriptive. Rob, our waiter is a Hawaii-born transplant who energetically articulated the specials, menu descriptions and portion sizes. We were impressed with Josh Wolf, Sake Sommelier, who also came by to "talk story" with us.
I noted this restaurant after reading about it in an issue of Eater National. My curiosity was piqued because it's billed as a Japanese Grill and Noodle House. Yusho's chef had been the executive chef under acclaimed Chef Charlie Trotter and also mentor to some other talented and respected culinary professionals. I was curious how Chef Merges would put his spin on the familiar Japanese street foods such as ramen, tempura, yakiniku (Japanese barbecue or grill) and grilled skewered assorted meats.
We truly enjoyed Yusho's Japanese inspired cuisine from simple, sublime to intensely flavored dishes. Each dish was presented beautifully in a comfortable, somewhat homey feel. The flavors were executed well and blended Japanese and Western cooking techniques. Don't expect a traditional Japanese restaurant or ramen shop or sushi bar here!
Our menu selections for this evening included the following.
- Grilled octopus with haricot vert, enoki mushrooms, and egg yolk. The grilled octopus was tender and lightly smoky and formed a melange with julienned haricot vert, baby enoki mushrooms finished with a rich, creamy egg yolk sauce. There was a kick of spicy chilie that balanced the richness of this dish.
- Grilled Shishito peppers served in ponzu with grilled shallots and tendrils of grated lemon rind. The peppers aren't spicy hot but ponzu and lemon brightened the smoky grilled flavor.
- Logan Poser Ramen came in a rice bowl size serving vessel. There was a log of crispy shredded pork topped by bonito flakes that waved from the heat. Behind the pork log was 2 squares of crisp nori. The pork and nori covered fresh, steaming hot ramen in a lightly spiced Kotteri-type broth. The broth was luscious and had that "umaminess".
- Veggie tempura was a huge bowl of light as air battered seasonal vegetables and thin slices of lemons. A bowl of ponzu sauce finished this dish.
- Crispy cod in steamed bun with pickled cucumber, sesame and watercress. The bun was pillowy soft that was a contrast to the crispness of the fried cod. The cod was expertly done as it was moist and silky beneath its crispy "shell". All of the contrasting textures, crispy to silky to pillowy worked together in harmony.
- Tofu Doughnuts rolled in rosemary sugar and topped with purple potato sauce and toasted hazelnuts. These doughnuts were creamy yet somewhat dense, almost like a really good Andagi or cake doughnut.
All of the food was packed with flavor that was familiar to us Hawaii-born but had unexpected twists to traditional Japanese food. Prices to portion seemed a bit steep, for example, the rice bowl sized ramen cost $21.
I wish much success to Chef Merges on his culinary expansion to Las Vegas.
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