I've had this on my list of places to eat for a couple of years now. Ever since dining at é by José Andrés, the secret 8-seater restaurant inside Jaleo, I've been wanting to visit Raku.
The chef at é by José Andrés told me that local and visiting chefs choose Raku as their place to dine.
The final push for me finally came when a food blogger/line cook at a very hot LA restaurant who recently told me that he would drive from LA to Las Vegas just to eat at Raku. I've seen his Instagram feed. I trusted his opinion as much as I trusted the chef at é by José Andrés who told me about Raku years ago.
To me, off the strip is where you'll find the best food in Vegas. This is where the locals and chefs eat.
I'm not so much a fan of celebrity chefs. Nor am I a fan of the white table cloth restaurants on the strip charging minimum $500 per person to eat by a Picasso and then you're left with the desire to eat at Shake Shack or In-N-Out Burger after that really expensive horse and pony show.
Raku is exactly what I expected and more. This visit to Vegas was just to eat at Raku.
This is a restaurant, or shall I say food mecca or food nerd pilgrimage site, is where die hard food lovers and sake connoisseurs eat and collide. They had quite the extensive list of sakes to choose from.
The two different styles of recommended fresh tofu I had were out of this world amazing. The textures and flavors were both unique and equally delicious. I ordered some of the more unsual items on the menu such as the rare tuna from Japan and the pork cheeks. I don't eat chicken at place like this. I can't wait to return to Vegas and try more at Raku, as well as visit nearby Sweets Raku.
This place doesn't seem so popular with Yelper Angelenos who all seem to be chasing the big name celebrity restaurants on the Las Vegas strip. Feels like a little secret for those willing to go the extra mile to find the best food in Vegas.
It sounds like the best and most interesting restaurants in Vegas are off strip from the conversation I had with the chef. And, that's what I did on this trip to Vegas. I enjoyed Vegas even more so off the strip exploring restaurants than any of my Vegas trips dining on the strip.
My kind of Vegas vacation.