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| - On my most recent trip to Vegas to celebrate my cousin's 21st birthday my entire party and I had the pleasure of eating here. This upscale sushi restaurant is the latest addition to the Mandalay Bay fine dining scene, which opened July 2013.
CONCEPT: Kumi is a collaboration between the Light Group and executive chef Akira Back (Yellowtail Japanese Restaurant & Lounge @ Bellagio). The restaurant's focus is Japanese sushi with a Korean twist, reflecting the chef's Korean background.
VENUE: As stated earlier the restaurant is located on the Mandalay fine dining strip near STRIPSTEAK and Red Square. If you look at the floor you'll see the names of fish written in hiragana. The entrance seems very reminiscent of an entrance to a ryokan and is very inviting. Tables near the entrance allow you to people watch. The lights and back wall created an image of sakura blooming in the springtime.
SERVICE: The server was attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu. All his menu picks ended up being loved by all. Towards the end it took a little while to flag him down to get the last order of sushi.
FOOD/DRINK: With the exception of the Dragon Bowl, for a party of 7 two orders of each of the following menu items were needed as one order wouldn't be enough for each person to try. Usually a serving can feed 2-4 people depending on what else is ordered. This is ultimately the only real con of this place: one signature sushi entree isn't going to be enough to feed one person. Those $$$$ in the listing are there for a reason; this is one of the most extravagant places I've eaten in Vegas.
1. Dragon Bowl: their signature bowl drink normally meant for at least 2 people. Each person was able to have several sips. The bowl had one whole lemon garnish and two pineapple leaves as decor. Drink had at the very least pineapple and a good quality rum.
2. Rock Shrimp Tempura (Sriracha Ranch, Micro Celery) [$16]: When I tasted this I was immediately reminded of Spanish patatas bravas as the sriracha ranch tasted EXACTLY like brava sauce and the tempura was crunchy yet light. I could taste the shrimp though the sriracha ranch flavor was strong. This is a very addicting appetizer and I could have easily eaten a bowl to myself.
3. Hot Mess (Crab, Sashimi Poke, Screaming O Sauce) [$20]: The sauce was akin to a spicy teriyaki sauce but I could still taste the crab and the poke. The dish itself was spicy, but the sushi can still linger in the mouth and not burn your tongue.
4. Pop Rockin' (Spicy Tuna, Crab, Salmon, Avocado, Pop Rocks) [$19]: This sushi is an example of an unusual ingredient in a dish (the Pop Rocks) that works VERY well and makes the dish stand out. The sweet Pop Rocks definitely add to the avocado and the spicy tuna/salmon. Flavor combination was just perfect.
5. Fireball (Crab, Cucumber, XXX Hot Kimchee Sauce) [$19]: Least favorite of the sushi but still quite delicious. Crab was soft and the cucumber had a texture very similar to pasta (which is why any "pasta" dish under 500 calories usually is just cucumber), but like my cousin's friend said, was one-dimensional. It was also the spiciest of all the dishes.
6. Crispy Pork Belly (Brussels Coleslaw) [$17]: As everyone was still hungry for at least one more roll my cousin's friend and I wanted to try a non-seafood sushi option. The pork belly was crispy and the sweet sauces at the top and bottom balanced the meat. This is another example of a perfect flavor combination and along with the Pop Rockin', my other favorite sushi dish.
My cousin had a birthday dessert dish that had mochi ice cream pieces, one for each person. Mochi was soft and fresh and the ice cream was a nice sweet touch to end several sushi courses.
Considering I am a person that normally doesn't go out of the way to eat sushi and really doesn't like cheap sushi places, this was certainly one of the best meals I've had this year, one of the best meals I've ever had in Vegas and if I were to rank my top 10 dining experiences, this would certainly be in one of the spots. I look forward to the next opportunity dining here again.
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