Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/149416
PLATE ENVY clockwise from far left: Mizumi's Special Omakase Sushi and Sashimi Platter. Todd-Avery Lenahan and Masaru Matsuura discuss the intricacies of plating at Mizumi's sushi bar; the Crunchy Salmon Box with avocado, jalapeño, golden tobiko, and spicy yuzu miso sauce. A CUT ABOVE We asked interior designer Todd-Avery Lenahan—he of masterful, sumptuous spaces such as The Spa at Encore—to discuss the care and craft of presentation with a fellow visual artist: Mizumi master sushi chef Masaru Matsuura. BY DEVIN HOWELL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYAN HAINER M izumi's meticulously designed plates are as integral to the restaurant's aesthetic as its stunning garden views, so naturally master sushi chef Masaru Matsuura and interior designer (and former resident of Japan) Todd-Avery Lenahan had a lot to talk about. The sushi master discussed his craft while making the restaurant's special omakase sushi and sashimi platter, and the Crunchy Salmon Box with avocado, jalapeño, golden tobiko and spicy yuzu miso sauce. Todd-Avery Lenahan: I think a lot of people misunderstand what sushi is versus sashimi. How do you differentiate between the two? Masaru Matsuura: Sushi is always with rice, but sashimi is just a slice of the fish, and a little bit different in size. TAL: Are these your own personal knives? MM: Yes, all sushi chefs have their own knives. They don't want to use other people's knives. TAL: So these are like your paintbrushes. MM: Exactly. I have had them for 10 years. I brought them from Japan. 42 TAL: The sushi bar seems like a solitary craft versus the collaboration you see back in the kitchen. You seem very focused on your own work. MM: We are focused on the sushi bar guests. People sit in front of the sushi chef, so we ask the guests what they like or not. We decide what people like and then we make that. TAL: How often do people ask you to surprise them instead of ordering their own choice? MM: Many people ask to be surprised. TAL: If someone is coming to Mizumi for the first time and has never eaten sushi, what would you prepare to give them a full, flavorful experience? MM: Maybe a basic California roll. That's crabmeat, avocado, rice, and sesame seeds. They enjoy that. And step-by-step they try some other fish. TAL: Can you tell a guest's experience with sushi based on what he or she orders? MM: Yes, I can tell. I can tell East Coast people from West Coast people. New York people love sushi and sashimi. West Coast people like rolls. Also, you see their preferences in different types of fish. Like albacore tuna; New York people are not interested in this fish, but West Coast people like albacore. TAL: I went to a sushi restaurant in Tokyo, and they took the fish out of the tank and put its heart in a tiny bowl as its own presentation. There was some meaning about the spirit of the fish and that it was a gift from nature and you should honor that. MM: That's Japanese style. They don't want to eat too much. They want to taste seasonal fish. Just a tasting. TAL: Which seafood on your menu has traveled the farthest? MM: Sea urchin from Santa Barbara, octopus from Japan, jumbo clams from Seattle, or fluke from Korea; our albacore comes from the West Coast, yellowtail from Japan, tuna from Hawaii and Spain, and some others come from Scotland. TAL: If you visit another sushi restaurant, is there a tradition that you introduce yourself to that establishment's sushi chef? MM: In Las Vegas, all of the executive sushi chefs, we know each other. So sometimes we meet and go out to dinner together. TAL: Do you see yourself as a perfectionist? MM: Yes. Mostly on special dishes I create, but I travel a lot and every time I go to a restaurant, I'm learning new styles and presentations. n WYNN 042_W_FOB_PlateEnvy_Fall13.indd 42 8/9/13 12:21 PM