Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS WESSLING Whisky soy- marinated robata pork ribs with aji panca barbecue sauce are paired with Akashi single malt, aged five years in sherry casks. SushiSamba's mission is to have the best, most diverse Japanese whisky selection in Vegas—an ambitious goal for the Palazzo restaurant already known for a mam- moth sake list and an inventive Japanese and South American menu. "Japanese whisky is based on Scotch, which goes back over 500 years," says Hayes Swope, SushiSamba's direc- tor of hospitality and training. "The Japanese are playing a lot more with different mix- tures of grains and barley but follow the same regulations." With its 30 mostly rare whiskies, it is carving a unique identity among its Strip competitors, including its next-door neighbor. "Delmonico Steakhouse has the biggest, best brown liquor list I've ever seen," he says. "And they have six from Japan." To spread the word, SushiSamba has intro- duced a seven-course Japanese whisky pairing menu, including a passion fruit sour served alongside a tempura Minter Sweet oys- ter. Swope describes the Wagyu Cocktail as "deca- dence in a glass."While the pairing dinner was devised as a limited run, he expects it to continue as the demand for Japanese whisky increases. Distilleries in Japan "honor and respect the different ingredients and the natural resources that go into making it, yet they're playful at the same time." Palazzo, 702-607- 0700; sushisamba.com . 50 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM BIG IN JAPAN INVENTIVE TAKES ON SCOTTISH TRADITION, SUSHISAMBA'S JAPANESE WHISKIES ARE SURPRISINGLY PERFECT WITH RAW FISH. BY ROB KACHELRIESS A Café Bom Bom (coffee custard, sweet ice cream, and Japanese whisky foam) finds its perfect foil in a Japanese cherry Manhattan granita, made with Japanese whisky, Antica Formula Carpano vermouth, cherry bitters, and maraschino cherry syrup. SCENE IMBIBE