ARIA brings two new celebrity chefs to the Las Vegas Strip at CityCenter

November 6, 2:06 PMLas Vegas Fine Dining ExaminerMark Sherwood

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ARIA Casino & Resort anchors MGM's new CityCenter project
on the Las Vegas Strip. MGM Mirage

Thanks to MGM's mammoth new  CityCenter, the number of fine dining restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip is about to dramatically increase. CityCenter's largest property is ARIA Resort & Casino. The resort officially opens on December 16 and will be home to an impressive array of restaurants which will be presided over by some very rare culinary talents. The most intriguing of whom may be the two newcomers to Las Vegas, Masayoshi Takayama and Shawn McClain.

For almost two decades Las Vegas has been importing celebrity chefs from all over the world. The first was Wolfgang Puck whose renowned Los Angeles restaurant 'Spago' was successfully replicated at Ceasar's Palace. Puck's success encouraged dozens more chefs to follow suit and transformed Vegas from a cheap buffet and free drinks dining experience into one of the world's best restaurant cities. 

Masayoshi Takayama, the world-renowned chef of the famed Masa in New York City will open Bar Masa, a restaurant divided into two unique spaces that offer different styles of service and cuisine. In the first, more casual space, guests will be invited to order from an à la carte menu featuring Chef Masa’s style of modern Japanese cuisine. The second space, Shaboo, will be an exclusive dining experience within Bar Masa. Once seated, guests will be surrounded by warm lighting from above, as if they are in their own private dining universe. Each table has been designed with its own induction cooking element and adorned with special vessels for the ultimate dining experience. The space will showcase serving vessels stored in the restaurant’s private cobalt blue concrete vault. At Shaboo, Chef Masa’s menu will change each evening and will be based on the best seasonally available products. The restaurant will be refined and sleek, yet awe-inspiring with ceilings that soar to 42 feet. Materials will be natural and understated, maintaining Chef Masa’s commitment to simple food and an inspiring environment in which to enjoy it.

Chef Shawn McClain will open his first restaurant outside of Chicago at ARIA. The seafood-centric menu of his first restaurant, Spring, drew immediate raves after opening in 2001, earning a coveted James Beard Foundation Best New Restaurant nomination as well as catapulting McClain to national recognition as Chef of the Year as awarded by Esquire magazine. McClain stretched his culinary muscle with the vegetable-focused Green Zebra, which opened in 2004, followed a year later by Custom House, a modern steak-focused restaurant. In 2006, McClain was recognized by the James Beard Foundation as Best Chef Midwest. When McClain opens Sage at ARIA, the influence of all three restaurants will be evident, as he spotlights farm-to-table produce, artisanal meats and sustainable seafood, all presented in a room designed by Jacques Garcia Decoration, which offers an informal atmosphere that aims to be sophisticated yet comfortable.