46 Discoveries: Going Beyond
Floral and events designer Preston Bailey shares three of his favorite moments throughout Wynn and Encore.
The hot kitchen is where Hashimoto brings together his Japanese heritage and classical French training, in dishes like the Big Island abalone and black truffle chawanmushi, an egg custard entrée with mitsuba leaves. “The abalone are from Hawaii, and are cooked sous vide for 13 hours,” says the chef. “Then the egg custard is steamed and the abalone is added just before the custard is set.” According to Hashimoto, Japanese and French cuisines are very similar. “Kaieski is very detailed, small plating and seasonal courses. It is like what the French do in their tasting menus,” he explains. “The pride in the products and techniques. Whether it is chicken stock or dashi, it’s the same thing. Very precise.” That precision and artful selection of ingredients is evident in the restaurant’s Kobe Beef Hot Stone Tataki, where the certified Kobe beef is thinly sliced and served raw tableside for guests to sear—for no more than five seconds—on a hot ceramic stone. Served with a trio of dipping sauces, Hashimoto says,“it’s one of our most popular dishes. A lot of guests come back for it. But for the foodies, the chef’s tasting menu is the way to go to experience the most creative and unique dishes.” n