As Simon Kim puts the finishing touches on the new Cote that he’s about to open at the Venetian casino-resort in Las Vegas, he’s been thinking about how his Korean steakhouse has been influenced by Vegas.
“This is where it all started,” Kim, the founder and CEO of Gracious Hospitality Management, tells Observer.
The Seoul-born restaurant mogul’s first hospitality gig was working the front desk of the MGM Grand while going to school at UNLV.
“A big portion of Cote’s DNA and my DNA as a restaurateur has Las Vegas in it, and that’s why all my restaurants outside of Las Vegas always had that dark room, big music, speakers and neon signs,” Kim says. “I’ve wanted Cote to come to Vegas for a very long time, and I had multiple conversations and multiple opportunities. I finally found the perfect partners, perfect location and perfect everything.”
Cote, which has earned a Michelin star in New York and changed the game for Korean barbecue as it expanded to Miami and Singapore, will open inside the Palazzo waterfall atrium at the Venetian on October 4.
The new Rockwell Group-designed Cote will be a more-is-more destination with 250 seats between the dining room and VIP skyboxes. The space will also have a glowing bar, a crow’s-nest DJ booth, pulsating lights and a nonstop party vibe.
“Cote Las Vegas is 18,000 square feet of pure entertainment,” Kim says. “People are seeking more and more experiential, immersive experiences. You walk into Cote and you’re going to be fully immersed in the universe of Cote. It’s stadium seating. So if you want to see and be seen, this is the place. If you want a quiet, isolated dinner, please do not come to Cote.”
Kim worked closely with David Rockwell, whose portfolio includes Tao and Nobu, on the restaurant’s over-the-top design.
“David and I really collaborated and put a lot of creativity together,” Kim says.
The result, Kim adds, is something like working with the best private jet designer and ending up with a UFO. Kim is exhilarated about how the reality of Cote Las Vegas has surpassed his original vision.
Chef David Shim’s menu in Las Vegas will feature extravagant new items, including a grand seafood plateau loaded with hwe (Korean sashimi) alongside caviar, Shigoku oyster dynamite, chilled oysters, shrimp cocktail and chunks of lobster that are eaten like escargot and are presented inside whelk shells.
As always, Cote is about riffing on the idea of a traditional steakhouse and merging it with the wonders of Korean barbecue and other Korean elements. Tabletop grills and banchan will set the tone just as much as the DJ hovering above.
Cote is upping the ante in Las Vegas by revamping its steak omakase and introducing the new Blackjack sandwich, made with Kagoshima A5 wagyu, Périgord truffle and truffle aioli on milk toast. The wine list from beverage director Victoria James will feature more than 1,200 carefully selected labels.
With four upstairs private rooms known as Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs, the new Cote is very much embracing the big-bet energy of Las Vegas. Yes, high rollers and celebrities can use these spaces to have a calmer night and hide from the throngs below, but Kim wants to keep the options open in these skyboxes.
“The windows open, so you can actually enjoy the energy of the people and the full standing bar below,” Kim says. “The inspiration was the suite of a sports stadium. The pulsating energy exudes into the private room.”
Kim says his goal at Cote was nothing less than creating “the most iconic Las Vegas restaurant” at the Venetian, which is in the middle of a $1.5 billion transformation.
“This is the golden age of Asian and Korean cuisine,” he says. “We fully embrace that and the DNA of Las Vegas. We’ve dialed that up to the max volume, almost to a point where the speakers are about to blow. This is full, high-octane Las Vegas. I’ve opened many restaurants, but this one just feels different. This is homecoming, and this is so unique and so collaborative and so grandiose.”
Cote, located at 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd., will be open Sunday-Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight.
