Shibuya at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas was a one-of-a-kind Japanese restaurant, featuring exquisitely cut sushi and sashimi, innovative "modern Japanese" small plates, sumptuous entrees, and a broad and deep sake list. All served up by knowledgable, friendly staff in an absolutely beautiful decor. It was far from inexpensive, to be sure, but as the best Japanese food I've eaten outside of Japan, I always felt that it was worth the price.
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| The main dining room at Shibuya |
I was down in Las Vegas in the second week of May, solo, for our annual condo maintenance trip. After two nights of burning our members' gift cards at the Foundation Room's private dining room, I was ready for a change. It should be no surprise that I chose Shibuya.
While sitting at the sushi bar savoring each delicious bite, one of the waiters who had been there for years came over to say hello. The restaurant boasted very low turnover, with many of the waitstaff working there for many, many years. This particular waiter joined shortly after Shibuya opened in the mid-nineties and had waited on us on multiple occasions. He leaned in and quietly confided that there were strong rumors that the restaurant would be closing, likely at the beginning of July. Of course, I said "How strong are the rumors?" He lowered his voice and said "They are not rumors."
I asked him if the restaurant was unprofitable, which seemed highly unlikely as the place is always jam packed, and, well, I already mentioned the prices. He told me that they were extremely profitable; in fact, they were the second most profitable of the seventeen restaurants at the MGM Grand, trailing only Joel Robuchon, where the grand tasting menu goes for $435 per person!
He further confided that they were almost certainly falling victim to the unending wave of celebrity chef-named restaurants that has been a trend since Wolfgang Puck opened his first joint almost thirty years ago. He whispered that the restaurant was likely to reopen in the fall, as Morimoto.
Morimoto, of course, refers to Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame. He already owns and operates his eponymous restaurant in Philadelphia. I have had the pleasure of dining there, and while excellent, it did not compare with Shibuya.
Fast forward to Friday, July 1st. Some weeks after my solo dinner where I heard the "strong rumors," it was confirmed by the Vegas Eater blog that Shibuya was closing, and in fact had stopped taking on line reservations. I had called the restaurant from Portland, and learned that Saturday night, July 2nd's dinner service would be their last. I made a reservation for the 1st, and Laura and I had an absolutely fantastic last supper, albeit somewhat bittersweet. The staff all had the same line when we said how sad we were to se them close.
"Change is actually a good thing," every single person said, obviously coached. We finally got one of our regulars to come clean and admit that they were devastated and more than a little bitter.
And now we know why. Since that dinner, we learned the whole story. Morimoto signed a huge contract with MGM, Inc. and had planned to open in the Mirage in the space formerly occupied by Japonais in late 2014. They could not agree on a budget for the radical redesign and remodel that Morimoto and his design team were proposing. The rumor is that the contract included a huge buyout clause if they could not agree on a space for his new venture.
The rumor continues, saying that he toured all of the MGM properties and made a non-negotiable demand for the Shibuya space. Rather than pay the buyout, the MGM agreed, and Shibuya's fate was decided.
In the land of celebrity chefs that is Las Vegas today, where even an asshole like Gordon Ramsey has the holy triumvirate of steak, burger, and pub joints, Shibuya made it on their own. No celebrity chef ever lent his name. Their reputation spread over the years due the incredible quality of their cuisine, their terrific staff, and the beautiful room.
What a pity.
And now you know why Frank is incensed ...
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