There are many hidden gems in Las Vegas. These restaurants may not heavily advertise and may be some distance from the Strip – but they also have some of the most amazing dining experiences (and are an absolute bargain when you consider what things cost on the Strip).
Kabuto is a tiny, simply decorated restaurant that seats exactly twenty four people. And, unless you are looking for it, you will probably have a hard time finding it. We even had some trouble, though we were able to find the plaza it is located in using GPS. Once there, you need to look for the restaurant with the smallest possible sign – from a distance it it looks like it doesn’t even have a sign. We had to walk right up to the door to confirm we were at the right place.
Once inside you will notice how small it is – they have ten seats at the bar and four tables – three four tops and a two top. We were seated at a two top and kind of squished into a corner. (I soon forgot any discomfort, though, once amazing food started coming out).
In order to get a good idea of what the chef had to offer, we decided on the Middle Omakase, which costs $80 per person. We decided to just have water for a drink since the goal was to truly enjoy the fish. The waitress asked us if there was any type of fish we didn’t want to eat/couldn’t have. I took this opportunity to inform her that I have a pretty strong dislike for fish roe. I don’t mind it as a garnish on a roll but I won’t eat much of it, otherwise.
Our first ‘course’ was more of an apertif. It was a small glass filled with the most amazing sake. The waitress told us it was a lemon sake that the chef made at home. It was really light, sweet and refreshing.
This was followed by a Jack Mackeral Salad, with sweet vinegar, cucumber, scallion and nori (seaweed). The sashimi started to come out next. The waitress was very informative, telling us what each fish was and where it had come from. The first grouping was Blue Fin Tuna (Spain), Opal Eye (Japan), Jack Mackerel (Japan) and Orange Clam (Boston). I was immediately struck by how fresh the fish was. I don’t think I’ve ever had sashimi that was quite that fresh – and I live on the Atlantic coast!
The next set to come out was Breem with miso sauce, Kobe beef with daikon radish and ponzu sauce, and Spanish Mackerel with salt from Japan. The Breem was my favorite, though I also really enjoyed the mackerel. The salt it came with was light and subtle and really added to the taste of the mackerel.
The next two courses consisted of Medium Fatty Tuna (Spain), Blue Fin Tuna (Japan), Deep Sea Porgy (Japan), Snapper, Young Yellowtail, Japanese Mackerel, Sea Eel and Tamago. The Young Yellowtail was substituted for me since instead of Salmon Roe. I was very happy with this unexpected surprise since my favorite roll of all time is made with Young Yellowtail. 
My boyfriend received the Salmon Roe, which he said was the best he’d ever had. It came in a tiny bowl with a spoon, like caviar would. I also have to mention the Tamago. While all of the fish in courses 3 and 4 were excellent, the Tamago was hands-down the best I had ever tasted.
At this point the waitress came over and explained that we were finished with our main courses, though we were free to order something extra off the menu. She pointed out some of the options we had not tried and explained what they were. The boyfriend had the Triangle Tuna while I tried the Kamashita Fatty Tuna. Both tasted incredible though the triangle was bit tougher and the Fatty Tuna was smooth and rich. Two very different tastes but both are worth trying if you like Tuna.
We were surprised by two more courses – a premium Fatty Tuna Hand Roll and a bowl of Miso Soup. The roll was great, with a fresh seaweed wrap and the perfect balance of rice and fish.
For dessert we had a strawberry crepe and homemade mochi. The mochi was very tasty, with a relatively thin shell and delicious ice cream. The strawberry crepe was more like a mille feuille pastry. It consisted of very thin layers of alternating strawberry cream and pastry. Much better than I had anticipated.
While the meal was not exactly cheap, it was overall the best sushi I have ever had. I would definitely do it again.
I am fairly certain that the next Omakase up included the Triangle and Fatty Tuna. I also know that the menu changes with the season and availability of fish so some items I mentioned may not be available for future meals.
Website: www.kabutolv.com
