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Las Vegas loves its sushi, and loves it in mass quantities. We enjoy it from conveyor belts, at omakase counters, sometimes burrito’d.
We also appreciate a good speakeasy lounge, as evidenced by the fact that the Valley now boasts more than a dozen of them, hidden away inside ice cream parlors, doughnut shops and taquerias. Vegas has, arguably, reached peak easy. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for one more speakeasy, especially if it’s hidden within a top-notch sushi joint. Nomikai has one of those, and it’s wonderful.
The public face of Nomikai—located on Venetian’s jam-packed restaurant row and named for a Japanese word that translates roughly to “social gathering” or “drinking party”—is a diner-style counter that serves up nigiri, sashimi, rolls and poke. And while the speakeasy concealed behind that counter isn’t a big secret (it’s listed on the counter’s neon sign, right after “sushi” and “sake”), there’s no denying the exclusive feel of this subdued and inviting space.
That exclusive feel manifests not through ooh-I’m-an-influencer superiority, but through attentive, personalized service. Our server pretty much befriended us, describing the cocktails and menu items at length, naming their personal favorites and engaging us in a freewheeling convo about Arts District bars. We stopped just short of sharing our IGs.
There’s lots of good stuff to talk about in the speakeasy, beginning with fascinating reinventions of popular cocktails. The Yuzu Drip ($19) reimagines the lemon drop with Haku vodka, limoncello, creme de cassis, grapefruit, yuzu and a bit of edible gold. True to its name, the Rice Washed Negroni ($21) tempers its bittersweet combination of Nikka coffey gin, Blanc vermouth and bitter bianco with a bit of sushi rice. The Nomikai Spritz ($19) brings together sparkling sake, Passoa, creme de cassis and orange juice in a splash of Fever Tree club soda. And fans of the whiskey mule—and Cobra Kai—will find much to love in the Daniel Was the Villain ($20), a real crane kick of Akashi Japanese whisky, Domaine de Canton, lemon, cucumber, white pepper, sparkling hop tea and wasabi.
Speaking of wasabi, you can get it freshly grated ($15) alongside the amazing sushi coming from the kitchen of chefs and brothers Nick and Jun An. Selections vary depending on what’s been caught, but you can generally depend on the Trust Us Deluxe plate ($85) and Nomikai Sushi Set ($78) to include sparkling fresh, premium cuts of tuna, salmon, hamachi, fluke, ocean trout and other delights, served in a near-to-perfect seaweed wrap and with lightly-seasoned rice. You could also enjoy seared A5 Wagyu, tuna tataki, ocean trout or hirame nigiri ($15-$26), or delve into the cut rolls: miso black cod, baked Alaskan crab, California king crab or one of the best dang spicy tuna rolls I’ve ever had ($18-$28).
And try the small plates, I beg you. The spicy tuna chips ($18), with shiso and gochujang miso, are crunchy perfection. Ditto the chicken truffle dumplings ($19), which dunk very nicely in a black truffle sauce, and the bluefin tuna pizza with heirloom tomatoes, an absolute summertime delight.
This stuff would be worth seeking out even it was locked up in a vault hidden inside a labyrinth. By comparison, Nomikai’s speakeasy makes it simple, even fun, to find its hidden treasures.
NOMIKAI Venetian, 702-414-3474, nomikaisushi.com. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight.
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