Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay restaurant front
The Las Vegas steakhouse by James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Mina celebrates the reopening and revamping of the time-tested Stripsteak. The reimagined menu showcases new and creative concepts in regards to presentation and flavor while still excelling at the steakhouse classics.
Chef Mina shares of the revamp, “We had a lot of fun with the menu, we expanded the menu a lot and [approximately] 70% of the menu is new. Obviously the techniques that we use and steaks and those things haven't changed…rib cap will [most likely] always be the signature steak here.”
Stick to the steakhouse classics, try something new or even better, both at Stripsteak inside of Mandalay Bay. Chef Mina says of the newer offerings, “Great appetizers with some good Japanese influence [for] a lot of light choices [that are] shareable…It's a nice way to start your meal and still be able to have that classic steak with some of those classic sides.”
Caviar doughnuts at Stripsteak in Mandalay Bay
The reimagined menu features novel offerings such as the caviar jelly doughnuts pictured above which are filled with yuzu curd and topped with caviar for bite-sized puffs of decadence. A little bit salty and a little bit sweet yet a tinge of tang make these delights an appetizer to remember and to come back for time and again.
The hamachi nori tacos are the Stripsteak take on the Japanese hand roll. Crispy nori and or lumpia wraps cradle the fresh hamachi which is topped with ikura (salmon roe), green onions and wasabi tobiko. Chef Mina is notably grateful for, as he says, “All of our amazing farmers and for all of our products to [make] these great sides.”
Hamachi nori tacos at Stripsteak in Mandalay Bay
For a more conventional appetizer the traditional steak tartare is made with Wagyu rib cap butchered in-house and topped with micro basil for an Italian-style steak tartare. If you prefer your Wagyu warm, experience the tender Japanese A5 Wagyu poached in butter, wood grilled, red-wine and shallots bathed and mesquite fired. Cut into the distinctive charred tender Wagyu to taste the layers of flavors and years of steak preparation experience of chef Mina and his team.
Chef Mina shares of the preparation method that has been the focal point of what makes a steak a Stripsteak, "What makes this restaurant really special is our butter poaching method. In front of our wood-burning grill we have circulators and butter baths. We use clarified butter, little bay leaf, rosemary, black peppercorns [and] garlic.”
Duck fat prime rib at Stripsteak in Mandalay Bay
During the 20 minutes of soaking the cuts are warmed to rare and ready for the wood-fire grill and final steps of preparation prior to plating. New meat preparations like the duck fat prime rib complement the butter-poached and wood-fired steaks that are the foundation of the dining destination. Truffle shavings and chives top off the savory dish.
The restaurant utilizes aging lockers, heated butter baths and wood grills to create the distinctive meat dishes. The Kurobuta pork sourced from Berkshire, England’s “black pigs” are cut tomahawk-style and flavored with apples, hot mustard and creamed savoy cabbage. Prepping meat is taken to the next level at Stripsteak and every detail is paid for an unparalleled steakhouse dining experience.
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The exclusive private dining room is also a new feature to explore for larger parties or high-profile personnel that wish to dine in peace or to create a more personal dining experience. "This private room really helped us [with the interiors]. To be able to take the private room out of the dining room and make the [layout] of the restaurant a little more open [brings] a new energy to it.”
“To do a steakhouse here [at Mandalay Bay] meant a lot to me. Then to be able to reimagine it and to elevate it...I have been really blessed [with] an amazing team and [opening] restaurants," chef Mina expresses with genuine enthusiasm.
James Beard Award winning Chef Michael Mina
16 years ago chef Mina was presented the opportunity to open Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay with the help of the president and COO of Mandalay Bay, Chuck Bowling. Prior to the establishment of Stripsteak, chef Mina was primarily known for fine dining yet he seized the opportunity to dive into the steakhouse territory while leaning on his fine culinary experience and learning a new niche with Stripsteak and the Mandalay Bay team.
The budding relationship between chef and the property has remained strong through the years. President and COO Bowling says of the relationship with Stripsteak, “This is something we are extraordinarily proud of...Talk about a culinary destination in the culinary capital of the world! This is one that people come and travel to.”
Chef Mina recalls the earlier days of Stripsteak, “When we first opened at Mandalay Bay, StripSteak allowed me to push the boundaries of what is possible for a steakhouse.” He continues, “As we evolve the restaurant concept, it [is] important that the menu [reflects] the fun we have in the kitchen so guests can taste our passion for discovering something new out of time-tested classics.”
The goal of Stripsteak according to chef Mina is, “To make it fun. We want to make it exciting but always pay homage and tribute to product and technique. That revolutionary way to cook steak where we [do] the butter poaching and the 900 degree wood-fire grill,” is the center that holds this restaurant.
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It seems as though the key aspect to Steakstrip reimagined is to provide the steakhouse classics in an elevated way while offering fun, inventive and shareable sides, appetizers and dishes to give guests a well-rounded dining experience where choosing between a traditional steakhouse or a modern restaurant with novel menu items is one less decision to make because at Stripsteak you can have both.
Photography by: Courtesy of MGM Resorts International
