Celebrated chef, cookbook author, and TV personality Bobby Flay debuts a new original concept, Shark, at Palms Casino Resort. A fish restaurant with sushi and raw bar offerings, the menu at Shark will have a Latin beat, reflective of the evolution of Flay’s culinary voice.
“I’m excited to open a new concept and to cook a different style of cuisine based on seafood, with a lot of the bold flavors I’ve been using my entire career,” says Flay. “At Shark, I’ll be pushing the envelope even further, working with new styles of chiles that I’ve discovered over the last few years. I’m also thrilled to be opening this restaurant at the Palms and be a part of their impressive culinary collection and remodel.”
Influenced by ingredients from South America, Mexico and the Mediterranean, Shark’s menu features shareable signatures, sushi and ceviche, tacos wrapped in housemade purple corn tortillas, and entrees. As chiles are at the core of Flay’s culinary philosophy, he is highlighting multiple varieties – most prominently, panca, rocoto and aji amarillo – in dishes such as Sea Scallops with mustard green salsa verde, panca chile and cojita, Tuna Tartare with crispy green rice and Peruvian chile sauce, and Cured Salmon & Egg Tostada with rocoto hot sauce and black bean “butter.” For the larger mains, guests can indulge in Whole Grilled Lobster with basil, garlic and red chile butter and The BF Steak, a 36 oz. bone-in prime porterhouse with triple chile butter and pan juices, among others. Beautifully presented desserts are also on offer such as Churros with toasted coconut and bittersweet chocolate sauce and Ube Cheesecake with exotic fruit salsa.
As Shark will be the first restaurant of Flay’s to offer sushi, he has brought in Chef Kiyo Asano, who studied in Osaka, Japan, and worked most notably at Nobu and Bar Masa, to helm the sushi bar. Asano perfectly executes sushi, sashimi and ceviche with highlights including Spicy Blue Fin Tuna Roll, South American style, with ahi, cucumber and rocoto chile, Salmon Sashimi with hot smoked chile dressing and cucumber basil relish, and Yellowtail Ceviche with charred pineapple, chile de arbol and bitter greens.
Shark’s beverage program offers cocktails which compliment the bold flavors found on the menu, such as The Prince with tequila, purple corn elixir, lime and ancho reyes, The Pisco with pisco, lime, simple syrup, egg white and angostura and The Demon with sake, gin, cucumber, cranberry and chanpagne. An extensive wine list and draught beer are also available.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to round out our stellar restaurant collection with Bobby Flay and his restaurant, Shark,” says Jon Gray, general manager of Palms Casino Resort. “What Bobby is doing at Shark truly speaks to what we are unveiling at the Palms – offering guests unique experiences with attention to every detail in mind.”
Designed by Rockwell Group, Shark’s space is inspired by the vibrant, fresh colors of Flay’s food and spices, as well as the opened airy residences and restaurants found in South America, Mexico and the Mediterranean. Guests enter Shark through an arched portal, which shares a glimpse of the bar, grill and patio. The natural plaster ceiling is defined by a Romanesque-style vault that extends throughout the whole space, while the custom teak tile floor incorporates natural and white-washed tones, which flow into rust-red accents as they move into the dining area. The focal points of the space are a 20-foot-long bar which features solid chevron walnut planks and hand-glazed clay tiles, and an open grill that puts Shark’s food preparation on display, with a natural marble counter and monumental tinted stainless-steel grill hood. The patio is adjacent to the pool deck at Palms’ new day and night club, KAOS, and embodies a backyard feel, with growing vines on the back wall and black and white cement tile.
Shark is the final piece of Palms’ new restaurant collection, as part of its $690 million remodel. Flay’s Shark joins Marc Vetri’s Vetri Cucina, and Michael Symon’s Mabel’s BBQ and meateasy Sara’s.
