Roy Choi Heads to Las Vegas With Expensive New Project on the Strip

Chef Roy Choi is going to have a busy 2018 in front of him, with news coming out of Las Vegas today that the Kogi originator will be opening up inside the current Monte Carlo, soon to be renamed the Park MGM.

Eater Las Vegas was first to report on the news of Choi’s arrival, alongside the Sydell Group and their expanding NoMad Hotel empire. As their story notes, Choi and partner Paul Pruitt have long been attached to various rumors coming out of Las Vegas, and while an official announcement from ownership (or even a statement from Choi’s team) remains elusive, the deal is reportedly done. In fact, there’s already been some $3 million allocated to the greater project on property.

As for what to expect with the cuisine, that’s still up in the air. Choi is famous for his mishmash takes on Angeleno cuisine, melding Mexican, American, and Korean flavors across hits like Kogi BBQ, Chego, Commissary, and Locol. Odds are this new restaurant will be an all-day affair, something much larger than Choi has been working with in recent years, though he does have a background in higher-end hotel kitchens.

Once it opens, the restaurant will be overseen day to day by the MGM and NoMad teams on site. It’s also worth noting that NoMad is busy opening in Downtown Los Angeles right this very moment as well, with a project arrival for their hotel and restaurants sometime in early 2018. Eater LA has reached out to Choi several times over the past few months to confirm today’s Las Vegas news, but so far hasn’t heard back.

• Roy Choi Is Officially in the Koreatown Pizza Slice Business [ELA]