2 Best Restaurants in South Strip, Las Vegas

When "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto opened his restaurant in what he proudly called "the most famous city in the world," it marked his first foray into teppanyaki, sure to be popular with conventioneers. There's also sushi and sashimi, of course, and some of his standards: braised black cod with a ginger-soy reduction, and tuna pizza with anchovy aioli, olives, and jalapeños. The menu includes oysters with foie gras and uni, as well as ishi yaki chashu bop and ishi yaki buri bop—pork or yellowtail-rich dishes cooked at your table in a hot stone bowl—plus a selection of steaks. It's all served in an expansive, streamlined spot on MGM Resort's restaurant row. 

Kumi presents a Japanese menu with a slight Korean twist in a sleek space with natural woods and hammered steel—and it's close to Mandalay Bay's convention center, so you can stagger in and take refuge after a long day at the booths. Among the cool shared plates are a bluefin tuna pizza and tuna tacos with taro chips; the warm shared plates include such dishes as wagyu gyoza and pork belly bao buns. There also are salads, sides, entrées from land (teriaki-glazed airline chicken) and sea (pan-seared ora king salmon), sashimi, nigiri sushi, and sushi rolls. Desserts range from the traditional (mochidoki) to the wildly inventive (wagashi tres leches cake).