Before the Food Network, Cooking Channel, and a seemingly endless array of streaming services realized that cooking shows were both viewer catnip and cheap to produce, foodies had to turn to PBS. That's where America's first generation of celebrity chefs like Julia Child, Ming Tsai, and even Martha Stewart gained their fame and established the genre.
In those days, TV chef was a new thing and while all of those media personalities owned (or worked in) restaurants, they did not have the extensive empires that today's big names have built. In fact, their fame generally led to cookbooks and morning talk show appearances more so than it did to glitzy eateries bearing their names.
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Now, of course, television cooking fame has led to restaurant empires for chefs including Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Giada De Laurentiis, and one of the pioneers of the big-name restaurant space, Wolfgang Puck. Each of these celebrity chefs has multiple Las Vegas Strip eateries ranging from fine dining to fast casual and even upscale fast food.
These famous names are being joined on the Las Vegas Strip by a true icon of the television chef industry, Martin Yan of PBS' "Yan Can Cook," which has been on the air since 1982. Yan is about to open his first Las Vegas restaurant, M.Y. Asia inside Caesars Entertainment's newly rebranded (and remodeled) Horseshoe Las Vegas.
Image Source: Caesars Entertainment
Yan Can Cook on the Las Vegas Strip
Yan draws culinary inspiration from all around Asia, his new Las Vegas Strip restaurant will reflect that. The chef mixes traditions and picks his favorites from different cuisines.
"True to Chef Yan’s style, M.Y. Asia diners will enjoy flavors from across the continent including specialties from China, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand. Peking Duck, hand-pulled noodles, dim sum, and fresh live seafood anchor the seasonal menu. Chef Yan and his team will create a menu that offers traditional dishes and fresh takes," according to a press release.
The restaurant itself is also being designed to match Yan's energy and enthusiasm for cooking that he has displayed on his show for roughly 30 years.
"Diners can kick off the night at the Lucky Bell Bar -- a Yan signature, before heading into the 130-seat dining room. Guests will be transported into the kitchen with a hand-pulled noodle bar and wok kitchen that allows a full look into the chef team at work," the company added.
M.Y. Asia will also serve takeout guests using carryout lockers to deliver a contact-free experience.
“I want to invite guests to taste and see the action, and what we will bring to the Las Vegas Strip,” said Chef Yan. “Diners will not only discover and taste our amazing dishes, but also our version of entertainment, making it an unforgettable experience.”
Horseshoe Has a Unique Restaurant Lineup
It's challenging to stand out in the crowded restaurant scene on the Las Vegas Strip. Caesars has attempted to build a mix of classic offerings and unique takes on familiar concepts.
In addition to Yan's twist on Asian cuisines. Horseshoe has another celebrity chef onboard -- but in a unique way. Guy Fieri, who runs multiple restaurant concepts around the Strip in various Caesars properties, will be running the kitchen at the Horseshoe sportsbook.
Guy Fieri's Flavortown Sports Kitchen, which opens this summer, will offer some of the TV chef's familiar favorites as well as novel takes on bar food.
Horseshoe will also have a nod to the history of the brand's name with a steakhouse named after Las Vegas icon Jack Binion.
"Jack Binion’s Steak delivers on the legacy of the Binion name with an acclaimed selection of steaks cooked to perfection in an 1800-degree double broiler," Caesars shared on its website.
