Raku’s Mitsuo Endo and Gyu+’s Daniel Cabrera are collaborating on an immersive one-night dining event at Gyu+ Social
Long before Chinatown became one of the city’s most influential culinary districts, Japanese chef Mitsuo Endo was racking up national attention and accolades for his robata grill creations at Aburiya Raku. Now, after 18 years of success, Endo is teaming up with a newer generation of Las Vegas chefs for a one-night collaboration at Gyu+ Social.
The event, which they’re calling Raku x Gyu+, is scheduled for May 18. It pairs Endo with Chef Daniel Cabrera of Gyu+ and Gyu+ Social for an indoor-outdoor experience blending traditional Japanese grilling techniques, premium meats, cocktails, desserts and live entertainment.
Building Community
For Luis De Santos, managing partner of Gyu+’s parent company, Elevate Hospitality Group, the collaboration reflects a broader goal of building community among chefs and restaurants within Chinatown.
“I think it’s part of our social concept,” De Santos told the Food and Loathing podcast. “Our idea here is to really collaborate with local chefs … Chef Endo is a dear friend, admired as probably one of the leading chefs in the Japanese scene.”
Showcasing A Young Chef
De Santos noted Raku’s longevity and its significance for younger Chinatown chefs.
“He just celebrated 18 years,” De Santos said. “Think about that for a second. Restaurateurs want to survive the first two or three years. Five years is good. Ten years is amazing.”
Cabrera said the collaboration also offers an opportunity to showcase Gyu+ Social’s more experimental side while working alongside one of the city’s most respected chefs.
“For me, I think I get to [collaborate] with an amazing chef and to show what kind of food I’m doing,” Cabrera told the podcast. “Food is always evolving.”
What To Expect
The menu will feature large-format meats, including tomahawks and T-bone steaks, alongside skewers and dishes inspired by traditional Japanese grilling techniques. Cabrera said part of the inspiration came from watching Endo cook at food festivals over the years.
“I remember the first time I saw Endo cooking in a festival,” Cabrera said. “They were always carrying the grill cart. You don’t see that often — doing that traditional Japanese yakitori and street food.”
That street food vibe will carry over into the event itself. Rather than a formal seated tasting menu, the evening is designed as a more fluid experience, with guests encouraged to move between stations set up throughout Gyu+, Gyu+ Social, a neighboring restaurant and the surrounding patios. In addition to yakitori and premium meat presentations, the event will incorporate cocktails, live music and desserts from neighboring concept Moignet, known for its mochi beignets.
“You could start with dessert and then get some yakitori,” De Santos told the Food and Loathing podcast while describing the intentionally casual flow of the evening. “You could do things however you want. The whole thing is experience.”
Guests will be able to choose between indoor and outdoor seating, with a DJ planned for the outdoor portion of the event and live vocal performances inside Gyu+ Social.
More To Come
While the collaboration highlights two very different culinary perspectives, Cabrera said the larger goal is to continue building events that bring chefs — and diners — together.
“It’s not going to be the first one and our last one,” Cabrera said. “We’re going to keep doing more of these and inviting chefs who want to show their talent.”
Tickets for the May 18 event are priced at $180 per person and are available through OpenTable.
