Chef Oscar Amador is back where it all began, preparing to evolve his first off-Strip restaurant space into something new and something all his own.
The James Beard Award nominee made his name in Las Vegas at EDO Tapas, a beloved off-Strip gem on Jones Boulevard. Now, after closing EDO to focus on larger projects in Seattle and at the upcoming Braseria on Paradise Road here in Las Vegas, he’s re-energizing the same Chinatown space under a new banner: Amador Cocina Fina, opening November 1.
“This is my solo project,” Amador excitedly explained to the Food and Loathing podcast during a tour of the renovations. “Everybody knows this is my baby. I’ve always taken care of this spot, and I’m in love with the area. It gave me so many good moments. The space needed to refresh—just like me—and bring something new to the table.”
Flipping Toward The Latin Side
That renewal includes a redefined menu and an evolved identity.
“It’s called Amador because it’s [me],” he explains. “This time we’re flipping a little toward the Latin side, but it’s really a dialogue between cultures—Spanish, Mediterranean, Latin, maybe a little Asia. I never like rules or borders. I just want to cook good food, have people enjoy themselves, and keep it approachable.”
The 40-seat dining room remains intimate and relaxed, a hallmark that made EDO Tapas one of the valley’s most consistently booked restaurants.
Amador intends to recapture that same magic with fresh energy and a handcrafted ethos. “Everything’s from scratch, always with the best ingredients we can get,” he says. “It’s a chef-driven restaurant—we really care about the food, the product, and the season.”
Seafood takes center stage. Guests can expect dry-aged amberjack, hamachi, and tuna belly, along with chocolate clams from Sonora and vibrant, corn-based elements made with fresh masa and house-fermented sauces.
“There’s going to be a lot of heat, a lot of energy,” Amador promises. “Sometimes my dishes look simple, but they’re more complex than they appear.”
While Amador’s culinary range spans from Spanish to Italian, the chef says he’s guided more by intuition than by categories.
“I like to balance dishes where the ingredient is the king with others where the technique blows your mind,” he says. That duality—ingredient purity alongside modernist precision—has long defined his cooking.
A La Carte To Start
For now, Amador and his team (about 70 percent of whom returned from EDO) will serve an à la carte menu of roughly 26 items, with the hope of rolling out a high-end tasting menu later. For now, prices are intentionally moderate, with an average check of around $70.
The beverage program features distinctive wines, a revived Spanish-style gin-and-tonic cart, and inventive cocktails. “We want people to come in, have fun, and go home with full bellies and happy hearts,” Amador says.
Reservations are available via OpenTable and at AmadorCocinaFina.com. The restaurant opens Wednesday through Monday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., with the last seating at 10 p.m.
“Vegas gave me my start,” Amador reflects. “Now it’s time to give something back—something fresh, personal, and truly mine.”
