Mainland, the latest venture from Jonathan Morr, opened in mid-February at the new Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, following the launch of BondSt in Beverly Hills.
Envisioned as a heightened sensory noodle-shop dining experience, Mainland focuses on China's undisputed and widespread influence on the cuisine of neighboring regions. Mainland's menu, a collaboration between Hisham Johari and Julie Farias, traces this influence through noodles, and features dishes such as Crispy Rice Salad, Wonton Chicken Crispy Noodle Soup, and signature Smoked Tofu Rice Noodles. A tempting beverage program includes a durian milkshake, a Singapore Fling, and an inventive Mainland Mary, made with wasabi, green Thai chili, and soy.
Owner Jonathan Morr is excited to bring Hisham Johari, a Vegas-based chef with a large following, to a new, exciting, and progressive project that highlight's Morr's signature sensibilities and allows Johari to expand upon previous connotations of Asian cuisine. The aforementioned dishes are not necessarily from one particular country or region, but instead highlight the migrant nature of Chinese flavors throughout Asia, bringing together aromatic, fresh and innovative cooking with cutting-edge design.
Mainland pairs the bold and complex flavors of Asian cuisine with vivid, energetic architecture and interior design by Paris-based designer India Mahdavi, who has frequently collaborated with Morr on projects including the Townhouse Hotel in Miami, APT in New York, and BondSt in Beverly Hills. Jonathan Morr made communal seating the place to sit in the late 1990's with the opening of Republic in New York City, and the communal seating of typical noodle shops is wittily re-imagined here, with circular tables and benches seating up to thirty-two people that coil in upon themselves, an extension of the twist Mainland puts on traditional noodle shop fare.
With seating for 225 patrons in a soaring 7500 square foot space, Mahdavi sets these large tables on black and white checkered floors, creating a striking contrast with the colorful Chinese textile-inspired palette of the beige, red, olive, green, and celadon tabletops. Curved swirling columns throughout the airy space add an organic feel and balance the very geometric and graphic room.