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Two Weeks In is a series wherein we talk to chefs and restaurateurs after their first week in business at a brand new restaurant.
The last two weeks have been such a blur. It seems like only yesterday Gordon Ramsay was in the house at the grand opening of his new steakhouse at Paris Las Vegas. Chef de cuisine Kevin Hee keeps a even-keeled personality though. It seems little flusters him when it comes to the opening of Gordon Ramsay Steakhouse. Here he talks about the first two weeks at the hottest restaurant on the Strip.
So, how's it been going?
Fantastic. It’s been going good. Probably one of the smoother restaurant openings that I’ve ever been involved in. We’ve got so much support from Caesars Entertainment and Gordon Ramsay.
How was it having Gordon in the restaurant?
It’s awesome. It’s crazy because you have this Michelin star chef but also a celebrity. It was a little chaotic in the dining room with everyone wanting his photo. I couldn’t think of a better person to work for.
Did a lot of your staff come from the same place?
That’s kind of a tough one. Our staff came from various upscale restaurants in the city. We recruited one person from California, another from Washington We interviewed a lot of people to get this. I worked with about 25 percent of the people before.
Any big hurdles in the opening week?
No, I can’t think of any. It was really smooth. We paced the door for the first couple days. We had a couple tastings and then the soft opening. Now we’re at 400 covers a night.
We did have the normal restaurant disasters. Kitchen printer broke down.
Plus on opening night, we were doing the [Vegas Uncork’d] Grand Tasting.
What have people been responding to on the menu?
They love the beef Wellington. We’re selling about 70 of them a night, and we expected about 30. It’s neck and neck with the 8-ounce prime filet.
What have you been eating?
Nothing. Coffee. Iced tea.
What's still on the way?
We’re looking to change our menu over to summer. We’ll change about 25 percent of the menu. Of course, on June 4, Hell’s Kitchen starts up again, so we anticipate it will be crazy.
· All Coverage of Gordon Ramsay Steak [~ELV~]
· All Coverage of Two Weeks In [~ELV~]
Kevin Hee [Photo: Chelsea McManus]
