Which Kumi Dishes Are Destined To Be Addictive?

Cross your fingers that Kumi by Akira Back, the new Japanese restaurant with Korean influences from Akira Back, makes its debut at Mandalay Bay at the end of this week. The restaurant from the chef at Yellowtail at the Bellagio puts a spin on Asian fare with a menu based on his childhood memories.

Look for dishes such as the crispy rice with blackened tuna, seaweed and Screaming O sauce, an Alaskan halibut with a ginger lemongrass broth, baby bok choy and lemon shiso oroshi and filet mignon served Tobanyaki-style with mixed mushrooms and truffle ponzu. A tip of the hat to America, the bone-in pork chop, is slathered with an apple miso glaze and served with apple fennel slaw.

But do turn your attention to the specialty rolls, such as the insanely addictive 007 Octopussy roll with crab salad, spicy octopus and crispy potatoes and Back's roll interpretation of the bibimbap the Seoul Garden with baby spinach, carrots and grilled shiitake, both destined to become favorites.

"Octopus and squid are something you learn to eat as a kid. You learn to eat it raw first," Back says.

The 10,000-square-foot restaurant has room for 300. A dramatic sushi bar made of glazed cobalt blue tiles in a scalloped pattern inspired by common Japanese homes creates the setting for the restaurant, with a rear rotunda replete with walls painted with giant interpretations of cherry blossom trees. 

Here's a look at the entire menu.

Cool shared plates
Crispy rice 17
Blackened Tuna, Seaweed, Screaming O Sauce
Whitefish Carpacc io 20
Hirame, Dried Shallot, Nanbanzu
New Style Salmon 19
Hot Sesame Oil, Citrus Soy, Kaiware
Tuna Tataki 20
Traditional Garnish, Tosazu
Yellowtail Jalapeño 19
Cherry Tomato, Micro Cilanto, Yuzu Soy
Kobe Tataki 22
Micro Arugula, Garlic Crisps, Ponzu, Olive Oil
Seared Albacore 18
Crispy Onion, Bubu Arare, 1050 Onion Ginger Sauce
spicy tako 9
Crispy Potato, Kaiware
tataki* 23
House Salad with Choice of Seared
Tuna, Salmon or Yellowtail

Warm Shared Plates
Edamame 5
Choice of Salt or Kimchee Butter
Shishito Peppers 9
Yuja Miso, Maldon Sea Salt
Crispy Calamari 14
Charred Jalapeno "Mae Ploy"
Rock Shrimp Tempura 16
Sriracha Ranch, Micro Celery
Japanese Eggplant 12
Sweet Miso, Fresh Mozzarella
Gyoza 9
Togarashi Red Ginger Soy
Kobe Beef Tacos 19
Tomato Ponzu, Kochujang, Micro Cilantro
Miso Black Cod 29
Yuja Miso, Shishito

Tempura
Shrimp 4 per piece Vegetable 2 per piece

soups
miso 5
Tofu, Wakame, Seaweed
spicy miso 7
Crab, Negi, Wakame
clear 5
Shrimp, Shiitake, Mitsuba

Salads
seaweed 7
Wakame, Chuka Seaweed, Tosaka
house 9
Radishes, Tomatoes, Ginger Dressing
CUCUMBER 6
Sesame Seeds, Amazu

Sides
all sides 6
potato puree
grilled asparagus
edamame cous cous
sauteed baby bok choy
kimchee green beans
Yuzu mushrooms

Entrees
Alaskan halibut 32
Ginger Lemongrass Broth, Lemon Shiso Oroshi
salmon 30
Crispy Spinach, Grilled Teriyaki Style, Wilted Spinach
jidori chicken 26
Sweet Rice, Garlic Maple Soy
bone-in pork chop 35
Apple Fennel Slaw, Apple Miso Glaze
colorado lamb chops 40
Edamame Couscous, Korean Anticucho Sauce
filet mignon 36
6 Ounce, Tobanyaki Style, Mixed Mushrooms,
Truffle Ponzu
ribeye 48
14 Ounce, Black Peppercorn Teriyaki

entrees*
Sushi / SashimI*
SUSHI 2 piece on Top of Rice Sashimi 2 Piece Sliced
Tuna Maguro 8
Bluefin Yellowtail Belly O-Toro 34
Japanese Yellowtail Hamachi 8
Albacore Bincho Maguro 6
Salmon Sake 8
Japanese red snapper Tai 9
Spanish Mackerel Aji 8
Halibut Hirame 8
Alaskan King Crab Kani 12
Sea Urchin Uni 12
Salmon Roe Ikura 8
Japanese Mackerel Saba 8
Japanese Scallop Hotate 7
Sweet Shrimp Amaebi 12
Shrimp Mushi Ebi 8
Squid Ika 8
Octopus Tako 10
Giant Clam Mirugai 12
Surf Clam Hokki 8
Japanese Sea Eel Anago 11
Fresh Water Eel Unagi 10
Japanese Omelet Tamago 6
Add Quail Eggs* 2
Brown Rice 1.5

SIGNATURE ROLLS*
hot mess 20
Crab, Sashimi Poke, Screaming O Sauce
crispy pork belly 17
Brussels Coleslaw
pop rockin' 19
Spicy Tuna, Crab, Salmon, Avocado, Pop Rocks
blacked out 19
Snow Crab, Cajun Spiced Salmon, Lemon
seoul garden 17
Baby Spinach, Carrots, Grilled Shiitake
007 octopussy 19
Crab Salad, Spicy Octopus, Crispy Potatoes
fireball 19
Crab, Cucumber, XXX Hot Kimchee Sauce
ROLLS*
CALIFORNIA 10
Crab, Cucumber, Avocado
SPICY TUNA 12
Tuna, Scallions, Spicy Aioli
SHRIMP TEMPURA 12
Cucumber, Dynamite Sauce
UNAGI 13
BBQ Eel, Cucumber, Eel Sauce
SPIDER 16
Crispy Soft Shell Crab, Cucumber, Avocado, Eel Sauce
TORO SCALLION 16
Blue Fin Tuna Belly, Scallion
YELLOWTAIL SCALLION 12
Hamachi, Scallion
PROTEIN ROLL 19
Tuna, Salmon, Hamachi, Crab, Shiso, Asparagus

· All Coverage of Kumi [~ELV~]