Mandarin Oriental's David Werly Shares His Three Favorite Las Vegas Restaurants

Sin City is home to a lot of restaurants and bars, but there are tons of hidden gems that the majority of Las Vegans aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's food players to share their recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential. Know a chef who wants to share some top dining spots? The tipline is open.

Chef David Werly spent most of his career working at restaurants and hotels on three continents. Born in Colmar and raised in northeast France, Werly is now the executive chef for Mandarin Oriental, where he handles the daily operations of Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, MOzen Bistro and its Asian and American dishes, as well as banquets and customized event catering. Recently, Werly was admitted to the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. On Friday, Werly showcases his work at Festivino, the food festival at the Venetian. Here he shares three of his favorite places to dine in Las Vegas.

Which restaurants do you turn to when you’re not working?
Raku, Other Mama and Settebello.

What dishes are most memorable?
Raku serves an outstanding dish made of sushi, Gohan cooked in a clay pot and is served with cooked smoked salmon, salmon roe, and shiso leaves. The chef also finishes his grand tasting menu with this classic dish that includes two ingredients I really enjoy: sushi rice and smoked salmon. Although the dish is simple by nature, the flavor remains complex and refined. I usually finish my meal at Raku by going to its restaurant adjacent to it, Sweets Raku, for dessert.

Why do you enjoy going there?
I love going to Raku because the food quality is absolutely outstanding for the price.