Yardbird’s Keris Kuwana Shares Her 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 feature dubbed Dining Confidential.

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar’s pastry chef Keris Kuwana got her start in Las Vegas in 2008 when she joined Roy’s and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. She moved on to Bachi Burger, and then Alex at Wynn Las Vegas, Aureole at Mandalay Bay and finally Megan Romano’s former bakery, Chocolate & Spice before returning to Aureole and then Charlie Palmer Steak at the Four Seasons. Here, the pastry chef behind the Southern restaurant at the Venetian shares three of her favorite places to dine in Las Vegas, including one bakery.

Which restaurants do you turn to when you’re not working?

Yuzu, Chada Street and Freed’s Bakery.

What dishes are most memorable?

Yuzu — The chef used to cook for the emperor and empress of Japan, so everything is amazing. I usually get the chicken karagi, and it comes with a seasoned yuzu pulp.

Chada Street — I always get the duck panang; it’s so rich and delicious, deep fried love.

At Freed’s, I love to stop in and get a slice of the wedding cake, especially when I don’t feel like making myself dessert. It’s soft and moist and spongy with a sweet custard and strawberries tossed lightly in sugar. It’s so fresh and it has a sweet whipped buttercream that’s so light, not a traditional heavy buttercream.

Why do you enjoy going there?

Yuzu — it’s close to my house and the dedication that they have for their food is second to none. You look at just the daikon. He hand-shreds it like a traditional Japanese chef. It’s noticeable quality.

Chada Street — It’s downright good. You can order anything and it’s all good.

Freed’s — It reminds me of my grandmother’s cake she used to make me for my birthday.