Momofuku and Zuma Delayed, Milk Bar on Target at Cosmopolitan

Two of the most-anticipated restaurants to arrive this year have quietly pushed back their official opening dates at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

David Chang's Momofuku is now looking to an unspecified, "early 2017" unveiling for the chef’s first expansion to Las Vegas. His corner location, once occupied by retailer All Saints, will be shared with chef Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar, an elevated bakery concept. Part of the Momokukfu empire, with six locations on the East Coast and one in Toronto, Canada, Milk Bar is still on target for a late 2016 arrival.

And Zuma, the Japanese restaurant from Azumi Group’s Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney had once hoped to be ready by fall, but will now join Momofuku sometime in "early 2017." The announcement was confirmed during a recent New York press event, where representatives explained Zuma’s signature dishes, like miso black cod, will be prepared to taste "exactly" the same in Las Vegas as in their 10 worldwide locations. They also revealed they had been searching for the last "four years" for an appropriate Vegas partnership.

Designed by Tokyo-based Studio Glitt and featuring a sushi counter and robata grill, the 7,990-square-foot former P3 Studio art gallery space will be remodeled with estimated $5 million construction budget, to create and "elegant and sophisticated" izakaya.

The delayed timetable affects their very close neighbor, Eric and Bruce Bromberg’s Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, who are waiting for Zuma's arrival before they can close Blue Ribbon and re-launch with a yet-to-be announced, non-Japanese-focused project.