Sake Rok’s Bobby Silva Turns to Japanese Restaurants in Las Vegas

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.

Bobby Silva left California to become part of the dining scene in Las Vegas for the past 17 years. After joining the culinary arts program at College of Southern Nevada and Le Cordon Bleu, he worked at downtown’s Triple George Grill, followed by a stint with Rick Moonen at RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay. He joined the SushiSamba team at the Grand Canal Shoppes as an executive sous chef, a tour that earned him an appearance on season 5 of Top Chef Masters with SushiSamba’s then executive chef Herb Wilson. He moved over to Mina Group as the corporate executive sous cef for Mina and then returned to the Samba family as lead culinary trainer for Samba Brands Management. Now he’s the executive chef of Sake Rok, the new sushi restaurant at The Park. Here he shares three of his favorite places to dine in Las Vegas, and not surprising, all have a Japanese flair.

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

When I am not working, the restaurants I enjoy are Izkaya Go, Kyara Japanese Tapas and Other Mama, to name just a few.

What dishes are most memorable?

Izakaya Go — It is hard to label any dish here as most memorable, as there is always something new on their menu. I typically ask Gosan to create a menu, omakase style.

Kyara Japanese Tapas — I always venture toward, but not limit myself to, the robata skewers. From tontoro (pork cheek) to jidori sungimo (chicken gizzard) to tsukune (chicken meatball), everything robata is my jam. Another favorite is the ika shiokara (marinated squid and fermented viscera). This dish may not be for everyone, but I think it’s yummy.

Other Mama — Another gem outside the Strip, Chef Dan always has a good oyster selection with an array of sauces to choose from. His sashimi combination is always fresh and clean.

Why do you enjoy going there?

Izakaya Go is a great place to relax and hang out with friends. The fish is always fresh, food always delicious and they always have one of my favorite sakes.

Kyara has a great ambiance, good place for a date or just hanging out to have great tapas.

Other Mama is a very cozy place to enjoy great fresh food and delicious libations. Every time I am there it's like sitting in a friend’s dining room hanging out.