Michael Mina Teams Up with a Celebrity Chef for a New Restaurant on the Strip

One thing diners can always count on with Michael Mina — he’s always willing to change things up when they’re not working. The chef opened Pub 1842, an ode to beers, at the MGM Grand, back in 2013, taking over his former Seablue space at the resort. Now that restaurant plans to close in November to make way for an ode to smoke-infused dishes from Mina and Family Food Fight host Ayesha Curry.

The two collaborate on International Smoke, opening this December with wood-fired dishes meant for what Curry calls “the adventurous eater to the one who doesn’t stray from classics.”

Already, the menu teases include smoked St. Louis cut pork ribs, a dish diners can spice with smokey mama sauce, Vietnamese lemongrass with Saigon streusel, or Korean sesame-gochujang with toasted black sesame seeds; a shellfish platter heaped with charcoal-grilled oysters, shrimp, lobster, and crab are served hot and steamed table side with lemon grass tea; a cornbread from Curry served with Thai red curry butter; and more.

Curry and Mina debuted International Smoke in 2016 as a pop-up at Mina Test Kitchen in San Francisco before opening their first location in 2017. MGM Grand will be the restaurant’s fifth location, joining San Diego, Houston, Aventura, Florida, and San Francisco locations. Mina, of course, has his eponymous restaurant at the Bellagio, was well as Bardot Brasserie at Aria and StripSteak at Mandalay Bay.

International Smoke will be open daily for dinner.

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