John Kunkel’s 50 Eggs to Import a Taste of Tokyo to the Venetian

New details reveal a high-end Tokyo-inspired restaurant and bar is on the way to the Grand Canal Shoppes from restaurateur John Kunkel and his Miami-based 50 Eggs culinary team.

Described as a anchor tenant within a recent Securities & Exchange Commission filing, Golden Gai will take over an impressive 12,820-square-foot space, a larger footprint than the newly expanded Cut by Wolfgang Puck. Kunkel’s existing Venetian ventures, Chica and Yardbird Southern Table & Bar both fill less than 10,000 square feet.

Bids for the remodel closed earlier this month, with an estimated construction budget of close to $3 million.

Yet to be announced by the property or the 50 Eggs brand, Golden Gai now has a place holder on the company’s hiring page. Already trademarked, the name Niku at Golden Gai has also been protected. Niku is the Japanese word for meat.

Located close to Shinjuku in Tokyo, Japan, the namesake Golden Gai district hosts more than 200 diverse and eclectic tiny bars in a community contained within six short blocks. Most bars are only large enough for a handful of patrons, and the dark corridors and rundown atmosphere create a unique and hard-to-replicate experience.

Golden Gai is not expected to be ready until 2020.

A publicist for 50 Eggs did not respond to a request for confirmation at press time.

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