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Some of hip-hop’s biggest stars lit up Sin City last weekend for the opening of COTE Korean Steakhouse inside The Venetian Resort.
Dr. Dre, Nas, N.O.R.E. and Mobb Deep rapper Havoc were among the artists celebrating COTE’s arrival to the Las Vegas strip, which marks the Korean steakhouse’s latest outpost, after locations in New York and Miami. In addition to the rappers, the grand opening party for COTE Vegas featured a special DJ set by Anderson .Paak, who shouted out his half-Korean heritage as he took to the stage in front of the invite-only crowd and COTE Founder & CEO, Simon Kim.
Going by his DJ name, DJ Pee .Wee, .Paak didn’t end up playing any K-pop or Korean tracks — and skipped his new Mariah Carey duet “Play This Song” — but he did get the party going with a set of old school hip-hop and R&B that had Nas and guests like Chloe Flower and Steve Aoki dancing next to Vegas showgirls in the aisles. “In the land of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. comes in the Korean flavor,” Nas boasted, as he briefly took the mic.
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For Kim, who went to UNLV and began his hospitality career in Las Vegas more than 20 years ago, the opening of COTE was truly a full-circle moment. “I came from Korea at the age of 13 not speaking any English,” he told journalists earlier in the day. “So to partner with this iconic resort… I don’t think I can describe in words how grateful I am for about this opportunity. This is the true American dream.”
The Venetian Resort’s President & CEO, Patrick Nichols, echoed Kim’s excitement for the new restaurant, telling journalists that COTE will “bring some real energy” to Las Vegas and add to the “bustling vibrancy of the strip.”
Guests at the party were treated to flowing drinks — including a Chopin Vodka martini cart — and some of COTE’s soon-to-be signature bites, like the Vegas-exclusive “BlackJack” A5 wagyu sandwich. The main section of the David Rockwell-designed restaurant features a number of swank banquettes around an open-style (standing room-only) bar, while the second floor features four private dining rooms, a private balcony and even a karaoke set up.
Though COTE is best-known for its food, Kim says he believes in “the power of ‘and,’” describing the Vegas location as “a club and restaurant, where entertainment is there with pulsating energy.”
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The COTE Vegas opening is part of The Venetian Resort’s recent $1.5 billion renovation, which officials say updated nearly 4,000 suites while adding $200 million in upgrades to the hotel’s meeting and convention spaces. As Nichols says, “this is brand new down to the studs.”
The Venetian has a number of other musical and entertainment happenings this fall: Earth, Wind & Fire, Jackson Browne and Wynonna are among the artists playing the 1,800-seat Venetian Theatre through the end of the year, while Leona Lewis kicks off her residency at Voltaire in November.
