In Las Vegas, Simon Kim’s Cote Unfurls Like a Flower
The restaurateur reunites with Rockwell Group on a floral-inspired dining room at the Venetian that dials up his signature blend of Korean barbecue and steakhouse tradition
Long before Simon Kim founded Cote, one of America’s most acclaimed steakhouses, he enthusiastically studied hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, while working the front desk at the MGM Grand. “Las Vegas is where it all started for me—studying at UNLV, managing restaurants and casino floors, and learning the fundamentals of hospitality from the ground up,” says the Seoul-born restaurateur and founder of Gracious Hospitality Management. “The energy of the Strip, the spectacle of lights, and endless possibilities have always lived in the DNA of Cote.”
Nearly two decades later, Kim has returned to that glittering stage with Cote Las Vegas, the fourth and most ambitious outpost of his Michelin-starred Korean chophouse. Inside the Venetian Resort’s soaring Waterfall Atrium, the 17,000-square-foot culinary destination translates Cote’s celebrated blend of Korean cuisine and classic steakhouse tradition into a high-octane epicurean experience that captures the Strip’s intensity at full tilt. “We had the biggest budget, the largest space, and the highest stakes, which also meant the highest risk,” he tells Galerie. “We wanted to make Cote Vegas unapologetically Las Vegas and unapologetically Cote.”
That distinct identity takes shape the moment guests pass through the darkened entry. A narrow gold-and-crimson portal segues into a grand dining room that unfurls like a flower. Rockwell Group, which previously designed Tao, Nobu, and Kim’s Coqodaq, drew inspiration from Cote’s floral emblem—the name translates to “flower” or “bloom” in Korean. “We imagined the guest journey as an unfurling bloom,” says founder David Rockwell. “The entire experience is revealed through choreography, from the black stone portal to the glowing gold ceiling petals and lighting installation.” A circular bar anchors the 219-seat dining room like a pistil, radiating energy as tiered banquettes curve outward in petal-like layers. “We drew on the spatial tricks of theaters: compression and release, darkness and glow, anticipation and reveal,” he continues.
Upstairs, private skybox dining rooms overlook the main floor, while a hidden bar enclosed by a terrarium wall offers a secluded escape from the late-night pace. The effect, Kim says, creates “a ‘see and be seen’ energy” that intensifies through the evening. The Venetian’s support gave his team “the freedom to truly dial everything up,” while Rockwell’s expertise in staging dynamic environments brought the vision to life. The LAB at Rockwell Group, the firm’s in-house experiential studio, developed a lighting system that shifts color and rhythm in tune with the music or the crowd’s momentum, allowing the atmosphere to evolve as the night progresses.
“If entertainment is the bass, hospitality is the treble,” Kim quips. Executive chef David Shim delivers that balance through a menu centered on USDA Prime and Wagyu beef, dry-aged in-house for up to 120 days. The signature Butcher’s Feast offers four cuts grilled tableside with kimchi, scallion salad, and doenjang stew. Diners can continue with an A5 Wagyu tasting from Kagoshima, Miyazaki, or Kobe, each sourced at the highest grade. The BlackJack Sandwich, exclusive to Las Vegas, layers Kagoshima A5 Wagyu with Périgord black truffle from Burgundy and truffle aioli between pillowy slices of milk toast—a decadent answer to the Strip’s appetite for indulgence.
The beverage program, led by Victoria James and Sondre Kasin, carries that exuberance into the glass. The cocktail list spins tales from local lore: Diamonds Are Forever, a sparkling pandan-laced tequila creation, nods to the 1971 James Bond classic, while The King, made with bourbon, peanut, and banana, pays tribute to Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich. More than 1,200 wine labels are available, many poured from magnums bottled directly with producers. “At Cote’s foundation, it’s all about incredible culinary and hospitality experiences,” Kim says. “That’s our baseline. But at this restaurant, layered on top is an unmistakable Las Vegas flair.”
Rockwell echoes that sentiment. “Working with Simon is always a conversation about emotion and energy as much as design,” the architect explains. “He has an incredible sense of pacing and how a dinner should unfold, like when to heighten a moment and when to pause. The collaboration pushed us to think of every element as part of the choreography of the restaurant, from the way light hits the grills to the spark that ignites when a server presses the ‘lightning bolt’ button to celebrate a table.”
Cote Las Vegas
Speaking of celebration, the grand opening signals an exciting new chapter for both parties. Cote Las Vegas is Rockwell Group’s first partnership with Gracious Hospitality Management and a model for future ventures. Kim’s next project, at 550 Madison Avenue in New York, will unite several new concepts within the postmodern landmark, including Cote’s second New York location and an intimate sushi counter overseen by Michelin-starred chef Masahiro Yoshitake. “Las Vegas emboldened us,” Kim affirms. “Our partnership with Rockwell has only matured. After everything we’ve learned from Cote, Coqodaq, and now Cote Las Vegas, 550 Madison will be our masterclass.”