Q&A with Chef Sam Hazen
of TAO Asian Bistro in Las Vegas
Chef Sam Hazen took his years of experience in
some of the world's most exalted kitchens, combined it with global
travels, inspiration, and a big budget and brought these to Sin
City. Recreating his success at the original TAO in New York
was not enough; TAO Las Vegas is a high concept, bigger and
bolder venture. Using only the finest ingredients in a state-of-the-art
kitchen, with an intensely trained and disciplined staff, Chef Hazen
perfected a menu that results in superb dishes for hundreds of satisfied
diners each evening. Hazen's interpretations of classic Asian recipes
are instant favorites.
CMEplanner: How would you describe the dining scene in
Las Vegas?
Hazen: There is a great vibe here among diners, a lot of excitement
and high expectations.
CMEplanner: What influenced you to become a chef?
Hazen:
I come from a line of chefs going back to my grandfather and father.
I grew up in the kitchen and was raised on excellent cuisine.
CMEplanner: How do you describe your cooking style?
Hazen:
I combine French techniques and Asian traditions with my own personal
twist.
CMEplanner: How do you keep
the quality so high when cooking for so many?
Hazen:
I am very organized, which helps a lot. We also invest a lot of
time in staff training to eliminate problems before they occur.
Our kitchen runs pretty smoothly despite its size and our large
kitchen staff.
CMEplanner: What's your biggest challenge now that TAO Las Vegas
is up and running?
Hazen:
I have to be super careful in how I divide my time between
both TAOs-Las Vegas and New York. I have to be available
to give hands-on instruction to keep the consistency and quality
up at both.
CMEplanner: What are your
future plans?
Hazen:
So many guests in both New York and Las Vegas ask the wait staff
for my recipes that I'm planning to do a cookbook when I have the
time.
CMEplanner: What is your favorite cuisine
when dining out?
Hazen:
I enjoy French food for a change of pace.
CMEplanner: Did you have to make any
adjustments or compromises when bringing your cuisine to Las Vegas?
Hazen:
Many diners here have time constraints; they have show or club reservations.
We inaugurated a system to have each individually prepared entrée
in place in about 30 minutes when requested to do so.
* * *
TAO Asian Bistro
at the Venetian Las Vegas
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 414-1000
www.venetian.com/dining/tao.cfm
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