Shigotonin Japanese Tapas & Sake — Restaurant in Spring Valley

I was first introduced to Shigotonin by my fellow Chefs at Bouchon. I had only just arrived in Las Vegas from NYC and they wanted to show me that Las Vegas too had good restaurants. But to take a New Yorker to a raw fish restaurant, in the desert and nonetheless, a Japanese restaurant that chooses to identify as a “Japanese tapas bar”. Needless to say, my expectations were low. A quick review of the website (I NEVER read online reviews), confirmed my initial thought and I arrived with low expectations. I was wrong. I was SO wrong. In a small parking lot area of Las Vegas’s Chinatown, sits a small Japanese tapas bar called Shigotonin, meaning "person who does their job without mistakes", so accurate. Upon entering, you are greeted by the host, who is also a server, and the sommelier. A small space with walls painted in black, large wooden tables, with wide benches and some chairs are spread with abundance of space between them. The open kitchen is covered by a tinted glass window, allowing you to smell, but not see the cooking. And the ceilings are tall. You are seated and soon after, welcomed again by the owner, who is also the Chef. He approaches, with a long list of specials for the day, hand written on a large chalkboard, he places this on a chair in front of the table. And begins to run through the dishes, whilst showing you pictures of them, he took today, on his phone. The host, server, somm, will return shortly to take you order. The food arrives as it is ready. The Sake recommended is Junmai and it is great, for its flavor as well as value. And the private sitting is warm, it allows the atmosphere of dining to feel intimate and inviting. Dish after dish comes out and each one is better than the previous. Fresh fish, which are flown in daily from Japan, are sliced sashimi style and placed on warm brown rice, that is the Chef’s, who is also the owner’s, signature rice. An eel roll is warm and fresh. The tuna tartar is served with fresh wasabi and crispy sea weed, to allow you to create your own hand roll. Four different cuts of Blue Fin Tuna, varying by fattiness, Salmon, Scallop, Shrimp, Hamachi, Ikura and Uni, all come as options in an individual temaki style, open face hand roll. Each portion of fish is generous and served with a side of the house fresh wasabi and the traditional, soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi. The warmth of the rice in these sushi style dishes, paired with the high fat of the fish, allow the perfect setting for a bite that actually, scientifically, melts in your mouth. Had I mentioned yet how very wrong I was about what I thought of this restaurant before I began feasting? And the best was yet to come. Nothing prepared me for the next dish. A bowl of pasta (I know, pasta at a japanese restaurant), in a very light creamy sauce, topped with three pieces of fresh Uni. This japanese style (very much spaghetti) pasta, is served with gold tongs for mixing and portioning to share. The Uni flavors the entire dish with an oceanic sweetness and again, the Chef’s use of heat and fat, creates a dish that disappears from the plates in seconds, leaving you to wonder, perhaps this was just a dream? I had to find out! I had to know if this experience was based on the low expectations I carried with me when I arrived, perhaps the excitement of dining with my new fellow co-workers, or maybe I was especially hungry and I don't recall. So, I returned, and I returned again, and then I returned again, and I brought a friend, and another time I brought a guest visiting from New York, and again, and I returned another time with my father, and I returned again with a different co-worker. It is such a great feeling to bring someone to a new place, a restaurant they had never been to, whether they are foodies, or not. And to know, without a doubt, that they are going to have an exceptional fish experience...

I don't know where to begin because I have so many good things to say...so I guess start by giving this restaurant a 10 out of 5 stars. The ambiance, the service, and the food creates an experience elevated beyond anything you'd find in a high-end hotel for the same price point. This is not only my new favorite Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas, it is now one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.

Ambiance The first thing you'll notice walking into this restaurant is that it is strikingly beautiful. It looks like it belongs in a trendy neighborhood of San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Manhattan. It's minimalist design uses high-contrast colors, simple clean lines and multi-functional furniture. Not only did the restaurant's design perfectly mirror the presentation of the food itself, but I believe this was a rare instance where the environment truly enhanced the experience and enjoyment of each dish.

Food The four dishes we ordered from the daily special menu were: the Oyster Hoba, the "3 Kinds of Maguro", the Kaisen Chirashi, and the Snow Crab & Uni Temaki Sushi. From the plating to the flavor balance, you can tell that everything was intentional and well-thought out and clearly demonstrates the chef truly cares for each dish and is a master of his craft. Along with the beautiful presentation, the quality level of the ingredients is immediately noticeable. The tuna melts in your mouth and has tons of flavor on its own. Also, it was the best Uni I've ever had, so buttery and delicious. Even their house-made soy sauce and choices of fresh wasabi were crafted with care and creativity. If you're looking for Umami, look no further than the Oyster Hoba, it is an incredible dish that I've not encountered before.

Service The level of friendly and knowledgeable service clearly reflects their pride in their product. The staff were gracious and attentive. They explained the menu and we took their recommendations. It is so refreshing to see the staff's faces light up with joy when they see you devouring your meal. They truly care for your experience and it shows.

COVID measures The restaurant was spotlessly clean. They offer you hand sanitizer upon entry. The tables are spaced apart and they don't stick another party right next to you if there are tables available farther away. Everyone was wearing a mask including the chefs. There wasn't a moment we felt unsafe to be eating inside this restaurant.

We can't wait to come back with...

Unbelievable!! Twice Nobu pricing for this place… no host, no one to welcome you, except for who looks like maybe a manager smoking cigarettes outside the restaurant that looks like a homeless man guiding you inside the restaurant very rudely.

No hospitality, no cleanliness, servers place trays on the chairs while talking to the guest, dirty tables, menu was taped together dirty and old, paper napkin, no one to refill your sake, the server showing pictures of the food from his personal phone while guiding you through the menu.

Servers bringing wine to the tables and glasses as if he was carrying a football, hugging clean glassware and the chilled bottle which he never refilled once.

For a restaurant off the strip that has prices that are more expensive than Nobu and Zuma or any restaurant on the strip of Las Vegas, we were expecting at least a decent service, not a 5 start service but just basic and decent. No table maintenance. Food was ok but nothing crazy. They were out of half of the menu dishes. The one hamachi crudo plate we received had a garnish of old, sadly plated lettuce and the plate looked like a 4 month old child plated it.

Multiple dirty tables throughout the night for very long period of time were left un-attended. I can really appreciate the small selection and always want to support small businesses in Vegas especially off the strip but sadly, can’t even find anything positive to say about this restaurant.

We just feel offended but mostly robbed and shocked by the audacity of the prices that are higher than strip restaurants and service that doesn’t even meet basic service requirements.

When the basic of service 101 are missing that’s a huge red flag, especially if the owners are greedy enough to think they are providing a service good enough to open a restaurant that makes you spend more than $150 pp, and not even have a fast food like restaurant service style, it’s actually worse.

Very disappointed, and we’ve never left review in our life before as we are in the industry ourselves, but this was just so ridiculous I had to. Shame on you! The price vs food, service and atmosphere was just absurd...