L.A. chef Jet Tila to open restaurant at Encore in Las Vegas

Los Angeles chef about town Jet Tila has been tapped to open a to-be-named pan-Asian restaurant at casino mogul Steve Wynn's new Wynn-adjacent Encore resort in Las Vegas.

Tila, whose family owns L.A.'s Bangkok Market, has been teaching cooking classes -- at the New School of Cooking in Culver City and Sur La Table, among other venues -- and consulting for Bon Appetit Management Co. Tila also has contributed to the Los Angeles Times and has appeared regularly on KCRW's "Good Food."

"America's already very accustomed to Chinese and Japanese food, so it's time to bring in bolder flavors," Tila says. "Indian flavors, Singaporean flavors, and of course, Thai –- I think Thai has been misrepresented. I'm trying to bring it back to what it's supposed to be."

The nearly 100-seat restaurant also will serve sushi and dim sum. Asian restaurants at Wynn include Okada (Japanese), Michelin-starred Wing Lei (Chinese) and Asian bistro Red 8.

Encore is expected to open early next year. Other restaurants include Botero Steak and Switch, and as reported by Eater LA, Patina chef Theo Schoenegger also will be opening a restaurant.

-- Betty Hallock   

Photo: chefjet.com