Japonais, the popular restaurant with outlets in Chicago and New York, has opened at The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

Owner-partners include Rick Wahlstedt, Miae Lim and restaurant designer Jeffrey Beers, who designed the restaurant with such features as a ceiling made of wood curved to look like the waves of the ocean and a centerpiece tree made of bamboo branches with moss balls on the ends.

"It's a take on the Japanese bonzai tree, but in a modern fashion," managing partner Sandy Park says.

The restaurant also features a large bar-lounge and private dining room that's reached by walking on a wood bridge that spans a small stream of water.

The 11,000-square-foot restaurant seats 160 in the main dining room, 14 at the sushi bar, 100 in the lounge and as many as 55 in the private room.

Leading the kitchen is executive chef-partner Gene Kato while Jun Ichikawa is the executive sushi chef-partner.

Signature dishes include The Rock, thinly sliced marinated New York strip steak cooked on a hot rock ($16); the Robata Grill, a variety of signature selections such as smoked wagyu with ginger wasabi ponzu ($16) and sweet shrimp and diver scallop with yuzu salt ($16); kani nigiri, two pieces of spicy baked king crab ($14); and Le Quack Japonais, whole maple leaf smoked duck, hoisin sauce, mango chutney and mushu wraps ($28).

Hours are from 5 to 11 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays and 5 to 11:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. The lounge is open from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily.

Reservations are "highly recommended" by calling 792-7979.

Starters: Hawaiian hamachi, thinly sliced yellowtail in a sesame soy yuzu vinaigrette ($16); sweet shrimp ceviche with ginger yuzu, marinated raw sweet shrimp, avocado mousse and fried taro chips ($16); kani kani, snow crab claws wrapped with shrimp and crab mousse served in a spicy passion fruit sauce ($17); and tuna flatbread with ahi tuna, mochi cheese, olive anchovy sauce on an ohba and wakame crust ($16).

Soups and salads: Miso soup with white miso, wakame, scallions and tofu ($5); Japonais consomme with clear madai broth, shrimp dumplings and vegetables ($8); bibb lettuce salad with cucumber and tomato carpaccio in a red miso vinaigrette ($9); and kaiso, marinated sweet vinegar seaweed salad with cucumbers and toasted sesame ($6).

Entrees: Eight-ounce filet mignon grilled with uni butter, white miso truffled potato puree and grilled asparagus ($38); ahi tuna steak grilled over roasted scallion potato puree, tempura maitake mushrooms and wasabi glaze ($25); salmon Japonais with nori skin encrusted Atlantic salmon with horseradish oyster leek stew and curry oil ($26); 10-ounce house smoked wagyu rib-eye served with truffled miso potato puree, grilled asparagus and Kirin beer fondue ($65); and grilled Hawaiian hamachi served with crispy shrimp dumplings in a light wild mushroom broth ($26).

Extras: Japonais' sushi bar offers nigiri and sashimi with tuna, white fish, fish roe, salmon, shrimp, squid, octopus, giant clam and sea urchin ($4-$14), plus maki mono and vegetable mono ($6-$14) and chef's special rolls ($18).

Desserts: Green tea panna cotta in a citrus tapioca soup with honey dew sorbet ($10); kabocha cheesecake, Japanese pumpkin cheesecake served with five-spiced pineapple mousse and an almond cookie crust ($11); Apple pie toban yaki with Michigan red and gold apples with ginger oatmeal clusters and honey vanilla ice cream served in a hot clay pot ($11); Chocolate Indulgence, chocolate ginger mousse cake, chocolate chawan mushi with wild berry soup and chocolate truffle beignet ($18); and assorted sorbets served with watermelon soup and yuzu cookie ($9).

Appetizers is a weekly informational column about new developments on the Las Vegas dining scene. Items should not be considered reviews or recommendations and none is a paid advertisement. Contact Ken White at 383-0256 or e-mail him at kwhite@ reviewjournal.com.