Mandalay Bay keeps ‘new wave’ going with James Beard Award-winning chef

Celebrated chef, restaurateur and James Beard Award winner Michael Mina is going global at Mandalay Bay with Orla, the property announced Thursday. The new restaurant will draw on Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, North African, Western Asian and European cooking traditions, with a nod to the chef’s Egyptian heritage.

“I am honored to introduce Orla to the vibrant Las Vegas dining scene … with dishes inspired by my upbringing,” the chef said of the seafood-focused restaurant, set to debut this winter. “We look forward to sharing our culinary passion and creating special moments for all who visit.”

The opening of Orla marks another chapter “in the ‘new wave’ of Mandalay Bay and showcases an ongoing commitment to the evolution of our resort offerings,” said Chuck Bowling, Mandalay Bay president and chief operating officer.

Much of this new wave has been on the food and drink front.

A remodeled StripSteak from chef Mina reopened in December with a substantially new menu and a makeover to its interior design.

Retro by Voltaggio, from chef brothers and “Top Chef” stars Michael and Bryan Voltaggio, launched in early May in the former Aureole, which chef Charlie Palmer opened in 1999. Flanker Kitchen, a next-gen sports bar with a ceiling installation honoring the Formula One Grand Prix track, launched in June at the property.

And Fleur, with its regional French cooking, closed June 30 to make way for … Orla.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram and @ItsJLW on X, formerly known as Twitter.