Paid in Full restaurant inspired by Japanese gastropubs

A Japanese restaurant has opened in the southwest, geared toward the late-night industry crowd looking for a drink and small bites after work.

Paid in Full, from Las Vegas chefs Michael Plourde and Jason Olson, opened at West Warm Springs Road and South Durango Drive on Sept. 23. It is modeled after casual gastropubs in Japan called izakayas.

Plourde and his wife, Misuzu, began talking about the concept for the restaurant in August 2016. They own and operate Suzuya Patisseriea few doors over, where they serve cakes, crepes and other pastries. For the next venture, Plourde wanted to do something savory, something that paired well with beer, he said.

Plourde opted for takoyaki, a popular street food in Japan. The crispy dumpling dish has different fillings; at Paid in Full these include smoked salmon (with dill cream, ikura and wasabi mayonnaise, $10), mushroom (with black truffle kewpie and scallions, $9) and escargot (with salsa verde and garlic aioli, $9).

The restaurant opened in the former Fish N Bowl sushi restaurant space that shuttered this year. Paid in Full is decorated with New York City-inspired graffiti and street art with splashes of pop culture memorabilia (like the Star Wars stormtrooper helmet mounted on the wine rack or pillows bearing Audrey Hepburn’s face in the women’s restroom).

The name of the restaurant is inspired by Plourde’s and Olson’s sense of freedom they have running their restaurant.

“Two white guys making Japanese- (and) Asian-influenced food is kind of a hard sell to begin with,” Plourde said. “Then add in street decor and an ’80s and ’90s hip-hop soundtrack. It’s probably going to confuse some people.”

Inspiration for the name came from the song of the same title by Eric B. & Rakim, a hip-hop duo formed in Long Island, New York in 1986.

“It’s basically about hustling, having a plan to do something big but not having the means,” Plourde said. “So you do whatever you can to build yourself up, pay your dues, until you get to that point where you don’t owe anyone anything anymore and you’re free and able to do what you want.”

Plourde and Olson worked on the Strip, where they met working at Bellagio in 1999. The two worked at Wynn upon its opening in 2005. Plourde was at Tableau (where he met his wife), and Olson was at the now-closed Corsa Cucina. More jobs leading kitchens on and around the Strip followed.

Plourde and Olson now are “paid in full” and free to do what they want, Plourde said.

The menu features small- and large-plate items and a short dessert menu. Small plates include udon fries served “animal style” ($5), edamame hummus (served with furikake lavosh crackers, $5) and asparagus and blue crab salad ($10).

Large plates include udon with a squid puttanesca with roasted tomato sauce and olives ($17), clams with unagi dumplings ($14) and a curry chicken sandwich with ponzu sauce, cabbage and pickles ($12). The menu is set to change as the chefs continue to experiment, Plourde said.

The next step for the restaurateurs is to obtain a liquor license. Soon, they expect the menu to include beer, wine, sake and house cocktails.

Contact Madelyn Reese at mreese@viewnews.com or 702-383-0497. Follow @MadelynGReese on Twitter.