Our first time eating at Chef Kenny’s was at his Dim Sum restaurant in late June 2021. It was opening weekend for Resorts World hotel and casino in Las Vegas, so my wife and I decided to head down to the strip and check it out. As we left later that evening, we were in the mood for a late dinner, but on our way to a restaurant, we saw the “Grand Opening” sign for Chef Kenny’s Vegan Dim Sum.
The car tires squealed as I made a hard right turn directly into Chef Kenny’s parking lot. We realized it was getting close to closing time as we walked in and thought about leaving, but they graciously welcomed us and insisted we stay.
Eating at Chef Kenny’s Vegan Dim Sum
Chef Kenny himself was in the house that night, which isn’t surprising considering it was the opening weekend of his new restaurant. He was very friendly and personable, asking if we had eaten at his other restaurant. We told him we had not, so he insisted on helping us pick out a few appetizers.
I remember him saying we had to try the steak roll, and since then, this has been my go-to dish when bringing newcomers to try Chef Kenny’s. We’ve brought my wife’s family there on one occasion and my own family on another. We’ve eaten at both locations, and my mom even went so far as to cater Christmas dinner with food from Chef Kenny’s. She ordered so much extra food that I literally ate Chef Kenny’s leftovers for the entire week between Christmas and New Year.
Based on all these experiences, the first thing I would say regarding Chef Kenny’s is that you shouldn’t only be going there because you’re looking for good Asian vegan food. You should go there because you like good Asian food. Period. Vegan or not, the food at Chef Kenny’s is outstanding.
I say “Asian food” when describing Chef Kenny’s because the menu contains classic dishes spanning various Asian cultures. First, you have traditional Chinese dishes like Mongolian Beef and Sweet & Sour Shrimp. Then there’s sushi representing Japanese culture, Korean barbequed beef, plus a variety of Thai dishes like Pad Thai and Thai Chicken.
Everything is 100% plant-based and mostly made from scratch on-premises. So when you see references to animal products like “beef” and “shrimp,” you can rest assured that they refer to a plant-based version. I’ve always been amazed at how accurately they can recreate these classic dishes.
Favorite dishes at Chef Kenny’s
These are my top four favorite dishes at Chef Kenny’s. I can’t go to Chef Kenny’s without ordering at least one of the following.
Sweet & Sour Shrimp
It’s hard to decide what to start with on this dish. The shrimp or the sauce? Let’s start with the shrimp. Not only do the shrimp look identical to regular shrimp, but the texture and consistency are incredibly similar as well. These shrimp are featured in many dishes on Chef Kenny’s menu, and our family loves them. My son calls the shrimp at Chef Kenny’s his favorite food in the world. No joke.
Aside from the shrimp, this dish’s sweet and sour sauce is quite possibly my favorite of all time. I’m always interested in sweet and sour something, so based on our love of Chef Kenny’s shrimp, I usually go with Sweet & Sour Shrimp as a dish for everyone to share.
Medium Rare Steak Roll
The Medium Rare Steak Roll is a dish that I wouldn’t have ordered on my own, but when we first met Chef Kenny, he insisted that we try it. I’m so glad he did, too, because it’s such a unique dish. The steak portion consists of two layers. An inner layer reminds me of a meatball, which is then wrapped with “steak strips.”
It’s presented as a roll, much like a traditional sushi roll, but is served warm with a slightly sweet sauce and garnished with sesame seeds. This is definitely a signature dish for Chef Kenny, and it’s so unique that you really have to try it on your next visit.
Spicy Vegan Crispy Beef
The Spicy Vegan Crispy Beef entree at Chef Kenny’s is another dish that will leave you scratching your head when trying to distinguish it from real beef. One thing I love about this dish is the crispy texture of the beef. It’s perfect for dipping and has just the right amount of crunch.
As the name suggests, this dish does have some spice, but I never found it overwhelming. If you’re planning a family-style meal at Chef Kenny’s, this one will undoubtedly be a crowd-pleaser.
Chef Kenny’s Rainbow Roll
I was blown away the first time having the Rainbow Roll at Chef Kenny’s. It looked exactly like a “normal” rainbow roll, but the consistency and even the flavor of the fish were also just like I was used to. My wife and I still can’t figure out how they replicate the raw fish experience, but we almost always get a sushi roll or two when visiting Chef Kenny’s.
Whether you’re looking for sushi classics like tuna rolls, California rolls, and spiders rolls, or something non-shareable like a hand roll, you will find it on Chef Kenny’s menu. Although there are other vegan sushi restaurants in Las Vegas, you can’t beat Chef Kenny’s if you’re looking for plant-based recreations of classic sushi dishes.
Chef Kenny is a fun & friendly character
We’ve seen and interacted with Chef Kenny on multiple visits to his restaurants. He’s such a fun and friendly guy and can often be found making the rounds to various tables in his restaurant. I’m sure it’s part quality control and part guest entertainment. It really seems genuine with him, though, and you can tell these restaurants are his babies.
They must be doing something right, too, because it’s busy every time we go there. You frequently have to wait for a table, and they do a solid take-out business. There’s a lot of competition in this part of Las Vegas, but having an entirely plant-based menu allows them to build a very loyal following. That’s certainly been the case with our family.
Something for everyone
As previously mentioned, we’ve brought various people to eat at Chef Kenny’s. This includes meat-eaters from the midwest, plus a few skeptics, but everyone has always left happy. I’ve never brought someone to Chef Kenny’s who didn’t enjoy their meal.
Newcomers are usually surprised that these plant-based versions of their favorite classic Asian dishes can be so good. It should be noted that the prices at Chef Kenny’s are totally reasonable, too, something that can’t be said for many Las Vegas vegan restaurants.
Although we’re sad about the recent closing of one of our favorite Las Vegas vegan restaurants, the Las Vegas vegan food scene is still going strong. Amongst that scene, Chef Kenny’s stands tall. As I’ve already mentioned, this is a great restaurant regardless of the vegan qualifier. It doesn’t really matter whether you’re into the whole vegan thing or not. If you’re into good Asian food and looking for a place to eat said food in Las Vegas, you owe it to yourself to consider eating at Chef Kenny’s!
