Las Vegas Weekly

September 2, 2008 · 3 PM

Eva Longoria, Leonardo DiCaprio join Paris and Nicky Hilton to open Bellagio’s Yellowtail

By Robin Leach

Paris Hilton and chef Back at the grand opening of Yellowtail Sushi.

Photo: Denise Truscello

It was an all-star party for the opening of celebrity chef Akira Back’s new stunning Yellowtail restaurant at the Bellagio -- and Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria may just have confirmed her upcoming baby news: She turned down celebration champagne in favor of non-alcoholic drinks and also declined the sushi sensations! Wilmer Valderrama brought her table sake and tequila shots but she stayed loyal to her self-imposed no alcohol rule. Paris Hilton, however, went gaga over the beef tataki, ordering multiple plates of the former snowboard-champion-turned-chef’s delicacy!

Paris even came over with sister Nicky to my outside patio table to give me a kiss -- so I was the lucky camper of the night. She told me she’d come into Vegas with Good Charlotte rocker boyfriend Benji Madden for his twin brother Joel’s holiday weekend guest DJ appearance.

Leonardo DiCaprio also attended, along with a powerful royal rundown that included Charlie Sheen and his pregnant wife, Brooke, actress Michelle Rodriguez, recording artist Ryan Cabrera, the gorgeous Janelle Perry from Sunset Tan, K-Fed’s ex, Shar Jackson, knockout Playboy playmate Destiny Davis and the always-stunning Miss Nevada Veronica Grabowski, Brandon Davis and Marlon Wayans.

Light Group owners Andrew Sassoon and Andy Masi even had their new Dubai-headquartered partner Mohammed Ali Al Hashimi of Zabeel Investments on hand to welcome all the VIPs -- and the sheik was really seeing stars! It’s the company’s fifth Vegas restaurant! They researched 100 different chefs before bringing 20 to Vegas and settling on Akira!

Their 180-seat dining room has a 30-seat private outdoor dining room, plus patio dining. It's located caddy-corner opposite the Light Group’s Fix steakhouse bar, the Bank nightclub and opposite its Caramel ultra-lounge.

Korean-born, chef Back, with his exquisite preparations, served up some incredible culinary wonders. No wonder the chef who trained under such industry greats as Nobu Matsuhisa and Morimoto Nagao after giving up snowboard championships due to injury went on to become a Food Network Iron Chef challenger competing against our friend, Bobby Flay.

Most of the 100 pounds of fresh fish imported daily, including 30 pounds of tuna, comes from the massive Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. For the grand opening, chef Back created his finest ingredient-driven signature items, including tai snapper, king crab tempura, big-eye tuna pizza, spicy tuna strawberry roll and rock shrimp. The celebrities who sat at tables on a VIP balcony perched over the breathtaking views of the Bellagio’s fountains gobbled up the fabulous food, raving about the new hot-spot eatery. My tip is to order the toro sashimi -- not only is it brilliant but it's topped with generous portions of caviar!

Hollywood stars have begun beating a path to the walls and doors that replicate a giant-scaled yellowtail fish. Drew Barrymore’s former boyfriend, actor and Apple computer star, Justin Long hit it without a date the night before, treating some of his pals to the lobster carpaccio and crab rolls! It is a Japanese restaurant but unlike anything you’ve ever tasted or seen before -- and it's world-class service from some of the most beautiful girls ever dressed in their sexy slit skirts have already made it an overnight winner.

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