Las Vegas Weekly

July 6, 2009 · 5:17 PM

Ushering in the age of Khotan: a new pan-Asian to rise from the ashes of Social House

By Xania Woodman

Fourth of July weekend closure = last licks.

Photo: MGM Mirage

“We are happy to announce that Khotan, our new Pan-Asian restaurant will be opening in August,” says Don Voss, VP of Hotel Sales & Marketing for Treasure Island. “It will be in the space formerly occupied by Social House.” (Khotan, in case you’re already Googling, was an ancient Buddhist kingdom on the Silk Road.)

Pure Management Group’s own pan-Asian restaurant Social House laid down its chopsticks for good Sunday night, despite a rep’s June 18 insistence that “Contrary to rumors, Social House is open, and will continue to be open and operating.”

In a press release posted on Social House’s main Web site, PMG states that they have decided to close the venue, open since August 2006, “in order to concentrate on negotiations for a new location on the Las Vegas Strip for the popular restaurant concept … PMG is excited to announce the new location once negotiations have been completed.”

Social House employees are currently being re-allocated to other PMG venues; they reportedly began showing up for shifts elsewhere even before last week as rumors about Christian Audigier, Social House’s neighbor in the PMG family, began to swell.

An entry on the site openvegas.com speaks of the frustration a California man’s wife recently experienced, planning a bachelorette party the weekend of August 28-31: “She was thinking of booking Christian Audigier but someone she called said its closing in the next 3 weeks...”

Robin Leach reported last week that Audigier will indeed follow Social House into closure, as early as one week after. According to Leach, TI owner Phil Ruffin “is reportedly planning to build a Gilley’s country western-themed bar, grill and dance hall in the two-floor space. Construction and a facelift will begin immediately during the summer tourist season so he can reopen for the Labor Day holiday weekend in September.”

According to the same PMG rep, “PMG has a contract for Audigier through 2016. Per the contract, PMG will continue to operate Audigier.” While that is interesting, it does not answer the question of whether or not PMG intends to honor that contract, and on TI property or if it too will relocate.

“We have no comment regarding the nightclub at this time,” says Voss, and in response to rumors around TI that Kahunaville, the themed flair bar and restaurant, might become home to a future nightclub once Audigier is gone, Voss adds, “There are currently no plans whatsoever to change Kahunaville.”

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