***Update: business closed***
The buzz may have died down from their opening, but the food at Inyo is still better than most on Spring Mountain road. My unquestioned favorite items are the chicken wings. Flash fried, no breading, with hints of sweetness covering meaty wings, the Japanese tebasaki wings ($4.95 for 4) are superb. Kushi is always a safe bet as well, with the pork belly ($3.95) and wagyu ($5.95) skewers standouts in well executed simplicity. Skewers come with three types of salt — standard sea salt, togarashi, and curry salt. Try each to find your perfect flavor combo. Don’t overlook the crab fried rice ($7.95). Topped with a scramble of egg and chunks of snow crab, you’ll get good value for this bowl of deliciousness.
From the sea, you’ll find dishes that aren’t overworked. Dishes with minimal ingredients but maximum flavors. Kumamoto oysters ($4.95) started a touch sweet and briny but ended with a spicy finish. Silky tuna was clearly the star in the Maguro no zuke ($9.95) dish, with avocado and green onions only serving to enhance the main ingredient. The hamachi usuzukuri ($8.95) was excellent. Hints of heat balanced with the acidity from the ponzu created an excellent profile for the thinly sliced yellowtail and the textural contrast with the other ingredients made this dish shine.
Restaurants that feature such a wide range of cuisines — in this case Japanese, Thai, Korean, and Chinese — rarely execute at a high level. But, at Inyo well crafted dishes are standard. The spot may lack some of the hype and appeal of other restaurants in the valley, but you’ll rarely leave here disappointed.
4 Stars
6000 W Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89146
