The Black Sheep (restaurant)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | Jamie Tran, Andy Hooper, Jon Schwalb |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
| Products | Vietnamese-American fusion cuisine |
The Black Sheep is a Vietnamese-American dining establishment situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2017, it received the accolade of restaurant of the year from Eater Las Vegas.
History
Following the closure of DB Brassiere at the Venetian, where chef Jamie Tran served as executive sous chef, Tran partnered with Andy Hooper and Jon Schwalb to launch The Black Sheep. The team sought a venue away from the Las Vegas Strip, ultimately selecting a strip mall on the city’s southwest side—an area with limited casual fine dining options and home to Schwalb and Hooper. Renovation work on the previous Soulfish Poke location started in February 2017, leading to the restaurant’s debut in May. The establishment’s name reflects Tran's personal identification as the black sheep within her family.
Chef Tran competed on Season 18 of Top Chef aired on Bravo, where she finished in fourth place.
Design
The 1,350-square-foot space was collaboratively designed by Hooper, Schwalb, and Tran within a strip mall setting. The interior is characterized by walls painted in multiple shades of gray and features a large panoramic image depicting a sheep farm. The entrance area is adorned with an assortment of mirrors in various sizes.
Cuisine
The Black Sheep specializes in Vietnamese-American fusion dishes. Chef Tran, who is Vietnamese American, incorporates traditional recipes from her heritage combined with French culinary techniques acquired at Aureole and DB Brasserie. The restaurant’s concept was inspired by Vietnamese-style family meals that Tran crafted during her tenure at DB Brasserie, with Andy Hooper encouraging this culinary direction for The Black Sheep.
Food
Starters include imperial rolls stuffed with pork, shrimp, pickled heirloom carrots, daikon radish, and frisée, alongside baos featuring pork sausage, fried quail egg, shallots, herbs, and jalapeño aioli. Additional options consist of heirloom beet salad with goat cheese yogurt and walnuts, salmon skin tacos, and fried beef crisps.
Main courses showcase braised Duroc pork served over cauliflower purée accompanied by sautéed kabocha squash and fried pig ear salad; whole fried trout; and Vietnamese curry chicken paired with roasted carrots, marble potatoes, and beluga lentils. The brunch selection includes eggs Benedict topped with lemongrass-braised short ribs. The priciest entrée is an eight-ounce rib eye priced at $31.
Beverages
The Black Sheep offers a comprehensive bar and wine selection that includes Japanese whiskey flights. Its cocktail menu changes seasonally; previous offerings have featured The Pink Sheep—a drink supporting the American Cancer Society—and a Thai basil martini. Their signature cocktail blends coffee with Jim Beam, crème de cacao, vanilla syrup, Uinta Baby Black Lager, finished with whipped cream infused with Fernet-Branca.
Reception
In December 2017, Eater Las Vegas honored The Black Sheep as Restaurant of the Year and named Jamie Tran Chef of the Year. In 2018, Las Vegas Weekly recognized the restaurant for its deep-fried tendon crisps as the best offal dish.
The Infatuation commends the establishment for combining a relaxed atmosphere with gourmet cuisine, noting it provides exceptional dining without requiring formal dress or advance reservations. According to 10Best.com, The Black Sheep’s menu is "meticulously crafted to be both flavorful and a modern take on Vietnamese comfort food."
The Las Vegas Review-Journal lauded both the food and cocktails while describing the ambiance as "somewhat industrial," contributing to "a sense of urban elegance." Nonetheless, it criticized service aspects such as failing to replace used utensils during meals and opting for paper napkins instead of cloth ones.
See also
List of dining establishments in the Las Vegas Valley