Gabor Foth began working with the Hakkasan Group in London in 2012, and it was a few years later—when he was the head sommelier at their restaurant located in the posh Mayfair neighborhood—that he had a "job interview that was a six-hour bar session at Satan's Whiskers in London with Hakkasan's Las Vegas beverage director," he says, laughing. Over the long conversation and some cocktails, he discussed how much he wanted to move to and work in Las Vegas. It was that social affair that brought him out here in 2017, and today he is the wine operations manager for all of Hakkasan's Las Vegas venues.
But Foth has had a long love affair with wine and food, to as far back as when he was growing up in Hungary. He knew he wanted to move to the U.S. one day to pursue his passion for wine and hospitality. The first stop was New York City, where he sharpened his skills working his way up in the ladder in the food and beverage industry. He worked at various spots around the city, starting out as a busser, then server, then eventually making it all the way up to management while also studying to be a sommelier. He then he did his brief stint in London, where he hooked up with Hakkasan Group. For the past few years, he's been leading the charge in Las Vegas. Goth helps curate the wine offerings for the various Hakkasan venues in town and spends a lot of time at Hakkasan Restaurant at MGM Grand, working on the wine program and interacting with guests.
"Behind every single wine and spirit, there's culture and history and the story of the people that make them," Goth says. "Why it's done the way it's done. That has always fascinated me, even to this very day. ... I like the social buzz alcohol can create. It can really bring people together and I love that."
Chinese Mule
Besides the popular modern Cantonese cuisine that Hakkasan Restaurant is serving, this hot spot (where you can also take the elevator up to the mega nightclub and the chill lounge) also shines with its offering of handcrafted cocktails. Many of the drinks use Asian flavors, putting a unique twist on classics, like the popular Chinese Mule, Hakkasan's twist on the Moscow Mule. The cocktail is a mix of Grey Goose vodka, junmai sake, cilantro syrup, ginger syrup, lime juice and ginger beer, and has a slight herbal flavoring with a zesty, refreshing kick.
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