WHO: The handsome Sigi Baustillos, 30, who is Mexican and Polynesian and has worked at Hakkasan Restaurant for five years.
THE COCKTAIL: “The Heart and Seoul uses our luscious Absolut Elyx. We blend fresh raspberries and pineapple. We add a little Luxardo maraschino with lime juice. We shake it up until it gets nice and frothy, and you have a very nice cocktail served in a coupe glass with a raspberry and orchid garnish. It is a vibrant drink in a dark, beautiful venue – a bright pink cocktail in a beautiful blue bar. When I make one, it gets the ball rolling for other people to request it.”
SIGI’S FAVORITE COCKTAIL: “It’s a mood for me. Are we celebrating? What kind of dinner are we having? It just might be what I’m craving. I do enjoy a classic Oaxacan Old Fashioned or a Mezcalita. I like a little tequila (laughs).”
WHAT SIGI LOVES ABOUT LAS VEGAS: “I’ve been in Las Vegas pretty much my whole life. My favorite thing about Las Vegas is it feels like you get to witness culture being made. We have great history, but we’re still relatively young, so we’re living and breathing the culture Las Vegas is becoming. I love the mixology here, too, of course (laughs).”
A LITTLE-KNOWN FACT ABOUT SIGI: “Hmmm, I’m pretty transparent. I would love to go back to school again. I studied business and marketing with hospitality. I would like to be involved in sports again because I’ve played sports my whole life.”
PRIME PRO TIP: Hakkasan has its own valet. It’s complimentary if you have a reservation, and it’s close to the restaurant and nightclub.
IF YOU GO: Hakkasan Restaurant at MGM Grand, 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. (702) 891-3838; TaoGroup.com
Photo by Arturo Peralta.
