Joel Versola

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Nobu Las Vegas

Executive Chef

Nobu Las Vegas executive chef Joel Versola a Maui native earned an Associates Science degree in Food Service and a Certificate of Achievement in the Culinary Arts at Kapiolani Community College.  He embarked on his professional career as kitchen manager for Okonomiyaki Chibo, in Honolulu a successful chain restaurant headquartered outside Osaka, Japan.  Versola then relocated to Las Vegas, where he served on the opening culinary team for Shintaro at the newly opened Bellagio Resort and Casino.  He then accepted a career-defining opportunity, working alongside world renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa at his famed eatery in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel and also Nobu New York.

Nobu mentored the young chef, sharing his uniquely sophisticated merge of Japanese technique and Latin flavors and impressing upon him the importance of purveying superb raw ingredients.

During this time he participated in menu development, kitchen management and operational systems development, all great preparation for his next career choice.

In late summer of 2003, Joel Versola returned to his culinary roots by accepting the position of executive chef at Bellagio’s Shintaro restaurant.   Just six months later, Shintaro vaulted to one of the three highest food rankings in the 2004 Zagat Las Vegas Restaurant Survey, along the way earning raves in Las Vegas Life magazine, Showbiz Today, and Travel & Leisure- Ranch & Coast magazine. Also in 2004, Chef Versola had the distinct honor of hosting a multi-course dinner on behalf of Shintaro at the prestigious James Beard Foundation in New York. In late 2005 Shintaro restaurant was awarded AAA Four Diamond.

In late summer of 2007, Joel Versola returned to Nobu Las Vegas by accepting the position of executive chef. Since his return, Nobu Las Vegas has been awarded the prestigious Michelin Star, for 2008 and 2009, along the way earning top reviews in Luxury Las Vegas Magazine and Las Vegas Magazine.