LAS VEGAS – When Yasmin Tajik took up marine biology, she didn't figure on working in the desert and caring for sea creatures that would soon become someone's dinner.
But that's where her career has taken her to a chilled cooler filled with saltwater tanks beneath the casino floor of the Wynn Las Vegas resort. It's a hidden world where an array of sea creatures, including about 3,000 lobsters a month, pass through on their way to one of 20 restaurants supplied by Tajik's operation.
"Yes, we sell that many lobsters," she said. "It's like the restaurants are buying out of our warehouse."
At 7 a.m., when many Las Vegas residents at this time of year are deciding how to dress for triple-digit temperatures, Tajik arrives at work and pulls on a jacket to ward off the chill of the cooler. She pushes a button, and two stainless steel doors slide open to reveal tanks with water kept at 40 degrees. She keeps a close eye on the temperatures, because variations can cause problems for the lobsters. She makes her own saltwater with a special marine mix, measuring the acidity and ammonia in the water. She even maintains levels of bacteria that mimic the crustaceans' natural habitat.
There are other tanks in the kitchens at Bartolotta Restaurante di Mare and for the Chinese restaurant Wing Lei.
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