Ever since Sofia Coppola’s 2003 movie 'Lost in Translation', the Tokyo Park Hyatt has become legendary. Crowning the hotel on the 52nd floor of the Shinjuku Park Tower is the dynamic New York Grill with its impressive floor-to-ceiling windows and spectacular views of the Tokyo skyline. The snazzy modern interior features four enormous paintings of New York scenes by Italian artist Valerio Adami and a wine cellar housing over 1,800 bottles of wines. Chef de Cuisine Steffan Heerdt and his brigade work their magic in the dramatic open kitchen, using carefully locally sourced seasonal ingredients for a menu that draws inspiration from the cosmopolitan flavours of New York. Famed for its mouth watering wagyu and stellar selection of North American wines unrivalled in Japan, the menu features a wide selection of market fresh seafood, Japanese poultry slow-roasted to golden perfection in a gleaming French rotisserie oven and prime quality imported and Japanese beef including prized cuts from Yonezawa, Hokkaido, Sendai and Kobe.
Having reserved a coveted window table with the best views in Tokyo, we began with a classic dry Martini, one of the quintessential American cocktails epitomized by the advertising culture of Madison Avenue, followed by a delicious Caesar Salad made with baby gem, homemade croutons, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and Cherrywood smoked bacon. In a restaurant famous for it's Japanese beef, we indulged in a 180-gram sirloin of Hokkaido’s famous grass fed Akaushi, one of four breeds that make up Japan’s wagyu family. Rich, deeply flavoured and absolutely delicious, it was quite possibly the best steak I've ever tasted, and served with a trio of side dishes including crispy duck fat potato frites, sautéed Japanese spinach and outstanding gilled mixed Japanese mushrooms. After dinner, we were shown to our reserved table in the stunning New York Bar, famous for playing a starring role in Sofia Coppola’s 2003 film Lost in Translation, and one of Tokyo’s most spectacular venues for live music featuring top international jazz artists every night. The sexy black-and-chrome interior with Valerio Adami's murals of Radio City Music Hall and the Rainbow Room in bold, fluid colours provided a dramatic backdrop to the seductive jazz standards of renowned Canadian jazz artist Diane White.
Pizza with Snow Crab, Ricotta, Shisito Peppers and Wasabi Aïoli
Makes 1 pizza
Recipe courtesy of Tokyo New York Grill Bar
Asian-style toppings — shredded snow crab, spicy shishito peppers, ginger-wasabi aïoli — adorn a Western-style pizza at Park Hyatt Tokyo’s New York Bar
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp wasabi powder
1 clove garlic, mashed into a paste
1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and mashed into a paste
Kosher salt, to taste
Canola oil, for frying
12 shishito peppers
1/2 lb homemade or store-bought pizza dough
Fine semolina, for dusting
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup ricotta, drained overnight
3 oz snow crab meat
1/4 cups finely grated mozzarella
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1/3 cup baby arugula
Stir mayonnaise, lime juice, wasabi powder, garlic, ginger, and salt in a bowl, then set the aïoli aside. Heat 2-inches of canola oil in a 4-quart saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°F. Working in batches, fry the peppers until golden, about 1–2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peppers to paper towels to drain then set aside.
Place a pizza stone under the broiler and heat for 30 minutes. Dust the dough with semolina. Using your fingertips, press dough into a 7-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick, leaving a 1-inch crust around the edges. Hold the dough straight up, and with fingertips circling crust, slide fingers around crust in a circular motion as you would turn a steering wheel until dough in the center is stretched to about 1/8-inch thick, then transfer to a semolina-dusted pizza peel.
Drizzle olive oil over the dough, spread with ricotta and sprinkle with reserved peppers, the crab, mozzarella, and parmesan. Slide the pizza onto the stone and broil until the cheese melts and crust is puffed and charred in spots, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with arugula and drizzle with reserved aïoli. Serve hot.
The New York Grill Tokyo with view of the iconic bar with a talented Jazz ensemble playing
Hendricks Gin Martini with cucumber
Caesar Salad, Baby Gem Lettuce, Croutons, Shaved Reggiano and Cherrywood Smoked Bacon
Kikuizumi Daiginjo Aomori Sake
Fresh baked olive bread
Kumamoto Premium Wao Sirloin
Bernaise Sauce
Crispy Duck Fat Potato Frites
Mixed Japanese Mushrooms
Sautéed Japanese Spinach with lemon zest
Complimentary dessert that arrived with sparklers
After dinner we went into the New York Bar, best known for playing a starring role in Sofia Coppola’s 2003 movie Lost in Translation with Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray
An Old Fashioned made by muddling sugar with bitters, then adding whiskey with a twist of citrus rind
Renowned Canadian Jazz Singer Diane White
With beautiful jazz standards such as Billie Holiday's 'All or Nothing at All',
Diane White and her ensemble struck all the right notes
Pizza with Snow Crab, Ricotta, Shisito Peppers and Wasabi Aïoli
Makes 1 pizza
Recipe courtesy of Tokyo New York Grill Bar
Asian-style toppings — shredded snow crab, spicy shishito peppers, ginger-wasabi aïoli — adorn a Western-style pizza at Park Hyatt Tokyo’s New York Bar
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp wasabi powder
1 clove garlic, mashed into a paste
1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and mashed into a paste
Kosher salt, to taste
Canola oil, for frying
12 shishito peppers
1/2 lb homemade or store-bought pizza dough
Fine semolina, for dusting
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup ricotta, drained overnight
3 oz snow crab meat
1/4 cups finely grated mozzarella
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1/3 cup baby arugula
Stir mayonnaise, lime juice, wasabi powder, garlic, ginger, and salt in a bowl, then set the aïoli aside. Heat 2-inches of canola oil in a 4-quart saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°F. Working in batches, fry the peppers until golden, about 1–2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peppers to paper towels to drain then set aside.
Place a pizza stone under the broiler and heat for 30 minutes. Dust the dough with semolina. Using your fingertips, press dough into a 7-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick, leaving a 1-inch crust around the edges. Hold the dough straight up, and with fingertips circling crust, slide fingers around crust in a circular motion as you would turn a steering wheel until dough in the center is stretched to about 1/8-inch thick, then transfer to a semolina-dusted pizza peel.
Drizzle olive oil over the dough, spread with ricotta and sprinkle with reserved peppers, the crab, mozzarella, and parmesan. Slide the pizza onto the stone and broil until the cheese melts and crust is puffed and charred in spots, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with arugula and drizzle with reserved aïoli. Serve hot.
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