These chocolates are from chef Julien Pertinet of the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Valentine chocolates this year comes in three unique flavors that will be fun to pair with wine (or even saké). The chocolates are available through March 14th, White Day, at the hotel’s Pastry Boutique. 1. wine and figs with cheese and vanilla 2….
Category: hotel
Matsumoto Onsen Hotel Onyado Nono
When looking for hotels in Japan I seek out properties with onsen, ideally rotenburo which are outdoor onsen. I love the feel of the cold air while soaking in the hot springs and even better if I can see the stars at night. Onyado Nono is a chain in the Dormy Inn group. Dormy Inn…
Matsumoto Mingei Hotel Kagetsu
Matsumoto has a rich history of mingei, traditional Japanese crafts. The Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu celebrates the mingei philosophy. The hotel opened in Meiji 20 (130 years ago). The older part of the hotel has rooms with some Matsumoto folk craft furniture. This part of Nagano is known for its hot springs waters and the hotel has…
My Go-To Brasserie
My go-to brasserie is Girandole at the Park Hyatt Tokyo. The menu includes many classics like Salad Nicoise (2,300 JPY) and Pate de Campagne (2,600 JPY). I love the Japanese twist on the salad which included seared tuna. The pate de campagne is dense without being heavy. There is a nice selection of wines by…
Grand Hyatt Tokyo – Shunbou
Shunbou is the Japanese restaurant at the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi. The Grand Hyatt has several Japanese restaurants including Roku Roku for sushi and Keyakizaka for teppanyaki. Shunbou features seasonal kaiseki dishes as well as comfort food like curry udon. It is kid-friendly and a great option in the Roppongi area. Entering the restaurant seasonal…
Bruno Menard and Don Melchor Wine Dinner at Imperial Hotel
The Imperial Hotel recently hosted a wine dinner with winemaker Enrique Tirado of Don Melchor from Concho y Toro. Don Melchor has partnered with Michelin 3-star chef Bruno Menard for a series of wine dinners in Asia. What a treat it would be to taste the wines paired with chef Bruno’s cuisine in different countries. Tokyoites were…
Nose-to-Tail at the New York Grill (May 16-23)
The Park Hyatt Tokyo’s New York Grill offers a special menu from May 16-23, 2016. The Nose-to-Tail wagyu event is a five-course event for meat lovers. Chef de Cuisine of the New York Grill and Bar Federico Heinzmann is from Argentina. Federico was saying that Argentines eat about 55 kg of beef a year,…
Park Hyatt Tokyo Kozue’s Tohoku Heroes
Kozue at the Park Hyatt Tokyo is a lovely spot for Japanese cuisine. At lunch if the skies are clear you have a gorgeous view of Mount Fuji. At night the city twinkles below you. Two years ago Kozue did a special Tohoku menu to show their support for three prefectures that were hit hard…
Imperial Hotel La Brasserie
Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin, a Russian opera singer, was touring in Japan in 1936, and was a guest of the Imperial Hotel. He was dining at the New Grill, the predecessor to La Brasserie, even though he was suffering from a toothache, he wanted to have steak. The executive chef, Fukuo Tsutsui, came up with this…
Imperial Hotel Lemon Pie
The main building of the Hotel Okura will be closing at the end of summer. Many are coming to sit in the lobby under the signature lantern lamps. The visitors are a mix of locals and non-Japanese, young and old. It will be sad to say sayonara to this beautiful lobby as we know it. I…
New York Grill Lunch at the Park Hyatt Tokyo
One of my favorite lunch spots in Tokyo is at the New York Grill in the Park Hyatt Tokyo. The view at 52 floors above Tokyo is amazing, even when it is overcast and lightly raining. The lunch starts at 5,000 JPY and includes a gorgeous buffet of appetizers. Customers choose a main course and…
Chef Nicolas Boujéma of Signature at Mandarin Oriental
There is a new French chef in town, Nicolas Boujéma, at Signature in the Mandarin Oriental. I was very curious to try his food as he has a very impressive resumé, most recently coming from Pierre Gagnaire in Hong Kong. I had the chance to interview him for Metropolis magazine for a Tastemaker piece. It’s…
Kozue at the Park Hyatt Tokyo
Kozue at the Park Hyatt Tokyo under the helm of talented chef Kenichiro Ooe is a wonderful traditional Japanese restaurant with amazing views of Mount Fuji on a clear day. Lunch was a gorgeous affair filled with seasonal spring May seafood and vegetables. First course – Yomogi (mugwort) tofu garnished with shirasu, umeboshi neriume, gomadare (sesame…
Food Sake Tokyo 