A Life Worth Eating

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中央区銀座４丁目２−１５, Tokyo, Japan, Official Website

My first visit to Sukiyabashi two years ago was one of the best sushi meals of my life. The meal’s beauty lies in its apparent simplicity: just rice and fish. Of course this is deceiving. The exquisite sushi is the amalgam of impeccable ingredients and skill, from the hand-selected blend of rice and its meticulous steaming, to the exacting ratio of fish to rice and the timing with which it’s served. Even the luke-warm temperature of the rice and its precise grain count per piece, as well as the sushi’s position on the plate, is no accident. Chef Jiro Ono, Japanese living legend, is perhaps the world’s greatest sushi chef.

The atmosphere of Sukiyabashi Jiro seemed more relaxed and comfortable than the last time. While both the chef and his son were friendly and engaging in 2008 food photography — no matter how subtle — seemed to make them a bit uncomfortable. Two years later and chef Ono was smiling and welcoming photos. The sushi bar also seemed to have more foreigners. During my last meal I was the only foreigner at the table. Considering my meal in 2010 was on the exact same day as in 2008, it’s unlikely a seasonal difference. This is probably due to its Michelin 3* rating permeating out, as well as the increase in internet publicity.

新宿区西新宿3-7-1-2, Tokyo, Japan, Official Website

The New York Grill and its adjacent bar sits atop the 52th floor of the Park Hyatt in Nishishinjuku, Tokyo. This hotel, and in particular its rooftop bar, was made famous by the 2003 movie Lost in Translation. As in the movie the bar, with its somber spot lighting de-emphasizing the interior and emphasizing the breathtaking views of Tokyo, has to it an ethereal quality where visitors are at awe by the twinkling panorama while simultaneously in disbelief they are actually there. Or maybe that’s just the jetlag.

The restaurant, paneled with art deco paintings by Valerio Adami, has gone through several chefs over the last five years, the most recent of whom, Nadine Waechter Moreno, took over as Chef de Cuisine in August of 2010. My experiences at the Park Hyatt were under the previous chef, Stefan Moerth.

新宿区西新宿３丁目７−１, Tokyo, Japan, Official Website

Traditional amber wood and handmade pottery carried by waitresses in kimonos contrast against floor-to-ceiling windows and granite slabs overlooking one of the most impressive restaurant views in the city. Such an explicit juxtaposition of the traditional with the modern — two concepts whose constant interplay largely defines Japanese culture — contributes to Kozue’s uniqueness.

The dishes themselves are very traditional in flavor — there are no “twists” — but their presentation and the finesse with which the waitresses explain their components make this type of cuisine extremely accessible to westerners. The views from the restaurant are phenomenal. Perched on the 40th floor of the Park Hyatt, Kozue faces west. On a clear day one can see as far as Mount Fuji. The restaurant’s policy is not to guarantee window tables — even for hotel guests — but I think it’s worth waiting around for the next window table to become available.

Avenida Alvear 1661, Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Official Website

I’d spent the last few nights eating at local parillas, so tonight, I decided to head for something a little more upscale. Tonight’s destination was Restaurant Duhau, the restaurant of the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. The restaurant describes itself as a contemporary restaurant focusing on fresh and seasonal ingredients which frankly, sounded pretty good to [...]