Reviewing the Asiate Restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City

I am moving back to Manhattan after three years of living in upstate New York. One of the things I missed most about living away from the city was the abundance of fine restaurants available to suit all of my gastronomic needs. A restaurant that I had been wanting to try was Asiate on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Midtown Manhattan which is also the lobby level. Many upscale hotels are creating their lobbies on higher floors to create an element of intimacy and privacy for their guests. Typical hotels have lobbies on the first floor and they become catch-alls for all sorts of frandom folks, hotel guests or not. Entering the hotel entrance on 60th Street at 80 Columbus Circle, I walked through the small quasi-lobby, through tall sliding doors and into an elevator vestibule. The only choices were the 3rd or the 35th floor, so upwards I went. The one word I can use to describe the hotel fixtures is opulent. The shiny black marble floors, elegant fabrics and large glass sculpture in the center of the lobby all represent understated elegance. Rooms at the Mandarin Oriental start at $609 per night, so it is understandable that the atmosphere would be nothing less than luxurious. A quick walk through the lobby revealed Asiate in the northwest corner.

I was greeted by the host and he keyed in my reservation. To the left of the entrance is a spectacular wall of over 1,300 wine bottles which creates a dramatic effect as you enter the otherwise simple dining room. A gorgeous silver tree branch sculpture hangs over the upper dining room, but the main attraction is seen from the thirteen foot high windows. It is nothing less than a glorious view of Central Park and the Columbus Circle area with a never ending array of city life going on below. After a moment, I was seated at a two person table on the upper level of the dining room facing away from the windows. I was immediately offered a selection of water, e.g. tap, sparkling or still - and I chose tap. New York City water is reputed to be among the highest quality municipal water available... Moments later I was presented a tray of tiny gruyere cheese buns with flakes of nori (seaweed) on top. They were acceptable, but nothing to scream about. I scanned the ample wine list and was considering the Wolffer Estate Rose ($11/glass) when the waiter, Nestor, appeared and asked me if I had any questions. I told him I needed a moment and he smiled and left me to peruse the menu.

Through Labor Day, Asiate and many other fine restaurants are offering a $24.07 prixe-fixe menu. Some include three courses, while others include two, which was the situation in this case. I chose the Crab Tagliatelle and the Salmon as my two courses. Other selections on the menu included a Buffalo Burger ($28) or Bento Box options. A waiter offered me either a small olive baguette or a traditional baguette and I opted for the latter. It was very crunchy, flaky and although the butter was cold and difficult to spread, tasty. Another minute later, the Crab Tagliatelle arrived. It was served in an oval shaped dish and was a tiny serving. I think it took about six bites to eat it. The presentation was several strands of tagliatelle in a chunky, sweet tomato sauce with generous lumps of crabmeat. I was not terribly impressed with this course. It was tasty, but nothing about it really wowed me. A busser removed the dish and another few minutes went by and I craned my neck to gaze out of the windows at the amazing view. The floor managers were courteous and made a point of asking how I liked everything. They were omnipresent and prepared to help making my dining experience the best it could be.

Then the salmon was presented to me on a square white plate. A filet of pink salmon was plated over asparagus and other greens and highlighted with grape tomatoes. One bite of the salmon and I forgot about the so-so tagliatelle. It was enhanced with miso and had a slightly sweet, nonfishy taste and just about melted in my mouth. The baby asparagus was dainty, divine and prepared to perfection. After each bite, the salmon tasted better and better. It could have been the best salmon preparation I have ever eaten. Once my plate was clean, the busser removed my plate, and crumbed the table, removing the flaky bits from my baguette. Nestor reappeared and asked me if I would like any coffee. Coffee sounded great and several minutes later a silver coffee pot was presented along with a dish of white and brown raw sugar cubes. ($6) I asked for skim milk and it was immediately offered to me. The Illy coffee was acceptable, but not as strong as I like coffee to be. I glanced over the dessert menu, not sure if I would have anything or not. The lunch courses were small though, and I still had plenty of room...

I noticed a Chocolate Fondant ($9) on the menu and asked Nestor how it was prepared. He said it was much like a souffle and was worth the wait! He also mentioned that it was his favorite dessert. Thus, I ordered the Chocolate Fondant and prepared to be delighted. In the few minutes that I waited for my dessert, the floor manager, who looked a bit like Mario Lopez, came over, smiled and said,"the fondant is worth the wait". I was continuously impressed by the level of service provided by every member of the waitstaff from the bussers to the managers. Then, ta-da, the fondant arrived. A rectangular shaped plate with two Japanese, earthenware teacups placed on a green leaf was presented to me. The fondant / souffle was on the right and a raspberry granite over fromage blanc ice cream on the left. The combination of the cool raspberry granite with the hot chocolate fondant was delicious. Two wonderful flavors which complimented each other melodiously. I was not so sure about the fromage blanc. It was tasty, but I could not help thinking that it was unnecessary. The fondant was worth the wait, and it ended my luncheon at Asiate in a perfect way. I think dining at Asiate in the evening will be forthcoming as the views at night have to be all the more spectacular.

After lunch, I took the elevator to the third floor where I entered the shops at Time Warner Center. Shops such as J. Crew, Coach, Borders, Face Stockholm, and Whole Foods are set in an elegant, uncrowded atmosphere. I walked around the mall for about thirty minutes in the cool, air-conditioned environment and then went outside to face the sweltering heat and join the ranks of the scurrying pedestrians which I had gazed down upon just a short time before.

Verdict: You have to try this restaurant at least once, for the views, the excellent service, the food and the experience.

Price: $$$$

Asiate
Mandarin Oriental New York
80 Columbus Circle @ 60th Street
New York, NY 10023
(212) 805-8881

Ratings Key:

$ - $1-$15 per person
$$- $16-$24 per person
$$$- $25-$34 per person
$$$$- $35 and up per person