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Aman New York

AMAN NEW YORK A Landmark Dining Destination

1st September 2022 – Adding new depth and lustre to Manhattan’s exceptional dining scene, the opening of Aman New York sees the launch of signature Aman restaurants Arva and Nama – the first of their kind in North America. The cornerstones of a culinary concept introducing Aman’s exceptional source-origin, sensorially transporting cuisine to New York, these two restaurants are the finishing touches to the iconic Crown Building’s exceptional transformation.

Aman New York

Rising from the corner of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue since 1921, the Crown Building with its eponymous golden finial, is the latest in a long line of epochal design collaborations between the Aman brand and Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston Architects. Years of sensitive restoration and groundbreaking innovation have culminated in Aman New York’s 83 hotel suites, 22 branded residences, and 25,000-square-foot (2,300-square-metre) Aman Spa bringing the peace promised by Aman’s Sanskrit-derived name to the heart of Manhattan. Yet like Aman Tokyo, the first of Aman’s metropolitan destinations, Aman New York is a quintessentially urban sanctuary – simultaneously an escape and a gathering place.

This apparent paradox finds its fullest expression on the 14th floor of Aman New York, where the tranquility of Aman’s rarefied atmosphere is compellingly charged with the city’s cosmopolitan energy. Set between the breathtaking, double- height atrium and wraparound terraces, the result is a collection of uniquely enthralling, convivial spaces designed to offer unprecedented dining and soul igniting social connection.

Incorporating a boldly minimalist reception area, the 14th floor’s vast, pillared atrium exudes an alluring intimacy despite its palatial proportions, with working fireplaces – a feature throughout Aman New York – framing the Bar Lounge. Offering a sophisticated menu of New York-inspired light meals, premium drinks and original cocktails with a Japanese twist, the Bar Lounge opens onto the Garden Terrace, a masterpiece of design engineering with its retractable glass roof allowing year-round alfresco dining with immersive city views. 

Extending the Crown Building’s 57th Street and Fifth Avenue facades, the 7,000-square-foot (650-square-metre) Garden Terrace is also shared by the members-only Aman Club and most expansively, by Arva, through the ingenious delineation of spaces by striking, fire-centered, water features and lush landscaping. Nama claims its own immersive city views from a separate terrace overlooking 56th Street.

Aman New York’s exceptional food and beverage team is helmed by Executive Chef Freddy Vargas, a legendary name in gastronomic circles since his Zagat-lauded days with Scott Conant at Scarpetta, and most recently the Executive Chef of Natirar Resort, New Jersey. The team also includes Sumeet Jhingan, Director of Food & Beverage Operations who has over 20 years' experience in international hospitality. Executive Pastry Chef, Jasmina Bojic, will work hand in hand with Chefs de Cuisine Dario Ossola of Arva, and Takuma Yonemaru of Nama, in creating Aman New York’s signature desserts and patisserie.

Arva - Aman’s tribute to Italy’s rich culinary heritage

Bringing Aman’s global Italian dining concept to New York, Arva draws its name from the Latin word for ‘cultivated land’ that evolved into the English word ‘harvest’. Paying homage to Italy’s rustic, cucina del raccolto tradition (literally ‘harvest cuisine’), Arva’s menus feature the finest, sustainably sourced, seasonal ingredients grown in gardens and local farms and plucked fresh from the ocean. Under the direction of Chef de Cuisine Dario Ossola, these ingredients are then transformed by the simple alchemy of the kitchen into uncomplicated, heart-warming dishes, made for sharing with family and friends.

Open throughout the week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Arva enjoys a corner setting on the 14th floor with terraces on two sides, making it an airy, light-filled space for refined yet casual all-day dining high above the urban whirl below. With a simple, elegant aesthetic evoking Italy’s bucolic, green, gold and terracotta landscapes, the restaurant features banquettes, textured screens and verdant foliage within to create a series of spaces around the central open kitchen. Floor-to-ceiling Grand Cru wine cabinets wrap the interior walls and the ceiling is accentuated by petrified wood carved in wave-like forms reminiscent of the Mediterranean sea bed – a further nod to the provenance of Arva’s cuisine.

Changing with the seasons to showcase the freshest seasonal produce, Arva’s menus will reveal Chef Dario Ossola’s culinary creativity honed most recently as Executive Chef of Aman Venice in his native Italy. There he worked closely with three-Michelin starred Chef Norbert Niederkofler, whose pioneering work in sustainable gastronomy will continue to influence Arva at Aman New York. Niederkofler and other renowned chefs including Aman Tokyo’s Chef Musashi Hiroyuki will participate in the hotel’s regular series of gourmet pop-ups at both Arva and Nama, ensuring a continually evolving calendar of special events.

Seeking inspiration for Arva’s bold, soul-satisfying dishes in New York’s green environs, Arva will aim to source more than 75% of its ingredients locally. This will be achieved through partnerships with initiatives such as Grow NYC and Our Harvest, which together represent over 750 farmers and manage at least 100 farmer’s markets in and around New York City. Bronx Fish Market will provide seafood, and guests can choose to drink tap or filtered Vero water, with a percentage of proceeds from those opting for Vero donated to The Billion Oyster Project, an initiative that aims to clean the local waterways.

Catering to all ages, Arva’s menus will be authentically Italian yet imbued with a distinct sense of place. Breakfasts range from spelt pancakes with whipped butter, blueberries and spiced New York maple syrup, to egg white frittata with wilted kale peperonata and arugula. The lunch and dinner menus feature an appealing selection of homemade antipasti, a variety of fresh pastas – maccheroncino, fusilli and ravioli among others – made in-house daily (including gluten-free), and delectable secondi dishes accompanied by greenmarket vegetables, intended for sharing. 

Salt-encrusted black seabass, roasted Green Circle chicken with lemon and pee wee potatoes and Barnegat Light scallops with citrus and hazelnuts are complemented by platters from the grill: Arva’s charcoal oven takes pride of place in the open kitchen, imparting meat and fish dishes – whether bone-in halibut, dry-aged strip loin, or Elysian Field’s lamb rack – with smokey, wood-fired flavour.

Nama – Aman’s celebration of Japan’s washoku dining tradition

Reflecting the palpable tranquility of Aman’s Asian roots in select Aman destinations worldwide, Nama combines the principles of washoku – Japan’s culinary tradition recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage – with the finest seasonal ingredients available locally. Meaning ‘raw’ in Japanese, Nama’s dishes are thus true to the age-old preparation techniques of the Japanese kitchen – with all their finesse and artistry – but are beautifully shaped by their locale.

Aman New York

At Aman New York, Nama is the contemplative, sultrier yin to Arva’s radiant yang. Much like an oyster’s silky, smoke- hued nacre highlights a pearl’s luminous glow, so too does Nama’s elegant design serve as the perfect foil for Chef de Cuisine Takuma Yonemaru’s sublime cuisine. From the dramatic cubes of chiselled rock at its entrance to the staggered Frank Lloyd Wright inspired ceilings and lighting pendants, Nama’s moody hues cast the spotlight on the theatre of every dish – be it exquisite nigiri or sashimi, sweet miso black cod, or premium Wagyu sirloin grilled over a tabletop charcoal brazier and served with Moshio mineral salt. Each dish will artfully blend local New York ingredients with Japanese delicacies to offer a truly unique gastronomic experience.

Set apart from Aman New York’s other social areas on the 14th floor, Nama not only offers its own terrace off the main dining room, but also private dining rooms and an Omakase bar anchored by a Japanese Hinoki wood counter where diners are served 15 to 18 chef-chosen, omakase-style courses prepared on the spot by Chef Takuma. Hailing from Japan, Chef Takuma was integral to the achievement of Ichiju Nisai’s multiple Michelin stars in Osaka, and the driving force behind Sushi Zo Hanare’s critical acclaim in New York’s Midtown East before joining Aman New York.

Each visit to Nama – open for dinner only, from Tuesday to Saturday each week – reveals a new layer of the Japanese lore and wisdom that informs this fine-dining Japanese pearl.

Wabi sabi, the Japanese notion of beauty in transience and imperfection, is demonstrated in handcrafted dining ware – each piece a singular work of art. The art of table setting – grown not built – sets the stage for each impeccably presented washoku dish, while tokonoma – niches for artworks - offer visual stimulation away from the plate.

Website: amannewyork.com
Address: Aman New York, The Crown Building, 730 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10019

ABOUT AMAN
Aman was founded in 1988 with the vision of building a collection of intimate retreats with the unassuming, warm hospitality of a gracious private home. The first, Amanpuri (place of peace), in Phuket, Thailand, introduced the concept and, since then, Aman has grown to encompass 34 exquisitely serene hotels and resorts in 20 destinations across the world, with a further nine projects in the pipeline. In such spectacular settings, Aman has honed its offering with its transformative influence on mind, body and spirit through harmoniously designed environments transporting guests out of their everyday lives. Twelve properties also offer private branded Residences: sanctuaries that go beyond commonplace notions of luxury allowing a select few to make the Aman way of life a permanent reality.

In recent years, Aman has grown to offer its coveted lifestyle beyond the parameters of its havens. In 2018, the introduction of Aman Skincare continued the brand’s holistic influence, offering beautiful, scented formulas using powerful all-natural ingredients and inspired by Aman Spas. The introduction of Sva – a range of supplements designed to help maintain optimum health – and Aman Fine Fragrance in 2020 continued this journey, bringing Aman into the comfort of home. This sentiment was echoed in 2021, with the arrival of a new retail collection, The Essentials by Aman, comprising timeless ready-to-wear pieces that answer the needs of every Aman guest.

With innovation a cornerstone of the brand’s philosophy, in 2020 Aman welcomed a new hotel brand, Janu – meaning ‘soul’ in Sanskrit. Janu offers a unique take on hospitality where genuine human interaction, playful expression and social wellness are at the core of the experience. Janu aims to bring balance to the head and heart and rekindle the soul. Three forthcoming Janu hotels are already under construction: Tokyo; AlUla in Saudi Arabia and Montenegro.

Aman New York

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