The Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel

[highlight_text] Seafood appetizers such as bone marrow-crusted boat scallops are equally memorable and reflect Hara’s skill with seafood. [/highlight_text]

Known throughout New York’s history books as the watering hole for the well-to-do, the Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel has taken on a new chapter in its storied life. This time, the author is California native Eric Hara, the celebrated executive chef of David Burke & Donatella, and Fishtail by David Burke, amongst others. To the Oak Room, Hara brings much-needed, lighthearted, American gourmet cuisine. Armed with a plethora of seasonal ingredients and the skill of a true craftsman, Hara deftly creates masterpiece after masterpiece.

His dinner menu opens with an array of simple yet well-calibrated appetizers such as foie gras torchon “PB&J,” served with a toasted brioche, strawberry-vanilla jam, macadamia nut butte,r and a sliver of apple on the side to create the perfect complement to a satiny-smooth torchon. Avid followers of David Burke & Donatella may recall this whimsical dish, but Hara’s latest version is a little less kitschy. Seafood appetizers such as bone marrow-crusted boat scallops are equally memorable and reflect Hara’s skill with seafood.

For the next course, an array of meats, from Dover sole to branzino (a Mediterranean sea bass) and 50-day Niman Ranch prime New York strip (a personal favorite) are sure to satisfy the discerning palate. Entrées include mustard-poached Hamachi, complemented by corn-spinach ragout, chanterelle purée and caviar crème fraiche, pan-seared turbot with cauliflower truffle purée rock shrimp and cumin flan, and the pièce de résistance—an ash-cured venison.

Armed with a charming personality, a passion for cooking, and a vision for his latest restaurant, there is no doubt that Eric Hara will do great things for the Oak Room.

The Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel
10 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019
212.758.7777