A dynamic night of shared flavors at Grand Hyatt Tokyo’s renewed restaurant, The Oak Door

Grand Hyatt Tokyo is now celebrating its 15th anniversary and the hotel’s signature restaurant, The Oak Door, has reopened with a new enhanced look, giving it the feel of a vintage steakhouse in America. The menu includes some innovative items and tastes created by the new chef de cuisine, Patrick Shimada. Chef Patrick is a master of grilled cuisine and is famous for his dynamic cooking. (Don’t worry, for those who have been fans of The Oak Door from before the renewal, their welcoming vibe remains, as do old favorites on the menu, but their delicious cuisine has become even more satisfying and comparatively affordable, especially for a big party.)

A couple of dishes you may want to enjoy before the main course are the always-popular crab cakes, and bone marrow, which is new to The Oak Door. I’m definitely coming back for the Taraba Crab Cakes with Remoulade sauce (¥2,500). The Bone Marrow featuring grilled sourdough, herb salad, and capers (¥2,200) is an acquired taste, but the herbs on them make it less fatty, and I craved for more. In between courses, you’ll delight in their signature sourdough bread which comes straight out of a special new bread oven.

If you’re having wine, I recommend a glass of Vasse Felix Chardonnay to go with the Iceberg Wedge salad served with crispy shallots, bacon, tomato and blue cheese dressing (¥1,600). Director of Food and Beverage Thomas Angerer’s recommendation was a glass of Twomey Merlot Silver Oak Napa Valley to go with the steaks.

The steaks, of course, are the main event. The F1 Sirloin from Aomori (¥7,800 for 200 grams) is my favorite with just the right amount of marbling. The Rib Eye from Nebraska (¥9,800 for 450 grams) is seasoned with sea salt and fresh black pepper, charcoal grilled over oak, and then cooked in the broiler oven at over 900 degrees Celsius. They make it crunchy on the outside and so juicy in the inside - exactly the way you would prefer an old-school steak.

Another must-try is Chef Patrick’s Baby Back Ribs served with oak smoked, spicy pickled carrots (¥3,000). The sauce is a secret recipe with his name on the menu. Creamy Spinach flavored with nutmeg, Wild Mushrooms with fresh herbs, and Whipped Potato and sour cream could all be main dishes but they make sides for the steak (¥1,200 for each side dish). Horseradish cream is my favorite sauce out of the eight different flavors to choose from.

Desserts are dynamic too. There is a variety of share-style desserts which easily serves three people. I highly recommend you try the Baked Tokyo, a sweet tooth killer of cherry ice cream, cherry jelly, almond, meringue and kirsch (¥3,000). Your waiter pours the kirsch flambe in blue flames at your table for a night to remember.

For first-time visitors, I would recommend the Chef’s Sharing Set (¥13,500 per person for dinner) which gives you the opportunity to try samples of the best, including crab cakes, F1 sirloin and baby back ribs. Two other sets are The Oak Door Set (¥9,500) and Steakhouse Set (¥11,500).

Design wise, an open kitchen with a glass window lets guests see into the back kitchen. The dual grill, which has replaced the wood-burning ovens, and the oak wood charcoal make it all happen. There is a spacious private room that seats 12. The bar area, with leather booth seats you can sink into, is more private and segregated from the main restaurant area, unlike before. The terrace seats 54 — perfect for this season.

Their bar menu has expanded as well and the wine cellar houses over 300 New World wines.

Details

6th Floor Grand Hyatt Tokyo

6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato-Ku

Open hours

Restaurant: Lunch 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (weekends and national holidays 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.)

Afternoon: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. / Dinner 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Bar: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. (Last order for food 10:30 p.m.)

For reservations, call 03-4333 8784.

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