A trip to Manhattan would not be complete without a visit to one of my favorite spots for brunch: Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental in NYC. During my stay for Fashion Week I was lucky enough to dine at Asiate twice; once for a traditional mid-week breakfast and then for a Saturday brunch right before leaving for the airport to fly back home to LA.
Asiate is an American Nouveau restaurant on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel which provides a heavenly view of Central Park. Eating at Asiate is such an incredibly lovely way to start off the day and I was especially grateful for the relaxed, calm start to my hectic days during New York Fashion Week.
Dining at Asiate reminds me of the spa experience that I enjoyed during the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas pop up in LA last month – a calming respite from the hustle and bustle of a big city. My mid-week breakfast was more of a traditional eggs, bacon, pastries and OJ meal that started off with a tiny fruit smoothie. Saturday’s brunch was a 3-course meal which included a corn soup ‘amuse bouche’ to start and then sorbet to cleanse the palate between courses.
I seriously need to find those tiny bowls and spoons for home use. My main course was the most decadent French Toast I’d ever tried (first picture) and my brunch companions’ choice was a tasty take on bacon and eggs with risotto. Our dessert was out-of-this-world fantastic.
Leaving NYC is always so hard for me, no matter how long I’m in town I always leave with a list of things that I didn’t have time to do. I’m so glad that I had the chance to enjoy my favorite NYC breakfast spot, Asiate at Mandarin Oriental, twice during this trip and can’t wait to return.
