By Aya Ota
In the Flatiron District, there is a restaurant known as a modern and sophisticated space where you can enjoy superbly creative washoku and ramen. It is "ROKI Le IZAKAYA". It is also gaining attention as a collaboration of Koji Hagihara, one of the top Japanese chefs in New York, and Keiko Aoki, CEO, Benihana of Tokyo, and they just had their one-year anniversary on February 14.
"The dining scene of New York keeps progressing. So it is important to emphasize characteristics or uniqueness of our restaurant by condensing the menu and making the restaurant more specialized," says Mr. Hagihara, owner and executive chef. At the end of this January, he boldly narrowed down to reduce the number of menu items by 2/3 by analyzing the data of the past year from the opening, and creating a prix fixe menu called "ROKI Special 3 Course Dinner" ($42/person, minimum two orders). This course consists of "Japanese Canape" (You choose 3 out of 9 kinds), "Specialty Buns" (You choose 1 out of 3 kinds), and "Ramen Hot Pot" (You choose 1 out of 3 kinds). They hope customers will choose the course as their recommended signature menu in which they have confidence, and hopefully add sushi or sashimi from the a-la-carte menu. Mr. Hagihara continued, "By narrowing down the menu items, we can not only make the operation and cost performance more effective, but also enhance the quality of food dishes by spending more efforts on each item."
The "Japanese Canape" which consists of fried sushi formed-rice base topped with plenty of ingredients such as sea urchin, sweet shrimp, guacamole, ahi poke, etc., is gorgeous to look at. "The "Pork Belly Buns", which have a reputation as New York's best, are meant to be eaten by sandwiching tenderly cooked kakuni pork in the buns yourself with a lot of mustard/ mayo, and wildly biting into them.
It is recommended that you use your hands to eat canape and buns to fully engage your 5 senses, and enjoy the touch. There are 5 kinds of broth for ramen and ramen pot dishes. The noodles which took 3 years for Mr. Hagihara to develop are his proud creation, and take only 1 minute to cook, retains texture well, mixes well with broth, and have a smooth texture. Many customers rave about the ramen specialty restaurant like quality. They are so good that you feel like tasting all of the broth choices.
The performance - pouring of broth at your table using the concept, "cooking is a form of entertainment, so its performance should be enjoyed", leaves a strong impression. With the "Catch of the Day Sashimi Platter", you are entertained by dry ice watered right after an explanation of beautifully presented seasonal fresh fish.
Mr. Hagihara, the creator of numerous dishes that are full of impressions and surprises, has a background in Chinese cuisine. He demonstrated his skills as a right-hand man of Yuji Wakiya, Iron Chef, at "Akasaka Wakiya, Ichiemicharou", the highest achievement in Japan's Chinese cuisine field, and in 2007, he came to the US to become the head chef of "New York Wakiya" when it opened. After that, he achieved the accomplishment of becoming head chef and manager for "Hakata Ton Ton", a restaurant that became so popular that one could hardly get a reservation. He is also very much sought after in other various fields such as appearing in TV cooking programs, lecturing at seminars, cooking for state guests for a Japanese government reception party, etc. Mr. Hagihara says, "Even if techniques and condiments of Chinese cuisine are used, people can enjoy such dishes as washoku, as long as Japanese ingredients are used, and the food is served on Japanese plates. That is one interesting thing about New York." When you step into the restaurant and proceed straight along the corridor toward the counter kitchen located in the center of the space opening up in front of you, you are welcomed by Mr, Hagihara. With a lively and loud greeting, "Irasshaimase!!" he sounds a gong to welcome you.
The name, "ROKI" is taken after Rocky Aoki, Benihana's founder. The reason for adding "IZAKAYA" to the name is because Japanese izakaya-style restaurants serve many different dishes, and there are "no borders". Now, after 10 years in the US, full of passion with enough experiences and power, he is are aiming for the world. I heard that they already have gotten offers to open restaurants in Europe and Middle East as "ROKI", and as ramen or bun specialty restaurants. I cannot keep my eyes off of their future endeavors.
モダンで洗練された空間で、ラーメンや創作和食を楽しむ
フラットアイアン地区に、モダンで洗練された空間で、抜群の創作和食やラーメンを楽しめる評判の店がある。『ROKI LeIZAKAYA』-- ニューヨークを代表する日本人シェフ、萩原好司氏と、『Benihana of Tokyo』のCEO、青木恵子氏が提携して開店したことでも注目されており、この2月14日でちょうど1周年を迎えたところだ。
「ニューヨークのダイニングシーンは進化し続けている。メニューを凝縮して専門化し、店の特徴や個性を際立たせることが重要」と語るのは、オーナー兼料理長を務める萩原氏。開店後1 年の実績データを分析し、この1 月末に、大胆にもメニュー数を3分の2まで絞り込み、『ROKI Special 3 Course Dinner』（42 ドル/1 人、2 人前〜）というプリフィックスコースを用意した。コースは「和風カナッペ」（9 種類から3 つ選択）、「特製バンズ」（3 種類から1 つ選択）、「ラーメン鍋」（3 種類から1 つ選択）という構成だ。同店が自信を持って提案する看板メニューとして、客には基本的にコースを選んでもらい、アラカルトで寿司や刺身などを追加してもらいたいという狙いだ。「メニューを絞り込むことで、オペレーションやコスト面も効率化できるだけでなく、一品一品に力を注ぎクオリティを高めることができる」と萩原氏は続ける。
『和風カナッペ』は、寿司飯を整形して揚げたベースに、ウニや甘エビ、ワカモレやアヒポケといった具材をたっぷり盛り付けたもので、見た目も華やか。"ニューヨークNo.1のバンズ"と言われる『豚の角煮バンズ』は、トロトロに煮込んだ角煮に辛子マヨネーズをたっぷり付けて、客が自ら角煮をバンズに挟んで豪快に頬張る。「五感をフルに活用し、触感も楽しんでほしい」という意図から、カナッペもバンズも手で食べることを勧めている。ラーメンとラーメン鍋用には、5 種類のブロスを用意。麺は、萩原氏が3 年かけて開発したもので、1 分で茹でられて、伸びにくく、ブロスが絡みやすく、食感もなめらか…という自信作。多くの客から"ラーメン専門店のようなクオリティ"と大絶賛され、すべてのブロスを試したくなる味だ。「料理はエンターテイメント。パフォーマンスも楽しんでほしい」というコンセプトで、卓上でブロスをかけてくれる演出が印象深い。「旬の刺身盛り合わせ」は、美しく盛り付けられた旬の魚を丁寧に説明してくれた直後、目の前でドライアイスに水を注いで楽しませてくれる。
感動と驚きに満ちた料理の数々を創り出す萩原氏、バッググラウンドは中国料理だ。日本中国料理界の最高峰『赤坂WAKIYA-笑美茶楼』で、料理の鉄人・脇屋友詞氏の右腕として活躍、2007 年『New York Wakiya』開店に伴い渡米し料理長を務めた。その後、『Hakata TonTon』の料理長兼マネージャーとして、同店を予約の取れない人気店に成長させた実績も持つ。その他にも、料理番組出演、セミナー講師、政府関係レセプションで国賓に料理を振る舞うなど、多方面に引っ張りだこだ。「中国料理の技法や調味料を使っても、和食材を使って和食器に盛り付けると、和食として楽しんでもらえる。そこがニューヨークのおもしろいところ」と萩原氏は語る。店に足を踏み入れ、障子に挟まれた通路をまっすぐ進み、ぱっと開けた空間の中央に位置するカウンターキッチンへ進むと、そこに必ず萩原氏が出迎えてくれる。威勢のよい「いらっしゃいませ！」というかけ声と共に銅鑼を鳴らし、笑顔で客を歓迎してくれる。
店名の『ROKI』は『Benihana』創業者のロッキー青木氏の名前から取った。
"IZAKAYA" と入れたのは、日本の居酒屋にはいろいろな料理が並び、"国境がない"という意味も込めている。渡米後10 年経ち、経験や実力も兼ね備え、情熱もみなぎっている今、目指しているのは世界だ。『ROKI』として、またラーメンやバンズの専門店として、すでに欧州や中東からもオファーがあるという。今後の動向から目が離せない。
ROKI Le IZAKAYA
12 West 21st Street
New York, NY 10010
(646) 383-7654
https://www.rokileizakaya.com/
Mon.-Fri. Lunch 12:00pm-2:30pm
Mon.-Sat. Dinner 5:00pm-11:00pm
Sunday Closed
