Why I hate the NY Grill . . .

Perhaps you have seen the movie "Lost in Translation." If so, you are familiar with Sophia Coppola's story of Bill Murray and Scarlet Johanssen finding love and each other in the midst of their isolation in the urban jungle that is Tokyo, or, more precisely, finding each other in the midst of the $500/night foreigner fantasy land that is the Park Hyatt, Shinjuku.

And, if you know something of Tokyo, perhaps you know that the restaurant where they filmed most of the bar scenes in the movie was the NY Grill, on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt. Now, this restaurant and its bar, with a commanding view of the city, had always been one of the most popular hang outs of well-to-do foreigners in Tokyo, or the place to go for an anniversary or other special occasion for the not so well-to-do foreigners in the city. It had always been outrageously expensive, especially given the average food that it serves, but you were paying for the location as much as anything else. I once had to pick up a $3,000 tab for dinner there for just 10 people (thank god it was for work and I was reimbursed . . . )

But after this damn movie came out, the place has gotten even more full of itself than before. I recently tried to make a reservation there for a reception for the President of my university, who will be visiting Japan next month. About 10 days before Christmas, 15 people tops, calling a month in advance. Possible? Not unless we were OK with a 9:30pm reservation time and agreed to a $200/person minimum course menu charge, no drinks included. Remember, this is for food like steak (good, but not great steak) with mashed potatoes, people - not a gastronomical adventure like the best French restaurants, where a price like that may arguably be worth it.

If you are visiting Tokyo, save your money people, and go somewhere else - there is much better food to be had in more authentic places just about anywhere else here.