Hilton Tokyo Christmas Cruise

While a time for giving and sharing, Christmas is primarily a time for eating and some of Tokyo’s best restaurants with be fuelling Christmas appetites in the coming month with the promise of succulent, and sometimes unconventional, festive fare. Armed with gifts and good cheer, Santa’s gourmet helper, Maki Nibayashi, searches out a selection of Tokyo’s tempting and unique Christmas dinner deals.

�

�

The Hilton Tokyo Bay

The Hilton Tokyo Bay is presenting a special Helicopter Tour and Christmas Dinner from December 21-25. This special deal combines an evening helicopter flight over Tokyo and a full course Christmas dinner at their renowned French restaurant Ma Maison. The 20-minute helicopter cruise course includes such sights as Tokyo Disney Resort, Kasai Rinkai Park, Ginza, Roppongi, Shinjuku, Tokyo Dome, and other shining spots in Tokyo. After a breathtaking ride, enjoy a full course French dinner at Ma Maison. The tour plus dinner and a glass of champagne is JY38,000—JY20,000 for children. Reservations must be made at least one day in advance. In case of bad weather, flights may be cancelled and reservations can be postponed to another day, or canceled with a full refund—otherwise, you can just enjoy the dinner. Cancellations made 24 hours prior to the reservation time may be fully refunded.

Contact the Hilton Tokyo Bay for more information. Tel: 047-355-5000.

�

The New Otani

Taikan En has been serving up Shanghai style Chinese Christmas dinners since 1964. For those who tire of conventional European Christmas fare, this is a great opportunity to spice up your culinary options during the festive season with a very exotic JY16,000 dinner course. The set includes shark fin, steamed lobster, your choice of Peking duck, scallops and abalone in oyster sauce or braised king crab in a clay pot, soup, fried rice or Chinese porridge, and a special Christmas dessert.

4-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-3265-1111.

�

The Westin Tokyo

The Westin Tokyo offers an array of special Christmas menus from December 21st to 25th. Victor’s Continental restaurant on the 22nd floor of the hotel offers a breathtaking view of the city in addition to an elegant Christmas dinner course. The JY16,000 Christmas dinner menu features roasted supreme of mallard duck and barbary duck galantine with truffle sauce—a typical French preparation of two kinds of duck sauced with a fragrant dose of truffles. The Terrace restaurant, located on the first floor, will once again serve its popular Christmas buffet. Traditional roast turkey and a colorful Christmas salad bar highlight the festivities. The tempting dessert buffet includes marron Bûche Noel. The lunch buffet costs JY3200 (JY2200 for children) and the dinner buffet JY6000 (JY3600 for children).

From December 22-25th. Yebisu Garden Place 1F, 1-4-1 Mita, Meguro-ku. Tel: 03-5423-7000.

�

Tokyo Dome Hotel

Lots of Christmas specials can be had at the Tokyo Dome Hotel' many restaurants. Japanese Restaurant Yugyo-an Tankuma will be offering four different Christmas specials dinners with a glass of Dom Perignon from Dec 21st to 25th. A Kyoto cuisine selection includes Saga (JY15,000), teppanyaki Togao (JY15,000), Sushi Kamogawa (JY12,000) and Tempura Aoi (JY10,000) while you can also choose from four authentic Japanese food styles. An original Christmas dinner created by Executive Chef Akio Kamata will be available at the sky banquet rooms on the 42nd floor on December 22nd, 23rd and 24th at JY13,000 per person. A pioneer in the field of French cuisine in Japan, Chef Kamata is renowned for creating superb Parisian style dishes with a Japanese twist.

Contact the Tokyo Dome Hotel for more information. Tel: 03-5805-2151

T.Y Harbour Brewery

TY’s annual romantic dinner event as Head Chef David Chiddo rolls up his sleeves for another year of Yuletide feast. This year’s menu Roasted Pumpkin soup with scallops and thyme, smoked duck breast with ratatouille salad, your choice of grilled Norway salmon with gnocchi, roasted zucchini and red pepper butter sauce or roast filet of beef with red wine sauce, rosemary potato gratin and chocolate truffle tart with vanilla gelato and orange cream. Reservations a must. Available from December 22-24th.

Bond Street, 2-1-3 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku. Tel: 03-5479-4555.

Spago

The home of Wolfgang Puck’s California cuisine, Spago is again offering its inimitable special Christmas dinner course. Angler liver terrine with momiji oroshi sauce, tataki of venison with argula and balsamic vinaigrette, shark’s fin soup, mushroom and cream cheese ravioli with truffle sauce, tempura shrimp with ginger sauce beurre blanc and grilled beef tenderloin with foie gras and port wine sauce are included in the set. Finished with a desert triptych of hazelnut chocolate cake, grand marnier truffle and white chocolate ice cream—and a small gift to take home—Spago will, for JY12,000, guarantee a merry Christmas.

5-7-8 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-3423-4025. Open: 11:30am-2pm Mon-Sat, 6-10pm Mon-Fri, 6-9:30pm Sat, Sun and holidays. Nearest stn: Roppongi.

Volga
Volga is one of the few places in Japan where you can enjoy a traditional Russian meal in an authentic setting reminiscent of the czar's own luxurious dining hall. Volga’s gourmet Christmas dinner includes a glass of Veuve Cliquot champagne, smoked salmon genevoise sauce, shrimp consomme, snapper with sun-dried tomato and saffron sauce, roast duck with fois gras and red wine sauce, dessert and coffee (JY7500).

3-5-14 Shibakoen, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-3433-1766. Nearest stn: Kamiya-cho, across from Tokyo Tower.

NIU
Celebrate the holidays in the Orient with an apropos Christmas dinner in this stylish, modern Chinese restaurant. A special course includes Far East delicacies such as king crab salad, shark fin and egg drop soup, steamed sea bream with oyster and fish sauce, Chinese-style stewed beef and spicy tomato and prawn noodle. Baked apple a la mode with cinnamon and star-anise sauce rounds off the meal. The course is available from December 22 to 25 and costs JY7,500.

B1 Central Residence Kita-Aoyama Axle Court, 2-9-8 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5785-3766. Open 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30-10:30pm. Nearest stn: Gaienmae.

Roti
Roti will be serving a romantic dinner course menu during Christmas that will include four courses and dessert—a special Californian wine selection will be also available—for only JY6,000 (not including drinks.) Also available (from December 17 to 25) is a special Christmas meal box that will include roasted, stuffed rotisserie turkey with winter vegetables, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie. In addition to the regular brunch menu, Roti will be offering a traditional Christmas a la carte brunch menu on Sunday, December 23rd from 11am. The course includes rotisserie-roasted turkey with chestnut (JY2300), sausage stuffing surrounded by winter vegetables, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes and apple cider gravy.

1F Piramide Building, 6-6-9 Roppongi, Minato-Ku. Tel: 03-5785-3671. Open 11:30am-2:30pm lunch, 6-10pm dinner. Nearest stn: Roppongi.

Hilton Twenty One

French-Pacific restaurant Twenty One mixes French traditional cooking methods with Asian flavors and Chef Mark Hehir has fashioned an exotic cut on the usual Christmas fare. The al a carte selection includes darjeeling tea cured sea scallops under a citrus martio, roast tomato consomme with goats cheese and basil dumplings, and char-grilled US beef tenderloin on fine noodles, crisp pancetta and tofu broth. The four-course menu, including an aperitif and two glasses of wine, will be available until December 20 for JY13,000. Between December 22 and 25, al a carte and elegant set menus range from JY12,000 to JY25,000.

2F, The Hilton Tokyo. Open: 11:30am-3pm lunch, 5:30-10:30pm. 6-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: 3344-5111. Nearest stn: Marunouchi line, Nishi-Shinjuku stn.

Oli

Located in the classy Cerulean Towers in Shibuya, this fashionable Italian restaurant uses genuine Mediterranean olive oil. Get into the festive mood with shellfish and sea urchin with jelly, stewed beef cheek lasagna, lobster souffle with sweet yuzu wine butter sauce, or filet mignon and oven baked fois gras with Madera wine sauce. The course includes a special Christmas dessert and costs JY9800.

2F Shibuya Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-5784-2188. Open 11am-2:30pm lunch, 5:30-10:30pm dinner. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Il Pinolo

Set in the heart of Ginza, Il Pinolo Executive Chef Mario Frittoli has crafted an authentic Toscana style Christmas dinner. Starting with lobster salad tossed in caviar, herbs and a basil sauce, the set course also includes smoked venison de carpaccio, ravioli with salmon and sea bass, papardelle de castagne with wild duck ragout, roasted flounder with cabbage and saffron soup and fillet mignon with sauteed fois gras. All this, with dessert and coffee, will cost you JY12,000 and is available between December 21-25.