The Bazaar New York has arrived.
400 years ago a samurai traveled to Spain. At The Bazaar New York, José Andrés has built a restaurant around that connection.
José Andrés has opened The Bazaar New York at The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, the hotel where he has Zaytinya and Nubeluz, gorgeous spots for Mediterranean food and magnificent cocktails high above the city.
The Bazaar New York is his final concept for this space, and it’s a unique and innovative take on Spanish fare, José’s imagined marriage of Spanish and Japanese cooking and culture that dates back 400 years, when a Japanese samurai named Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga left his home in northeastern Japan and traveled to Spain.
The menu leans into the legacy of that journey. Jose’s R&D team, led by Koji Terano and Manuel Echeverri, have been working for years to create a menu that marries the two cuisines, but I’ll say this is not really “fusion,” it’s more of a connection on the plate: so think Japanese ingredients with Spanish preparations, or Japanese techniques with Spanish ingredients.
For instance, both cultures have a keen respect for rice and for seafood; at Bazaar expect a traditional Spanish Socarat topped with raw sliced Japanese shima aji (striped jack) so that the fish cooks just barely on the hot rice, and then topped with fresh wasabi.
Instead of traditional tempura, at Bazaar you’ll find a plate of Puntillitas, baby Spanish squid coated with Japanese tempura batter and fried until light and crisp, served with squid ink alioli, a variation on the Spanish sauce.
The kitchen has both a Japanese robata grill (“konro”) and the Spanish Josper oven grill, but they are cooking the Ibérico pork over the robata, and the Japanese wagyu on the Josper. And for the honey-miso eggplant (delish), the eggplants are roasted on the Josper to bring them to the point of melting.
For a Madai (red seabream) Crudo, they are topping it tableside with a sauce made of tomato water, beloved by Spanish chefs, and Irizake, a reduction of sake, salted plum and kombu that was used as a dipping sauce in Japan around the time Hasekura lived.
Chef Koji also came up with a riff on the Japanese Teba Gyoza, where a chicken wing and a dumpling come together into the best bar snack ever created: chicken wings dumpings! To make the dish, the wings get marinated in a Salmorejo, a traditional marinade from the Canary Islands made with smoked paprika, rosemary, thyme, salt, and olive oil, then they’re deboned and hollowed out a bit so they become the “dumplings” that are stuffed with ground Iberico pork filling. They’re baked off and topped with a Salmorejo glaze and sesame seeds. It’s a fantastic marriage of two styles of cooking.
The restaurant itself is warm and sumptuous, a stunning space to spend an evening (if not a week). Designed by Spain’s Lázaro Rosa-Violán Studio, it takes inspiration from Hasekura’s travels, so you’ll find sketches of ships and sailors looking at the stars.
José has actually opened two new bars with The Bazaar, one in the hotel's lobby and another up on the second floor in the restaurant. Each is stunning and each has a distinct menu of magnificent cocktails created by Jose’s bar team led by Cocktail Innovator Miguel Lancha.
Naturally, you’ll find the Ultimate G&T, a tribute to the sort of herbaceous gintonic’s he loves: Hendrick’s gin, Fever Tree Indian tonic, lime, lemon, juniper, lemon verbena. There are three kinds of sangria: one made with red wine, another from cava, and a third with junmai sparkling sake, roku gin, cava, Japanese citrus, lemongrass, grapefruit, oka kura sweet bermutto.
Stronger cocktails include something called a Surfer Rob Roy (Japanese & Scotch whiskies, amontillado, sweet vermouth, angostura bitters, coconut, and plantain, cinnamon, and the Around the World in 80 Days, made from Del Maguey Ibérico Mezcal, manzanilla, Old Duff Genever, junmai sparkling sake, and coriander blossom.
The prettiest cocktail you’ll ever see is called The Divine Wind; it’s a mix of chrysanthemum-infused mizu shōchū, magdala, clarified lime, butterfly pea tea, citrus-infused singani perfume! I would like it in a lip gloss.
Finally, for those hot and steamy days, Miguel has you covered with a refreshing, ice cold Nitro-Frozen Pomada: xoriguer mohon gin, kas limón soda, bergamot oil, and mint.
The Bazaar New York is a magical place, full of that effervescent and thoughtful José imagination and energy. I think you’re gonna love it! Be sure to pop up to Nubeluz on the 50th floor after dinner if you can — you’ll see the city from above like you’ve never seen it before.