-- Posted by Edward on 7:37 pm on Dec. 10, 2003 From eGullet: http://www.egullet.com/?pg=ARTICLE-blumontimewarner The Restaurant: Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel The Designer: Tony Chi (Tony Chi & Associates). Credits include NoMi in Park Tower in Chicago (Named Best Hotel Restaurant 2002 by Interior Design Magazine) and Azul at the Mandarin Oriental Resort in Miami (Best New Restaurants 2000 by Esquire). From his bio in the evening's program: "A modernist with a passionate and instinctual approach to design, linking architecture, interior design and graphics." Three adjectives Chi used to describe Asiate: "Reality, fantasy, warmness (most importantly)." The Chef: Noriyuki Sugie. With a background in music and influenced by his mother's traditional Japanese cooking, as well as fine dining experiences from the world's great cuisines, Sugie says, "Like music, cooking is all about harmony; orchestrating a meal is like creating an unforgettable score." He melds traditional Asian techniques and classical French training, honing his craft at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago and by opening and working at top restaurants in Sydney, Australia. The Details: 35th floor, 90 seats, "stunning window view. "Asiate" is a play on the French word "assiette," with an interpretation of "little plate" offered by Tony Chi. While this is a boutique hotel, Chi described the restaurant as "a neighborhood place" and spoke of bringing the park and seasons into the dining space, for example, with snowy branches in the winter. Sugie likes to take a very straightforward approach to his dishes and is not a fan of complex names or descriptions. "Fish. Beef. Artichoke. Lobster. Tomato. . . If you like [the dish], I [will] tell you how [it is] prepared." From his bio: "Sugie's approach will be artistic and modern, yet elegant and subtle. His cuisine will capture and blend the elements of French and Japanese cuisine and his presentation style will reflect the harmony inherent in every aspect of the hotel." -- Posted by Edward on 7:43 pm on Dec. 10, 2003 Asiate Thomas Keller and the rest of the big guns won’t make their Columbus Circle debuts till next February, but the ballyhooed Time Warner Center is scheduled to get its first serious restaurant this week at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Chef Nori Sugie trained in France and Japan, cooked at Charlie Trotter’s and Tetsuya’s in Australia, and has an enviable backdrop for his French-Japanese fusion: Central Park and the Manhattan cityscape from 35 floors up. 80 Columbus Circle, at 60th St. 212-805-8881