The Lobster Club is the first restaurant project in North America for architect Peter Marino, whose singular vision has made him one of the world’s most sought-after retail architects. With Chef Murakami’s uncompromising Japanese food at the centre of the action, The Lobster Club promises to be visually astonishing, extravagant, boisterously elegant – and, above all, fun.
“When Major Food Group started thinking about the Lobster Club, we fantasised about working with Peter on the space and Tasuku on the food to create something people had never experienced,” comments Major Food Group partner, Jeff Zalaznick.
“What we have created goes beyond our wildest dreams. Peter created this astonishing room that looks like nothing else in the world, and Tasuku’s menu brings his incredible skill and love to sushi and Japanese classics all combined with the signature Major Food Group style.”
While The Lobster Club epitomises Major Food Group’s mission of great food and a great story, it’s also a departure for everyone involved. It’s the first time the partners of Major Food Group have let someone else design every element of one of their restaurants.For Chef Murakami, it’s a return to the classical Japanese cuisine of his youth, and a new stage for his Michelin-starred sushi artistry. And for Marino – the architect, artist, and author whose work for clients like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, Zegna and Bulgari spans the globe – it’s an environment whose every element he designed, from uniforms to floors to fanciful “hanging” banquettes.
“For all of us, this project was about having fun while paying homage to an iconic building and an important space,” says Marino. “We worked to design an environment unlike any other restaurant space in New York, or anywhere, through commissioned artwork, custom textiles and materials that are entirely unique for the space. We also set out to challenge expectations of what a Japanese restaurant could look and feel like.”
Photography© Scott Frances
