Japanese concept of omotenashi inspires NYC bar

Stone & Soil opened in the Park South Hotel in New York City’s NoMad neighbourhood yesterday (3 February).

Stone & Soil NYC Bar2 The drinks programme is led by Japan-born Hirotomo Akutsu and New York native Rio Azmee

The bar is part of JK Park Hospitality, a hospitality group founded by industry veterans Jimmy Rizvi, co-founder of Bungalow and GupShup, and Kanvar Singh, founder of Elsie Rooftop and Elsie Penthouse. The group oversees all food and beverage concepts in the hotel.

To create Stone & Soil, JK Park Hospitality has partnered with Hirotomo Akutsu, formerly of Bar Trench in Tokyo, and Rio Azmee, formerly of Bar Moga in Morimoto.

The bar is guided by ‘omotenashi’, a Japanese philosophy of hospitality rooted in tea ceremonies. The team aim to create an experience that ‘unfolds with a sense of calm and purpose, where each interaction feels sincere and personal’.

Sustainability has been considered throughout, from material choices to maximising the potential of each ingredient.

Akutsu and Azmee have based the cocktail menu on the ‘rigour’ of Japanese bartending, with an emphasis on balance, texture, and respect for ingredients.

The current list features 22 cocktails, including the Pink Tango, a combination of mezcal, Campari, fermented pineapple syrup, lime and pink grapefruit soda. The cocktail takes seven days to create, with a whole pineapple – including the skin and leaves – fermented with koji.

The Black Boulevardier

The Black Boulevardier features fig and spice-infused Woodford Reserve, Cynar, Sherry and balsamic vinegar. The whiskey is infused for 48 hours, with the remaining fruit turned into a tuile that garnishes the cocktail, adding acidity and texture.

Meanwhile, the Vino y Tomate is made with extra añejo Tequila, fino Sherry, dry vermouth, bergamot, tomato and basil shrub, celery shrub and pickled cherry tomato. It is inspired by the Bamboo, a classic cocktail made with Sherry and vermouth.

All of the cocktail’s garnishes are edible and designed to enhance the drink’s flavour.

The bar sources its ice from Kuramoto, a family-owned company that was established more than a century ago in Kanazawa. The diamond-shaped cubes are hand-carved daily to fit the bar’s handmade Japanese glassware.

Chef Hisanori Yamamoto is behind the food menu, which draws on Japanese techniques and ingredients while incorporating global influences.

Dishes include miso-marinated wagyu pâté and Trinidadian scallop curry.

Shaila Rizvi created the interiors, which embrace ‘Japandi’ design – a fusion of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian functionality. The interiors feature clean lines and natural materials, with recycled leather and wood throughout. There are no plastic or artificial materials anywhere in the space.

The paint behind the bar was applied by hand, without brushes. Another touch-inspired element is a sculptural clay wave installation located behind the seating.

The venue’s curtains are made from Japan-sourced seaweed and divide the bar and kitchen.

Stone & Soil is the latest Japanese-inspired bar to open globally, following Pop City x Pony in Singapore, Saikindō in Dubai and Yume in Hong Kong.