Hidden Leaf, the newest restaurant concept from Brooklyn restaurateur Josh Cohen (Chez Ma Tante, Lilia, Saint Vitus), opens its doors at 75 Manhattan West Plaza. The beautiful standalone restaurant tucked inside the exciting, new performance venue Midnight Theatre will feature a pan-Asian menu created by Executive Chef Chai Trivedi (Pranna, Tamarind, Buddakan, Eventi Hotel). Internationally renowned bartender Iain Griffiths (He/They), co-founder of the wildly acclaimed and influential Dandelyan and White Lyan bars in London, is making their first permanent foray into the NYC drinks scene with the opening of Hidden Leaf’s bar and its street level companion, a high-energy aperitivo bar Midnight Cafe.
Hidden Leaf shares its address with the glamorous, intimate Midnight Theatre, a soon-to-debut performance venue at Manhattan West, Brookfield Properties’ latest neighborhood development between 9th and 10th Avenues and West 31st and 33rd streets. The 160-seat theater will soft open this summer and celebrate its grand opening this fall. Midnight Theatre was conceptualized by Creative Director Warren Adcock to be a unique home for talent in magic, music, theater and performance art.
Josh Cohen comments, “We sought to create something that truly doesn’t exist in NYC; an unprecedented opportunity for performers, New Yorkers, and visitors alike – all under one roof. At Hidden Leaf and the forthcoming Midnight Theatre, people can enjoy masterful cocktails, an entire culinary experience, and high-tech entertainment and storytelling. It’s an escape from the everyday that reimagines your night out in the city.”
Executive Chef Chai Trivedi’s menu will bring together unique ingredients and inventive dishes from southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The menu offers many ways to approach a meal including a shareable assortment of small plates like Yunnan BBQ St. Louis Ribs with sticky sauce, seeds, and preserved ginger mustard, dim sum such as Jade Vegetable Dumplings and Crunchy Pork Potstickers, noodle and rice dishes like Honey Pork Fried Rice and Wok Roasted Rice Cakes, along with larger plates like Broken Golden Chicken with sweet chili sauce and crispy curry oil and Steamed Black Sea Bass with Vadouvan Curry, crispy jasmine rice, and pickled fresno chili. Vegetable and tofu forward dish options include Black Pepper & Salt Jade Tofu and Wok Charred Wild Mushrooms & Spring Beans.
Taking cues from Executive Chef Chai Trivedi’s colorful pantry, Iain Griffiths incorporates flavors from the diaspora of Asian cuisine, folding in the spirits and ingredients of those regions to funnel them all through the lens of classic cocktails. There’s the Dead Ringer, a Corpse Reviver No. 2 riff made with baijiu and a melon aperitif, and the Tablet Negroni, which incorporates the flavors of the ubiquitous South East Asian Tablet milk candies into the famous three-ingredient Italian aperitif of its namesake.
Griffiths’ cocktail program at the street level aperitivo bar Midnight Cafe delivers a high-energy, fun experience soundtracked to 70’s Italian disco. The drinks menu is equally as playful as the setting and is divided into two sections: Aperitivo Classics and Spotlight Stealers. The former category’s title belies the creativity of the tipples within, such as the Citrus Carousel, a riff on an oft-overlooked Italian aperitivo classic “Giostra d’Alcol,” here made with Campari, orange wine, saffron honey, clarified citrus and lemon seltzer. The latter category is where Griffiths goes all out creatively, and includes the Midnight Gimlet, made with Scottish guava and passionfruit gin, black tea & lime oleo saccharum, pineapple-infused Dolin Blanc vermouth and a green tea jelly garnish.
With interiors designed by Cycle Projects, Hidden Leaf and Midnight Theatre calls upon an Art Deco style to deliver a sense of mystery and intrigue throughout the various alcoves and experiences, intended to take the guest on a journey throughout the space. Deep blue tones are complemented with walnut wood trims and accents, alongside custom brass fixtures. Lush with greenery, Hidden Leaf brings in a wellness component through a variety of seasonal oxygen emitting plants.
Hidden Leaf will be open for dinner from 5pm to 10pm (Wed, Thurs, Sun) and from 5pm to 11pm (Fri, Sat). The space features a 75-seat dining room, 20-seat private dining room and a 40-seat lounge/bar area. Midnight Cafe is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4pm to midnight.
