Surrounded by contemporary art installations and flowering vines and trees, Asia Society's café offers a unique Asian-inspired menu in a beautiful glass-enclosed, sky-lit Garden Court.

The Garden Court Café opened in November 2001 along with the Asia Society's extensive renovation of its world headquarters in New York City. Since its opening it has thrived as one of New York's best museum cafés offering visitors cuisine described as "Asianesque." Hesh Sarmalkar, Asia Society's Director of Events, explains, "It has an Asian flair with Indian, Thai, Japanese and Chinese take-offs."

The café is operated by Great Performances, a New York catering and event planning company, with Arizona Llorenty as Executive Chef. The food has been described by staff as "Asian influenced with an American touch. While we use a lot of Asian ingredients, we tailor it towards American cuisine. We take stocks and reduce them with lemongrass and coriander, add Thai chili paste, perhaps an American noodle like papardelle, then add lobster or shrimp."

Vishakha N. Desai, Senior Vice President of the Asia Society and Director of the Museum and Cultural Programs, affirms that both food and form follow function in the café and museum: "The nouvelle pan-Asian cuisine offered in the Garden Court Café along with the innovative music playing in the background offer the visitor not just a complete culinary and aesthetic experience but also an exciting sense of contemporary Asia."

The Garden Court Café serves savory lunch offerings Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm and sumptuous dinner options on Friday evenings until 9:00 pm. It also serves as a venue for informal performances, readings, discussions with artists, and other special events.

Reservations/Contact Information
Garden Court Café
725 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10021
For reservations, please call 24 hours in advance: (212) 570-5202