Not a version of it, or a modern interpretation…the same steak made the same way for the reason it was curated perfectly in the first place…allegedly because a certain Russian opera singer couldn’t chew.

Feodor Chaliapin was in Tokyo for a performance when he complained that the beef was too tough. The hotel’s kitchen responded by tenderizing the cut with grated onion, whose enzymes break down muscle fiber until the meat yields without resistance, then finished it with sautéed onions in place of a traditional sauce. The Chaliapin Steak has been on the menu ever since, a dish born from a single guest’s complaint that is now nearly a century old. The Imperial is not a hotel that trades on history as an aesthetic. It’s one where history never stopped being made.

Opened in 1890 as a state guesthouse for international visitors, the Imperial occupies a particular position in Tokyo’s cultural life. Situated in Hibiya, near the Imperial Palace and Ginza, it has served as the setting for diplomatic visits, cultural exchanges, and quiet transactions between Japan and the world for more than 135 years. Frank Lloyd Wright designed its second iteration, completed in 1923, and that building survived the Great Kantō Earthquake the same year, a fact that reinforced the hotel’s reputation for a structural seriousness that extended well beyond architecture. The dining rooms inherited that same disposition. Where other institutions reconstruct the past for atmosphere, the Imperial simply never let it go.

In 1958, Imperial Hotel president Tetsuzō Inumaru returned from Scandinavia having encountered the smorgasbord and adapted the format for a Japanese audience. The resulting restaurant, the Imperial Viking Sal, became Japan’s first buffet of its kind. The name stuck so thoroughly that “Viking” entered everyday Japanese as a synonym for all-you-can-eat buffet dining, a piece of common language with a traceable origin point in a single hotel in postwar Tokyo. Renewed in August 2023, the Viking Sal now presents more than 50 dishes spanning French, Japanese, and Chinese influences, but the format remains what it always was: a meal you build yourself, moving between cuisines and eras plate by plate, without a fixed progression telling you what comes next. A single visit can trace prewar European technique into postwar Japanese adaptation into something that reads as fully contemporary, in whatever order you want to experience it.

The dishes that anchor the room tell you where you are in time. The Gratin of Prawn and Sole “Queen Elizabeth II” was first prepared in 1975, during the Queen’s state visit to Japan. Delicate seafood in a carefully balanced cream preparation, designed for the restrained register of diplomatic hospitality, it carries the Queen’s name with her approval and has been on the menu ever since. The hotel’s Signature Double Consommé Soup takes a different approach to history, carrying no famous origin story but instead reflecting the introduction and long refinement of classical French technique within Japan. Achieving its clarity requires prolonged clarification that removes impurities while concentrating flavor into a crystal-clear broth that has served as a benchmark of the kitchen’s technical standards across generations.

Then there is the Mount Fuji cocktail, first mixed in 1924 at what is now the Old Imperial Bar. Created as a welcome drink for Western passengers arriving on around-the-world cruises, it was built as an image: gin, fruit juices, egg white, and cream producing a white foamy surface with a maraschino cherry at the center, a snow-capped mountain with the red sun rising above it. The identity of its original creator has been lost, but the recipe has not changed, and it is served today exactly as it was a hundred years ago to people stepping off a ship with no prior picture of what Japan looked like.

The dishes stayed because they were good, because guests kept ordering them, because the kitchen kept making them correctly across generation after generation of cooks. When you sit down at the Imperial, you are eating meals that people ate years before: Chaliapin in 1934, the Queen’s delegation in 1975, a cruise passenger in 1924 encountering Japan for the first time through a glass. The hotel held onto all of it, and it is still here.

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Here’s a pro tip for both Eastern and Western skiers: If you’re in Aspen/Snowmass or the Catskills this spring, stop by the Select Slopeside Popups to wrap up the day with a spritz from Select Aperitivo and live music as a backdrop for airing out your goggle tan lines over stories about that perfectly corned couloir line you had to hike to to earn the day’s libations.

The brand is based on a slice of Venetian culture that looks pretty similar to how we end the best ski days here in the States — winding down with a drink in hand and letting the stories from the day tumble out with abandon. While the country was pulling itself out of the wreckage from WWI, Italians needed something to take the edge off of reentry into the “new normal”… and if that doesn’t sound familiar, then perhaps you’ve been living under a rock since 2019. The same drink that helped them piece their lives back together and find a reason to smile again might just help us do the same.

Find the popup at the W Aspen Hotel in Aspen through April 11th, the Viceroy Hotel in Snowmass through April 2nd, and the Urban Cowboy Lodge in the Catskills until April 3rd.

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Here’s a crazy thought: what if we focused less on influencer driven marketing campaigns, and more on doing what scientists and doctors keep telling us to do?

If you’re looking for some magical snake oil to turn you into the guy from Limitless, this post isn’t for you. If you want to heighten cognitive function through a healthy blend of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, you may want to consider supplementing your daily diet with TruBrain.

What’s TruBrain?

TruBrain is like coffee, but better. It’s a daily nutritional supplement, suited to the needs of the modern workforce. Instead of getting you jacked up on absurd amounts of caffeine, like coffee and hype-brand energy drinks, TruBrain utilizes a balanced blend of natural ingredients to increase mental performance, without making you feel anxious and jittery.

TruBrain was designed by UCLA graduates Dr. Andrew Hill and Dr. Aida Attar, who have spent their lives studying the brainwaves of high achievers, and identifying the chemicals which best accelerate cognitive performance. Hill and Attar recognized the inherent flaws of a society who uses daily stimulants just to function. So they set out to create a superior morning beverage.

TruBrain’s unique blend of ingredients improves brain plasticity, by optimizing the flow of oxygen and glucose to your body’s control center. It combines active nootropics like L-Theanine, Uridine, Centrophenoxine, Noopept, with vital nutrients like Magnesium and Citicoline. Though their biochemical nomenclature may sound intimidating, these ingredients occur naturally in superfoods like asparagus, avocado, cane sugar, and green tea leaves.

How does it work?

TruBrain uses active nootropics and essential nutrients to supercharge cognitive function. Nootropics are an exciting new breed of dietary supplement, that are taking the world by storm. Active nootropics increase brain cell metabolism, and improve overall brain plasticity. Nootropics also heighten communication between neurons, by modulating your brain’s acetylcholine receptors.

In addition to the use of powerful nootropics, TruBrain includes a number of essential minerals and amino acids that are essential to the normal function of your brain, but deficient in most people’s diets. Magnesium and tyrosine further improve neurotransmission, while Carnitine helps neurons break down fatty acids, and Citicoline acts as a precursor to acetylcholine.

Is it safe?

TruBrain is 100% safe for use as directed. In fact, it actually has less toxicity than table salt or vitamin C.

How does it taste?

Tart and slightly fruity.

At Vanish, we love TruBrain’s rich, fruity taste almost as much as we love the heightened alertness we get from it’s morning use. TruBrain has become a staple for our office, and we can’t wait to see what they create next!

Learn More!

Don’t just take our word for it! We encourage you to read up on any supplement you’re considering adding to your dietary regimen. Below is a list of peer reviewed, scientific articles which tackle the cognitive enhancing properties of TruBrain’s ingredients.

“Enhancement of Learning and Memory by Elevating Brain Magnesium.” Inna Slutsky et al. Neuron, vol. 65, is. 2, 2010, pp. 165-177.

“The Effects of l-theanine on Alpha-Band Oscillatory Brain Activity During Visuo-Spatial Attention Task.” Manuel Gomez-Ramirez et al. Brain Topography, vol. 22, is. 1, 2009, pp. 44-51.

“Piracetam-induced improvement of mental performance. A controlled study on normally aging individuals.” P. Mindus et al. Acta Psychiatra Scandinavica, vol. 54, is. 2, 1976, pp. 150-160.

“Relationships between arousal and cognition-enhancing effects of oxiracetam.” A. Cavoy et al. Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, vol. 47, is. 2, 1994, 283-287.

“Acetyl-l-carnitine improves aged brain function.” Satoru Kobayashi et al. Geriatrics Gerontology International, vol. 10, is. S1, 2010, pp.S99-S106.

“Working memory reloaded: tyrosine repletes updating in the N-back task.” Lorenza S. Colzato et al. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 7, 2013, pp. 200.

“Citicoline: A Food That May Improve Memory.” Pawel Grieb et al. Medical Science Review, vol. 2, 2015, pp. 67-72.

“Neuroprotective effect of novel cognitive enhancer noopept on AD-related cellular model involves the attenuation of apoptosis and tau hyperphosphorylation.” Rita U Ostrovskaya et al. Journal of Biomedical Science, vol. 21, 2014, pp. 74.

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Its lightweight carrying case delivers up to 425 square inches of cooking space. The NOMAD comes in hot with unparalleled portability and durability with its cast aluminum construction. It matches strength and sturdiness with versatility and style.

We agree with them that “whether your next adventure calls for searing, smoking, baking or barbecuing — from the backyard, to the backcountry — NOMAD has you covered.”

Learn more at NOMAD Grills or follow them on Instagram.

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It’s March 2020 and from here on out for the rest of forever, we’ll all remember this strange time period of social distancing and quarantine thanks to the COVID-19 crisis. Tell us. Where are you now? How have you been handling this moment of extreme isolation?
So I’m currently in Sullivan County on this property we bought almost 20 years ago. And luckily, the whole point of this place is about escape. So philosophically, the property that we developed up here, called William Brown Farm, is in protest to the frantic and busy lives we have in New York City. It’s a refuge. So in a way, we’ve always kind of been prepared for a crisis like this. 

I’m also a bit of an armchair doomsday prepper. So we’ve kept it stocked with good food, terrific booze, great wine, and every culinary tool. I actually love being isolated up here, because the whole point of being here is its remoteness and proximity to nature. That’s why we built it.

On Instagram you’ve shared some good alternatives for stocking up at the local grocery store after all the basics have been pillaged. How’d you navigate the small-town grocery run?
I love a supermarket challenge and when the panic buying started at our little grocery store up here, it was really depressing. Because there was incredible stuff left behind. All the best dried legumes, all the killer cured meats, and amazing tins of fish. All the stuff that’s nutritious, makes great meals and lasts a long time. And people were saying, oh there’s nothing there. And there was actually amazing stuff there.

You have also been posting pretty regularly during this time period, everything from cooking how-tos to crooning. What’s prompted you to take this particular route in creating content?
We have a massive cookbook collection that we’ve been gathering over the years up here. We’ve always just pulled a recipe off the shelf and looked at what’s inspiring us today in terms of the weather and what’s in our fridge and pantry. So this period of quarantine has been a kind of hyper format of what we’ve always done. The good news is that for me, it’s such great therapy.

It was my wife Yolanda’s idea for me to start posting and putting this stuff out there. And every meal that we’re making is designed so you don’t need exact measurements of ingredients. I feel that a lot of this is just meant to inspire people to interpret what they have and showing folks that nothing needs to go to waste. Scraps become soup, bones become broth. And yes, after dinner, I occasionally may attempt my best Sinatra impression. 

What’s been your favorite dish you’ve cooked so far while in quarantine?
Pappa al pomodoro, a Tuscan bread soup (see image gallery above for the visual recipe)

What’s been the favorite tune you’ve crooned?
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by Frank Sinatra

Everyone seems to be posting about living in their favorite sweatpants throughout this crisis, yet it seems like every evening you and your family have decided to get decked out in cocktail attire instead. Can you tell us about this choice and how it’s affected your overall attitude and vibe?
I love tailored suits and we’ve always had this tradition up here of, on occasion, dressing for dinner. It’s not like: we’re in the country so we need to put our holey jeans on… we like to dress for cocktails when we spend time here in the summer and I even keep a tuxedo up here. It’s just fun. So I consciously thought, “Okay, how do we elevate this crazy experience of quarantine, without making light of the seriousness of the situation? Let’s just do what we normally do. Let’s dress for dinner.”   

Being out on your land, what outdoor activities have you been doing to pass the time?
This is a 130-acre farm — we have lots of trails and amazing old fire roads and logging roads. So we’ve been exploring all these roads and trails, going further than we’ve gone in years. It’s just magical. The dogs come along and there’s just mounds of wildlife.

You recently posted some of your thoughts on your ultimate bug-out bag. Can you talk us through what you think folks should consider when packing for the apocalypse?
Well again, in my kind of armchair doomsday prepper mode, just think: How do you make fire? How do you stay warm? How do you have clean water? But I reached out to a bunch of friends to post their essentials and guess what the most common item was? Chocolate. 

Here at Vanish, we’re massive fans of overlanding. Can you tell us a bit about the Land Rover project you just completed with Brooklyn Coachworks?
So that vehicle came from Central America with a very rare matching trailer. I met Daniel Marcello at Brooklyn Coachworks through Alloy+Grit. Turns out we came from the same hometown and even went to the same university and we saw eye-to-eye on a lot of things. So we decided to turn this Series 2A Rover into a WM Brown Edition. It’s up for sale now. It’s 100% original, like right down to the correct galvanized hinges on the doors. Hopefully someone who’s really passionate about early Rovers will find it.

Thanks so much for speaking with us, Matt. Any final thoughts?
Just that, yes… this is certainly a crazy time, but Yolanda and I are both continuing to plug away at the next issues of our magazines. And despite all the concerning news of this crisis, I still find it to be a very inspiring time.

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