New collaboration with Spring showcases the world's most dynamic chefs and mixologists - recreating the authentic tastes, sights, smells and sounds of their original restaurants
NEW YORK, NY-July 31, 2019- Mastercard introduces its first flagship restaurant experience, PRICELESS - An International Culinary Collective, created in partnership with Spring at its venue in New York City. The experience will recreate immersive, multi-sensory experiences from world-renowned chefs and mixologists who are driving what's next in dining and cocktails. The first three culinary destinations to take up residency at PRICELESS include The Rock from Zanzibar, Tanzania, Teruzushi from Kitakyushu, Japan and Lyaness from London, United Kingdom. The PRICELESS rooftop at Spring will also host a global food experience expertly curated by Chef JJ Johnson.
"With PRICELESS, we are reinventing experiential dining to create a feast for all your senses by completely immersing you in the environment of these world-renowned locales," said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer, Mastercard. "PRICELESS will serve as an ongoing destination for an exciting roster of restaurants and bars, where our cardholders can fuel their passion for food and create unforgettable moments. We're excited to have The Rock, Teruzushi and Lyaness to be the first culinary destinations to take up residency."
From witnessing Chef Watanabe's maverick style of sushi making, to dining at the exact replica of the fairytale restaurant perched on a rock in the Indian Ocean, to relaxing with cocktails by famous mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana of Lyaness fame, the culinary adventures at PRICELESS have been created and curated with meticulous attention to detail. A bespoke sonic branding concept featuring custom tracks captures the essence of each signature location - including the sound of Chef Watanabe's sword blades, the Indian Ocean's tide rising and falling at The Rock, and the ice cubes dropping in the highball glass at Lyaness - while weaving in the Mastercard sonic identity. This combination will create a unique ambient sonic DNA for each restaurant in residence and throughout PRICELESS.
"Through this unique partnership with Mastercard, we are building on Spring's track record of producing amazing restaurant collaborations," said Tom Punch, Global President and Chief Creative Officer of Spring. "This Culinary Collective will be our most ambitious food experience to date, recreating a series of restaurants in immaculate detail and delivering fabulous far-flung food experiences right to your doorstep in Manhattan."
Here's what visitors will experience at the first culinary destinations to take up residency at PRICELESS - An International Culinary Collective:
The Rock - The Rock is a remarkable restaurant off the coast of Zanzibar, only accessible by foot during low tide and by boat when the tide rises. Here, traditional African hospitality and cuisine with an Italian twist meets awe-inspiring, 360 degree views of the Indian Ocean. At PRICELESS, The Rock has been brought to life through every small detail. Diners will smell the ocean air rich with moss and beech wood, hear the waves and take in the views captured from the original restaurant, while experiencing the same impeccable service.
Lyaness - Famed for its focus on exploration and experimentation, Lyaness comes from the team behind Dandelyan, which was voted World's Best Bar in 2018. Creator Ryan Chetiyawardana applies a chef's approach to flavor, empowering Lyaness to reinvent the world of cocktails and elevate them to a true art form. The Lyaness at PRICELESS is an exact replica of the original London hot spot, from the green onyx curved bar to the light blue hue that washes the interior, and from Ryan's masterful surprises to the unexpected ingredients such as the koji.
Teruzushi - Maverick chef Takayoshi Watanabe is known for his talent to redefine the dining experience through exceptional ingredients, innovation and his signature theatrics. Watanabe prepares his dishes with a long 70 cm blade featuring an aggressive curve that significantly affects the texture of the sushi and lends to a theatrical element of showmanship in this "sushi theatre." Watanabe will temporarily close its doors in Japan to bring his signature style and his exotic blades to this 12-seat culinary theater in the heart of Manhattan.
Global Market - On Spring's elegant TriBeCa rooftop terrace, James Beard award-winning chef JJ Johnson will curate small plates that complement signature drinks from Lyaness, fitting in perfectly with the communal ambience.
PRICELESS - An International Culinary Collective builds upon Mastercard's focus on curating exclusive culinary experiences that began with the introduction of PRICELESS Tables. Mastercard has hosted PRICELESS Tables across the globe in landmark locations such as top of a billboard on Times Square, in the Museum of Natural History, at the Christ the Redeemer in Rio and atop Palazzo Beltrami overlooking the Duomo in Milan. Mastercard has also long partnered with some of the most pre-eminent global chefs. Recently, it opened Bistro by Mastercard, a place for more discerning travelers to have a sit-down meal at Rome's Fumiciano airport.
