Well-heeled travellers from the Arab world or indeed anywhere else looking for something new to do in the New Year should consider jetting off to Japan for an exclusive private dinner at what is rated as one of the world’s best restaurants.

Be warned, though, the waiting list is extensive for the two-Michelin-star Noma, which is based in Denmark but will be relocating and opening its doors at the Mandarin Oriental in Japan’s capital Tokyo for a little more than a month.

And you need to hurry!

Original scheduled to operate for just two weeks, ‘Noma at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo’ has been extended for two more weeks due to “overwhelming” demand, according to the hotel, and will now be open from January 9 to February 14, 2015, except for Sundays.

Guests who are currently on the waitlist will be given first priority to book and after reaching out to the current waitlist, new reservations will be accepted from October 17 with lunch reservations as well as private dining room bookings for both lunch and dinner being accepted via Noma’s website at https://noma.dk/japan and reservations for the accommodation package including dinner available on the hotel’s website at https://www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo/hotel-offers/noma.

Founded in 2003 by Chef René Redzepi, the Copenhagen restaurant Noma works with an intimate network of purveyors to develop a cuisine that expresses its region's culture and seasons. The small, 11-table restaurant is housed within an eighteenth-century warehouse along the city's harbour and serves a tasting menu consisting of 20 servings designed to give guests a clear and delicious sense of time and place.

So what will be on the menu?

Redzepi and his team who are being supported by the chefs from the hotel are currently in Japan learning about Japanese cuisine and searching for a variety of Japanese ingredients to include in the menus, which have yet to be determined.

“We are very pleased to be able to extend this one-of-a-kind culinary adventure at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo to a wider audience,” says Anthony Costa, General Manager. “We are delighted to be working with Chef Redzepi and his team, and feel sure guests will thoroughly enjoy the unique experience.”

Redzepi comments: “We are incredibly honoured by the demand we have received so far and are extremely excited to be able to welcome more guests to our Japanese adventure.”


PRIVATE DINING

For those who wish for exclusivity and privacy, the Private Dining Room can only be made online via Noma’s website. Lunch, meanwhile, costs JPY40,200 ($374) per person plus tax and service charge. A waitlist will also be available.


DINNER PACKAGE

The hotel is also offering a package is for two guests and priced from JPY154,000 ($1,434) plus tax and service charge, including one night of accommodation, dinner at Noma at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo on the night of stay, breakfast and a special commemorative gift. Guests who are unable to make an online reservation will automatically be added to the Noma waitlist.

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo’s visionary design and award-winning service has been recognised as the epitome of sophisticated luxury in the city and is located in the prestigious financial district within the historical and cultural centre of Tokyo.

The hotel features 178 guest rooms and suites, ten restaurants and bars and an award-winning spa situated within the soaring, Cesar Pelli-designed Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower. The site offers spectacular views of the city skyline while providing access to stately banquet and conference facilities within the adjacent Mitsui Main Building, a Japanese cultural-heritage property.