Only 1 percent of Japan is Christian. Luckily the rest of the country is happy to pilfer the fun parts of a jolly old festival season. So whether you're celebrating the prophet or the presents, and whether Christmas means eggnog, panettone or foie gras, Japan's chefs have cooked up some delectable holiday menus.
European restaurant Girandole proves it's more than just the second-fiddle eatery at the Park Hyatt Tokyo with a dazzling six-course Christmas menu incorporating a main dish of Japanese Beef Wellington with foie gras butter, morel cream and truffle sauce, as well as a king crab and winter vegetable terrine, and a bouillabaisse with deep-fried rock fish. Just down the corridor at the Peak Bar, a more casual four-course Christmas special includes milk-fed veal in a sage sauce, and a chestnut pudding.
Park Hyatt Tokyo 3-7-1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Dec. 21-25. Girandole: ¥17,000; (03) 5323-3459. Peak Bar: ¥9,500; (03) 5323-3461