Eric Hara Leaves the Oak Room for Hell's Kitchen's 9

Eric Hara, the chef that left David Burke's Fishtail in February '09 to take over as head chef of the Plaza Hotel's The Oak Room, has officially left that restaurant to focus solely on his new Hell's Kitchen restaurant 9. It's been a strange and busy year for Hara's resume, as he took on and then subsequently dropped two restaurant projects in Queens and then took on both 9 and adjacent restaurant Agua Dulce. But now PR reps say 9 is his one and only, and it is his first chef/ownership position.

Hara says, of leaving the Oak Room, "I’m grateful for the experience and the talented team I worked with." His menu at 9 includes duck and foie gras 'meatloaf' dumplings, lobster 'pigs in a blanket,' skate 'schnitzel,' and a lot of scare quotes.
· All Coverage of Eric Hara [~ENY~]