The Parliament made its Big Apple debut in November 2025 at The Benjamin Royal Sonesta Hotel under the helm of Executive Chef Rakmin Lee. The restaurant delivers a refined yet approachable all-day dining experience. Lee previously held positions at Morimoto NYC and Four Seasons properties in New York and San Francisco

© Charlie Bennett

The new restaurant boasts dark wood, stone, brass accents and nods to vintage art, offering 70 seats; a distinct bar for cocktails and dining; and “the nest,” perfect for intimate and semi-private events.

Lee’s all-day menu includes dishes such as Catsmo Smoked Salmon with Spanish capers, tomato and pickled red onion; Croque Madame, using prosciutto cotto, truffled mornay and farm egg; The Parliament Salad, boasting fresh and pickled apples, pistachio crumble, celery hearts, and stilton cheese; vegetarian Roasted Fall Veggie Penne, robust with squash, Brussels sprouts, snap peas and tomato sauce; ricotta meatballs; grilled branzino with roasted fennel, citrus and minted salsa verde; the classic Parliament Burger topped with grilled onions, Cooper’s Aged American, and garlic and truffle aioli on a brioche bun; and decadent treats such as Lemon-Olive Oil Cake, Almond Pot de Crème and The Parliament Sundae (vanilla gelato, toasted peanuts, Luxardo cherries finished off tableside with malted chocolate sauce).

Sommelier Nicolas Prieto leads the beverage program featuring curated cocktails and low-ABV options.

WHICH FOOD IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE? AND ON THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SPECTRUM, WHAT IS ONE INGREDIENT OR FOOD YOU HATE TO USE?

My ultimate go-to guilty pleasure food would be anything chocolate — especially a mocha frappe. On the opposite end, the one thing I hate to use is overly processed artificial products. It never behaves the way I expect in recipes, and the flavor is just … unpredictable.

WHAT DISHES WOULD YOU SERVE AT A PRIVATE DINNER PARTY?

I would curate my current dining menu using local New York purveyors with a sprinkling of the freshest seasonal ingredients. I would start with kabocha pumpkin soup. Then I’d move on to blackfish. I’d age the fillet in miso for about a day and finish it over an open flame.

For the main course, I’d take a deboned young chicken, brine it for about two hours, grill it over direct heat, and finish it with an herb brown butter on the outside. For dessert, an apple pie made with New York-grown apples would be perfect. And for a snack I’d thinly slice potatoes and fry them into chips, then toss them in a mixture of brown butter and honey, served with vanilla ice cream — a delicious honey butter chip dessert.

© Charlie Bennett

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEAL YOU EVER PREPARED ON YOUR OWN?

The first dish I ever made completely on my own — the one that still means the most to me — was a potato salad sandwich I made in middle school. My parents were busy, and I had a school picnic the next day, so I bought potatoes, eggs, mayo and carrots with the allowance money I had saved and made it myself. I made a lot and shared it with my classmates, and even now my childhood friends say they still haven’t forgotten how good it was.

IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE IN ONE DISH, WHICH DISH WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

If I were to choose a dish from my current restaurant menu, it would be the Ember Belly Linguini. I like using minimal seasoning and highlighting a single ingredient in detailed, intentional ways. This dish uses three different parts of the fish — salmon belly; salmon skin; and bottarga, dried fish roe.

WHAT CULINARY TREND WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DISAPPEAR?

Of course, there are many, but I think the trend of making flashy, unhealthy foods needs to disappear. Food should be medicine. Creating food that looks good, tastes great and is healthy for you is the lifelong task of every chef.