NYC condo owned by Benihana ā€” yes, that Benihana ā€” asks $1.9M for sale

Benihana's corporate condo asks $1.9M at NYC's famed Olympic Tower
Benihana's corporate condo asks $1.9M at NYC's famed Olympic Tower

A condo at the Olympic Tower in Midtown thatā€™s owned by Benihana of Tokyo is about to hit the market for $1.9 million. Yes, that Benihana.

Thatā€™s quite a hit. The theatrical, teppanyaki-style restaurant chain ā€” a longtime popular destination for families celebrating birthdays for children, as well as adults doing the same while looking for a sense of nostalgia ā€” bought the smashing residence, located near its flagship on West 56th Street, for $2.6 million in 2015.

That was long after the death of Benihana founder Rocky Aoki ā€” the father of model and actress Devon Aoki and DJ/music producer Steve Aoki ā€” who founded the chain in 1964 and passed away in 2008.

The late Benihana founder Rocky Aoki. WireImage
The late Benihana founder Rocky Aoki. WireImage
Floor-to-ceiling windows glam up the single bedroom. Rinse van Brug
Floor-to-ceiling windows glam up the single bedroom. Rinse van Brug
The smashing views from the 34th-floor residence. Rinse van Brug
The smashing views from the 34th-floor residence. Rinse van Brug
The homeā€™s cozy kitchen. Rinse van Brug
The homeā€™s cozy kitchen. Rinse van Brug
The residence comes with plenty of entertaining space. Rinse van Brug
The residence comes with plenty of entertaining space. Rinse van Brug

The large one-bedroom, 1?-bath condo at 641 Fifth Ave. features floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase views of Midtown, Billionairesā€™ Row and Central Park South. Aristotle Onassis developed Olympic Tower in 1975. It is known as the original New York luxury condo tower where the globally rich could stay free from scrutiny and the invasive-style board interviews theyā€™d face if, instead, they tried to buy their way into the cityā€™s most elite co-op buildings.

Benihanaā€™s former corporate home opens to a large foyer, which leads to the chefā€™s kitchen, laundry and an open living/dining area. Thereā€™s also a separate bedroom wing. The two full baths feature marble floors. The residence boasts ample closets and two custom-designed, built-in Italian mahogany closets that significantly add to the homeā€™s storage options.

This unit, in particular, has some ā€œvery glam, and very ā€™80sā€ details, such as mirrored walls and curved wood built-ins, a broker said.

The listing brokers are Erin Boisson Aries and Dustin Crouse of Douglas Elliman.

Olympic Tower rises across from St. Patrickā€™s Cathedral. Rinse van Brug
Olympic Tower rises across from St. Patrickā€™s Cathedral. Rinse van Brug

Built around 50 years ago, Olympic Tower doesnā€™t have the shiny amenities of new luxury towers that cater to the global 1%. But it still boasts a certain cachet among the moneyed set, including Hollywood stars, kleptocratic dictators and European con artists.

In fact, the building boasts some of the cityā€™s best real estate scandal stories.

This is where Anne Hathaway lived with her Italian ex, Raffaello Follieri ā€” before he was carted out in handcuffs by the FBI; pled guilty to 14 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering; spent four and a half years in jail and was deported to Italy for masterminding the Vati-Con scandal.

The views are striking from every room. Rinse van Brug
The views are striking from every room. Rinse van Brug

The Olympic Tower is also where Nicolas Cage owned on the 48th floor before he had to sell to help pay off a $14 million tax bill.

The Gucci sisters, Alessandra and Allegra, also still own the penthouse duplex ā€” a 9,450-square-foot behemoth that is on the market for $35 million. (They first tried to offload it for $45 million in 2015.)

Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd ā€” who this year was dropped by music rights company BMG over his antisemitic comments and his suggestion that Russiaā€™s invasion of Ukraine was the latterā€™s fault ā€” also once lived in the building.

Other owners included kleptocrats, such as the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his shoe- and gem-loving hoarder wife Imelda, who owned five units in the building. Their son Bongbong Marcos is the Philippinesā€™ current president.

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