Forget about Zero Bond or Casa Cipriani. His most exclusive private club in New York City is his poker spot above a Korean restaurant on East 58th Street.
Tony Park, the real estate mogul who owns Ant Korean Steakhouse, wanted an upscale retreat where his wealthy friends, mostly financiers and entrepreneurs, could hang out above the fine dining restaurant.
So in December, the 47-year-old opened a private club on the third floor. Members pay $20,000 a year to socialize, get preferential treatment at Ant, smoke cigars, play poker, and do karaoke.
Perks include monogrammed silverware and a personal locker to store things like Macallan bottles and expensive cigars, “anything you don’t want to take home,” Park told the Post. Told.
Members also get their own key to the space and can access it at any time.
“There are members who like to smoke cigars and drink coffee before work,” Park said. “He went inside and went upstairs.”
Poker nights often begin with dinner downstairs, where steak and lobster are served in Louis Vuitton suitcases with smoked dry ice and caviar is served on mini Korean potato pancakes.
The club developed organically. Park’s friends often used the private dining room on the second floor to drink and play cards until late at night, but Park wants the space to be used for its intended purpose. I thought.
There, he set up a third-floor apartment decorated in rich shades of brown with a leather sofa, a big-screen TV, a fully stocked liquor cart, a humidor loaded with cigars, and a three-way karaoke machine. It has been transformed into a luxurious man’s room. language.
“I said to myself [guys], “Do you want to play poker?” Go upstairs. If you want to sing, go upstairs. Do you want to smoke a cigar? Go upstairs,” he said.
But his pride is his leather and baize poker table. “I finally understand,” Park said excitedly.
There are currently 20 members, but the park can accommodate up to 32 people.
On a recent Wednesday night, about 10 guys gathered around a table to play no-limit Texas Hold’em. (This game is completely legal as it is played in a private location and no financial benefit is given to the house.)
Thirty-year-old Macallan and Cabernet Sauvignon were plucked from a cellar containing nearly 5,000 bottles and flowing freely. A state-of-the-art ventilation system removed cigar smoke from the air. A woman slipped into the dealer’s place despite not knowing anything about poker.
“Of course she got it,” said the in-game real estate agent. “She graduated from Wharton College.”
Its actions were swift and reckless, and bankers and financial cronies gambled excessively without worrying.
The cheerful and lucky Park won the hand because his bolo was better than his bluffing opponent’s bolo.
Minho Song, a scratch golfer who runs a chain of nail salons in Manhattan, naturally asked, “Why do I lose at this game?”
Around 10:30 p.m., Park ordered Little Italy Pizza. I like that the pizza dough is made with Japanese bread crumbs. Then he asked the restaurant manager to bring him the best cognac on the house. The match continued until after midnight.
As the French booze was poured, a Wall Street executive, wearing a Run-DMC sweatshirt, scraped into the pot and said: He’s a real estate agent and can afford to be nice to his friends. ”
