Neiman Marcus: Inside Aubrey Brewster’s ‘Kaiseki Bloom’ Birthday Luncheon

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (March 24, 2019): San Francisco’s who’s who came dressed in elegant Japanese-inspired attire as they celebrated bon vivant man about town, Aubrey Brewster (voted one of America’s Top 100 Party Hosts by Salonnière magazine) at his annual birthday bash.

This year’s theme, “Aubrey’s Kaiseki Bloom Birthday Luncheon” delivered a spectacular Japanese cherry blossom themed event – worthy of the famed Cherry Blossom Festival in Kyoto by transforming San Francisco Neiman Marcus’ exclusively-posh ‘Penthouse on Five’ into an enchanting and magical Sakura orchard. 

In true Japanese hospitality, guests made their fashionable entrance down a pink carpet, through a dramatic Japanese garden gate, whimsically adorned with cherry blossoms, and were greeted to scrumptious hand crafted nigiri rolls, and a generous caviar bar, served from a grand fishing boat before making their way over a wooden Japanese garden bridge, over a brook of black river rocks, hedged by 7-foot ivory sakura trees and tranquil zen water fountains, sitting down to a lavishly adorned 50’ table under an abundant canopy of cherry blossoms. As guests finished sipping on rich lotus miso soup, servers dressed in beautifully embroidered red kimono jackets presented guests with their very own personalized 3-tiered black lacquer bento boxes embellished in gold and red chrysanthemums, each layer containing a different delectable course, including filet mignonette teriyaki, black sesame rice, watercress oshitashi, lobster & Japanese vegetable tempura, and an assortment of toro, maguro, and salmon sashimi, sea urchin and salmon roe nigiri, and maki rolls  – specially curated by Neiman Marcus’ The Rotunda Restaurant’s Executive Chef, Ruby Oliveros.

World-renowned cake designer, BethAnn Goldberg of Studio Cake, a favorite of Aubrey’s, created this year’s whimsical confectionary masterpiece; a stunning 3-foot cake shaped like a  Hinamatsuri emperor doll of the Japanese Heian period, sitting atop a tatami mat, decorated in pastillage sugar cherry blossoms. Even the cake flavor was unique, for Brewster & Goldberg developed a flavor never tasted before…the “Geisha’s Stare”, a one-of-a-kind concoction of mildly-sweet sakura leaf & vanilla genoise sponge, filled with pickled cherry blossom paste, and sakura jam buttercream,

Within the beautifully festive and elegant ‘Sakura Bar & Lounge’, party revelers continued late through the afternoon, sipping on Moët & Chandon champagne and specially-tailored Japanese inspired libations, such as ‘The White Eye’ (named for the Japanese white-eye bird that populates the cherry blossom branches of Kyoto in springtime) a mix of unfiltered sake, peach vodka, and sakura syrup, served in an adorable hand blown bird-shaped glass, warming hot sake served in keepsake porcelain sake bottles for guests to take home to commemorate the magical event. 

“In the state of the world today, I think it’s important for us to indulge in a magical afternoon – a moment to escape and spread the love around” Brewster says in a toast to his guests; and that love reverberated throughout the afternoon. Longtime friend and partygoer, the honorable Mayor Willie Brown Jr. says of Brewster’s events, “I don’t know how many of you are repeat invitees, but it is something to look forward to; because you know every year he [Brewster] is going to do something incredibly unique, unbelievable, as is the occasion…” And guests couldn’t have agreed more.

Amongst the afternoon’s 40 guests were Brewster’s partner, Dr. Edward Winger, Mayor Willie Brown Jr., ABC7’s Carolyn Tyler, Jazz icon, Paula West, fashion icon and girlfriend to Mayor Brown, Sonya Molodetskaya and fashion designer, Vasily Vein, socialites, Mary Beth Shimmon, Sobia Shaikh, Farah Makras & Victor Makras, philanthropist, Sophie Azouaou, and Luxury Real Estate Agent (and Bravo’s “A-List San Francisco”), Joel Goodrich; “The level of production value is incredible, the party of the year!” Stated Goodrich about the attention to detail that Brewster put into the 5-hour soirée. “We closed Neiman Marcus”, stated Haute Living Magazine editor, Katie Sweeney. “Neiman Marcus Union Square is honored that Aubrey Brewster chooses our beautiful store as the setting for his annual birthday party. Each year, Aubrey somehow manages to make his party more grand and over the top than the last. Equipped with a pink carpet, he completely transformed the space into a stunning Japanese cherry blossom garden, and the talented staff of The Rotunda restaurant executed his vision perfectly and delighted guests with gourmet cuisine.”, Todd Hoyles, General Manager, Neiman Marcus San Francisco said fondly of the event. 
Photo credit: Drew Altizer Photography