Masa (restaurant)
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Masa is a sushi restaurant in New York City's Time Warner Center. The restaurant was opened by Chef Masa Takayama in 2004 and is considered one of the most expensive restaurants in the world. The menu is Omakase only and a dinner for two costs $800.[1] There is only one seating each for dinner and lunch. Reservations for the 26 available seats are taken three weeks in advance.[2] Chef Masa prepares the menu himself, often including seasonal ingredients. He uses many exotic ingredients, such as truffles and Kobe beef; Most of the fish are flown in from Japan. Chef Masa can be seen working behind the bar and will sometimes serve the food as well.[3] While there is no menu to order from, Chef Masa does keep a record of what he's served to his customers and what their reactions were.
Masa has been named as one of New York's Top 50 by Travel + Leisure[1]. Forbes named Masa as the Most Expensive Restaurant In The U.S. for 2005 and 2006[4] as well as The World's Most Expensive Sushi in 2007.[5]
Located next door to the restaurant is Bar Masa, a less expensive and more accessible restaurant containing much of the same food found at Masa. Bar Masa is walk-in only and has lunch, dinner, and sushi menus.
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[edit] Chef Masa Takayama
Masa Takayama was born and raised in Japan where his parents owned a fish shop and catering business. After high school, he worked at Tokyo's famous Ginza Sushi-ko. In 1980, he moved to Los Angeles, where he would eventually open his own Ginza Sushi-ko. After almost 20 years, and after having established Ginza Sushi-ko as one of the most expensive restaurants in Los Angeles at an average meal price of $300 per person[6], he sold his restaurant to his sous-chef and moved to New York to open Masa and Bar Masa.[7]
[edit] Masa in Popular Culture
- In the January 4, 2007, episode of the U.S. TV series Ugly Betty, Masa was mentioned several times. In the episode, Daniel wants to clinch a deal with an important Japanese designer and part of his plan is to take the designer to Masa for dinner at the Chef's Table. It is important to the storyline because Daniel thinks the cachet of the restaurant is what it will take to clinch the deal.
[edit] References
- ^ a b New York's Top 50, Travel + Leisure
- ^ Alex Witchel, Food From a Perfectionist Does Not Come Cheap, or Easy, New York Times, March 17, 2004
- ^ Adam Platt, Holy Mackerel, New York Magazine, April 26, 2004
- ^ Sophia Banay, Most Expensive Restaurants In The U.S. 2006, Forbes, Oct 19, 2006
- ^ Kate Horton, The World's Most Expensive Sushi (see slideshow), Forbes, May 31, 2007
- ^ Christina Valhouli, The Most Expensive U.S. Restaurants, Forbes, October 14, 2004
- ^ Masa
