Masa (restaurant)
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Masa is a high-end sushi restaurant with just 26 seats, located in the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle, Manhattan, New York. According to a 2004 review in New York Magazine, "you will pay $300 each for the chef's omakase lunch or dinner, provided you've made a reservation for one of the 26 seats weeks in advance".[1] Patrons are admitted to the restaurant only once each evening, and stay as long as they wish.[2] In 2004, meals ranged from $300 to $500 with a "$100 per person kill-fee if you cancel your reservation."[3]
The restaurant is named after its chef, Masa Takayama, and it does not have any menus since the "chef adjusts his meals according to the availability of ingredients (white-truffle tempura is a specialty in the fall) and his diners' whims".[1]
In December 2006, Travel + Leisure named it one of New York's Top 50 restaurants.[4]
[edit] Chef Takayama
Chef Takayama has been in the restaurant business all his life, first in Japan, and then in California, after immigrating in 1980.[2] Before opening Masa, he owned Ginza Sushiko in Los Angeles, which was one of that city's most expensive restaurants at an average of $300 per person, but considerably less expensive than Masa.[5]
Chef Takayama orders the majority of his fish from Japan. Because there is no menu, Chef Takayama essentially cooks what he wants, but he does keep a book in which he records each customer's reaction and what he or she ate.[2]
In his free time, Chef Takayama runs marathons (best time 4 hours 50 minutes) and makes pottery.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Adam Platt, Holy Mackerel, New York Magazine, April 26, 2004
- ^ a b c d Alex Witchel, Food From a Perfectionist Does Not Come Cheap, or Easy, New York Times, March 17, 2004
- ^ Jen Chung, No Sushi For You!, Gothamist, March 17, 2004
- ^ New York's Top 50
- ^ Christina Valhouli, The Most Expensive U.S. Restaurants, Forbes, October 14, 2004
