Masa (restaurant)

Masa (雅) is a special Japanese and sushi restaurant in the Shops at Columbus Circle, on the fourth floor of the Deutsche Bank Center at 10 Columbus Circle, in Manhattan, New York City. It is known for its high-quality food and beautiful setting.

The restaurant was opened by Chef Masa Takayama in 2004. Next door to the restaurant is Bar Masa, which offers a less expensive menu. In 2009, another Bar Masa opened inside Aria in Las Vegas, but it closed in 2018.

Menu

The restaurant Masa offers only omakase, which means the chef chooses your meal for you. There is no regular menu to look at. A typical dinner costs $750 per person, not including tax or drinks, but it does include a tip. There is also a special "Hinoki Experience" for $950 that makes sure you get a seat at the counter. Lunch is available for $495.

The sushi bar is made from a very special and rare type of wood called hinoki that came from Japan. It cost $260,000! Chef Masa Takayama picks what food to serve and often uses special ingredients like truffles and Omi beef. Most of the fish used in the food is brought in from Japan. Chef Masa sometimes works at the sushi bar and may even serve your food himself. He keeps notes about what foods his customers liked so he can make them happy on their next visit.

Recognition

Masa is a very special restaurant that has received many awards. Starting in 2009, it received the highest rating from the Michelin Guide. The The New York Times gave it three out of four stars, and the Forbes Travel Guide gave it five out of five stars. It was also chosen as one of New York's Top 50 restaurants by Travel + Leisure. Forbes named Masa the Most Expensive Restaurant in the US from 2005 to 2009 and the World's Most Expensive Sushi place from 2007 to 2009.

Chef

Main article: Masa Takayama

Masa Takayama grew up in Japan. After finishing high school, he worked at a well-known sushi place in Tokyo called Sushiko in Ginza. In 1980, he moved to Los Angeles and later opened his own restaurant there called Ginza Sushiko. This restaurant became very fancy, with meals costing about $105 each. After almost 20 years, he sold the restaurant and moved to New York to open a new place called Masa, and also opened Bar Masa in New York and Las Vegas. He later opened another restaurant in Las Vegas in 2009, but it closed in 2018.