Masa

Went here to celebrate my wife’s 50^th birthday. Party of five. Perhaps the best sushi in NYC with great service and a simple décor. I guess a once in a lifetime must do for a «foodie» but not something I would do again unless someone else was paying. We did not drink a lot but final bill for five of us was around $ 3000.

Our family of 7 came here today to try because my grandma was visiting. Chef Masa was unfortunately not here but the food was still superb. The toro with caviar was probably one of our favorite courses. The other toro dishes were also great. All the sushi were very fresh and many of them very sweet. Now onto why the 1 star.
This is a 3 star michelin restaurant. For a restaurant of this caliber, you would expect the service to be impeccable. That was definitely not the case today. Before we started off any of the courses, the manager spills a cocktail over the shoulders of my sister-​in-​law and I. The left side of my dress and the right side of hers were drenched. We both rushed to the bathroom to clean up our dresses. Afterwards towards the end of the meal, one of the servers knocks a full glass of our sake onto the table. Without a word, she scoops up the glass cleans up the table and pretends nothing happened. The least she could have done was offer a replacement glass of sake to my mom since she had spilled it but nothing was offered. When we received the check at the end of the meal, what they «comped» us was a $ 28 cocktail that the manager had originally spilled. There was no mention of paying for dry cleaning or anything. For a restaurant of this caliber, this is not the type of service I expected. The food may be great but service definitely needs a lot of work.

Hands down the best sushi we have ever eaten — in the USA or Japan. It was an amazing experience and everything was so very delicious. We loved everything, and were especially enthralled by the smoked mackerel and the wagyu beef with truffles — both just melted in our mouths. And of course we can never get enough toro and were happy to eat it with caviar and as sushi. Chef George was awesome and took great care of us! Unfortunately Chef Masa had just had surgery and wasn’t there, so we missed out on meeting him. At this price point, we won’t be able to go again either. But I was glad to have splurged for my husband’s birthday (and he, despite thinking I am insane, was in heaven)! It was such a pleasure to dine here. No need to go to Tokyo when you can eat at Masa. If you go, definitely sit at the sushi bar. We will remember our meal at Masa fondly for the rest of our lives. It honestly feels like a dream and we can’t stop talking about it.

Love this place. Classy atmosphere and quality food. what can you say –the restaurant has 3 michelin stars. Bravo. Definitely will be coming back.

I canceled my plan to visit Masa and went for a second visit to Urasawa in Beverly Hills instead. Masa costs $ 600 which is outrageous. Urasawa costs $ 400 and includes sharing your dinner with movie producers, writers, and (sometimes) actual stars. Of course the sushi quality is just as good (the best) for 33% off the cost
.

Of all the 3 star michelins in NYC this is so clearly the worst whilst also being the most expensive. The staff and service were great. The food was tasty but 4 appetizers and maybe 6 sushi courses is not sufficient for $ 600. From our table of 4 no one said it was worth more than $ 200. Plus cocktails and sake it was $ 800 a head.
Dining room was soul less and totally empty on a Friday night. They called twice to confirm our 8pm reservation but why bother we could have walked in and got a table. Any table.
Would trade 11MP or le B any day, maybe even BK table.

If I could give Masa 10 stars, I would certainly do so. From start to finish, the dining experience was ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. I cannot begin to tell you how the 26 seat restaurant MOVED MY BEING IN A WAY THAT I’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. From the cuisine, to the service and the special attention/​detail demonstrated by world renowned Chef Masayoshi Takayama, I was completely floored. For the FIRST time in my life, I was absolutely speechless from the first course until the twenty first dish arrived at our table! Being ushered into Masa, which is located within the chaotic hustle of the Time Warner Center, was like a human cocoon, another dimension. Have you ever begrudgingly exited a restaurant with a profound sense of sadness? I felt like I was being ripped from the womb, or like someone pulled my blankie off in the cold of the night. The experience was so wonderful that I did not want it to end. Seriously, we were transported to a parallel universe where time was our own to decide while the passion of Chef Masayoshi was clearly conveyed… Mmmmmmmmm. Today, looking back on the experience, my mind continues to tell me that it was a dream, but I know that it was in fact, very real. The prices are clearly advertised on the website, and I am a firm believer that «you get what you pay for» at Masa!
Bravo!!!

Mmmm, I don’t understand Masa still deserves 3 Michelin star as Japanese Sushi place… The cost was $ 1200 + tip for two. It absolutely didn’t worth it…
Sushi is authentic, but Neta is so so, rice is so so. They used caviar, foie gras, truffe and uni to creat fancy place, but it didn’t work for me. Service was very good, they are friendly and polite.

This place is amazing! The atmosphere, the service… THE FISH! I’ve eaten at Nobu so I would LIKE to think I know good sushi and THIS PLACE was very close to being right up there with that! Spend the money… you’ll know it was worth it!

Excellent experience at Masa. The restaurant is very minimalist and relaxing. The food was great, not amazing. The add-​on beef option, and sake choices were amazing. The whole experience lasts 3hrs. Unfortunately, the dessert was mediocre at best. We were expecting to be blown away by a rockstar dessert. Not my favorite sushi or Japanese place in Manhattan, but I’d go back

Amazing. The only word that came to my mind when I think about my night at Masa. It is no wonder that they are the ONLY 3 Michelin starred sushi bar in America. Every bite was a world of experience. Every bite was better than the last. The fish is so so fresh. I thought I knew good sushi but boy was I wrong. This is like the sushi your grandparents ate… if your grandparents were Japanese, and they were the emperors of Japan.
Get the omakase. Let the chefs decide what your eating. You will not be disappointed. Make sure to get some sake to pair it with. It WILL be expensive, but well worth it.

If they had a secret 6^th star on Unilocal I’d use it. This ain’t no party… this ain’t no disco… this ain’t no foolin’ around… you will have died and gone to sushi heaven. Starting with salted ginko nuts picked from Central Park… Sweet crab with cucumber vinaigrette… Toro and caviar that’s basically an orgasm in your mouth. Boom!

Worth every penny! Book in advance! Dress the part and enjoin! Oh don’t eat much that day because they give u like 20 pieces~~

Pros:
Sushi is excellent
Cons:
$ 1800 bill for 2 people (omakase and 2 bottles of sake at $ 150 each)
Impossible to get a reservation, had to use Amex platinum concierge
Only 8 tables, very stuffy and quiet
For the price and quality, I’d go to sushi of Gari, nakazawa or Yasuda any day over this place

We were quite fortunate to get a seat at the counter… And what a counter it is. A single piece of Hinoki (Japanese Cypress) sanded down to a smoothness second only to a baby’s bottom.
It was also the first time I had Fugu. Didn’t really care too much for it … Was hoping for some mild neurotoxicity but the reaction was not immediate… Most of the Numbness tingling and in my case expressive aphasia manifested after I was handed the bill.
We also opted for the Wagyu with Truffles which was an additional to the standard Omakase. It made me happy to be alive.
The sushi service itself was spectacular. No surprise there. My wife prefers it over Nakazawa. I prefer the latter.

So I’m from Austin, Texas where we have Uchi/​Uchiko. Its like way better lol and way cheaper! Some dishes at Masa were really good but for the price??? Cmon, I need everything to be mind blowing! Step your game up, Masa, or lower the prices!
Customer service was A1 though thanks for pulling my seat out for me! Nice bathrooms!
–Jonny (dewgie)

This is the stuff of dreams. Really, really, really expensive dreams, but dreams nonetheless. You give yourself over to Chef for all but the beverage program, which I default to sake and the sake-​somm because in my sad attempts over life to be an informed wine enthusiast have ignored sake knowledge beyond cold versus the hot crap I so enjoyed when my father introduced me to Benihana in the 70s. So, dear sake-​somm, take me to the promised land.
There were 16 – 17 courses. 6 appetizer courses followed by 10 – 11 pairings of individual sushi presentations. Each more ethereal than the last. It was a mind-​numbing, palette-​pleasing, stomache-​busting procession of that reached such heights of pleasure that it became almost ridiculous. The staff quietly entered my space with their practiced ballet movements and soft informative words that belied the exquisite food set before me, in each and every case almost intimidatingly simple in appearance yet supremely elegant in taste and texture.
I don’t think I’ve ever had such a sushi experience, and I doubt I will again. The price of admission to Masa’s hallowed hall is extreme. Yet, the bill is almost entirely irrelevant. Yeah, it stung… but I have a gastronomic memory to mark life’s trajectory of experiences that stands distinct from the hundreds of many others that, until now, I had thought couldn’t be beat. Just goes to show that now matter how good you are, there’s always someone better.

Didn’t know Masa isn’t kid friendly place… As of today, August 1^st 2015, we had reservation for 6 and we had to cancel our reservation when we arrived at the door because the general manager said that Masa does NOT accept infant for dinning, and she said «no one take kid out for dinner», that’s something I would never ever come or recommended Masa to anyone… I went back today and asked for the manager name and she refused to provide name.. I would refer this as Age discrimination and I like an apology from the manager and owner for wasting my time and disappointed my guests… This is not way to do business …

Worth every penny
The front door is like 2000 years old
The sushi bar is hinoki wood 70k
And the food is bomb!
Upgrade truffle wagyu and
No pictures

Masa is the only sushi restaurant in the US with 3 Michelin Stars. #94 on the San Pellegrino 2015 World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The only other sushi restaurants with 3 Michelin Stars are in Japan. With this accolade, I had very high expectations for Masa. I actually dined by myself because my buddy backed out. Oh well! There were no pictures allowed. Fine. No pictures. SYKE! Actually, I tried many times to take pictures but they’re pretty on top of people taking pictures. Definitely picture nazis.
Anyway, I’ve been to Urasawa in LA back in February 2015 and Urasawa was Masa’s apprentice. I asked Urasawa what his favorite sushi restaurant was and he said Masa with a smirk. I chuckled at his loyalty cause I personally would have said McDonald’s Fish Filet sandwich.
Now, the food. The omakase started with a few appetizers to warm things up. The courses were really salty. The saltiness was expected with dishes that included Miso and Caviar. I was really surprised how salty the caviar was and it made me suspect the caviar wasn’t fresh. I usually enjoy salty foods with a little alcohol and I should have ordered sake with my meal.
However, I decided not to because I was at Le Bernardin for lunch that day and my dining schedule included the rest of NYC’s Michelin 3 star restaurants. In other words, I was being cheap and trying to save a few bucks, which was a bad idea. As I reached in my pocket to grab my phone for picture, the hostess comes up behind me and says «No pictures, sir.»
The next section of the omakase consisted of very earthy courses to symbolize Spring and it happened to be April 2^nd when I ate here. The courses were very good in texture and colorful in presentation. The crab was very sweet and the texture was very delicate. Masa laughed at me when I was unable to eat the head. Sorry, Chef. My ex-​girlfriends had the same complaints.
After the Seaweed soup, I reached in my pocket to pretend to take a picture of the tree. The host comes by and says «Sir. No picture.» This time I tried to say I was taking a picture of the tree behind the sushi bar. The hostess replied, «You could do that after the meal.» I don’t think he bought it.
The 3^rd leg of the omakase was the nigiri. It included mackerel, tuna, and a lot of typical fishes on every omakase menu. I have to say the Mackerel and the Uni were my favorites. The Mackerel was fresh and without the fishy scent. It was definitely prepared very well. The Uni was buttery, creamy and exceptional.
This time as I reached in my pocket to look at my phone. I see the hostess coming and I simply said to him, «I know. No pictures. Just checking the time.»
Overall, I definitely enjoyed my dining experience at Masa. However, I was a bit disappointed because of my own high expectations after dining at Urasawa. I expected Masa to blow Urasawa out of the water but it didn’t. I personally enjoyed the flavors and dishes at Urasawa more than Masa.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. For the simple fact, I got to experience Masa and decide for myself whether the hype was true or not.
Would I be back? Absolutely. I want to know what it’s like to dine at Masa without dining at Le Bernardin for lunch in the same day.
US 2015 Michelin 3 Stars Count: 4 down. 8 more.
2015 Michelin Rated Restaurant Count: 5
San Pellegrino 2014 World’s 100 Best Restaurants Count: 2
San Pellegrino 2015 World’s 100 Best Restaurants Count: 3

I heard so much about this place, so my friends and I wanted to see what all the hype is about. We added the beef special to our course for additional $ 150/​person. Total came out to be $ 833/​person with tax and tips. For $ 833/​person, i expected perfection with quality of food and service. I didn’t really get that from this place. Their service was out of sync or wasn’t as consistent to be a 3 michelin rated restaurant. The taste and quality of food were just above par, nothing phenomenal.

You know, I’ve spent twenty four hours trying to decide if Masa was a three or four star experience, and basically I’m trying to convince myself that objectively it was a four star experience. I personally just didn’t like it much (or at all, really).
I’m going to go with three because according to a friend that dined there recently… they forgot to serve me a course. (And I know it was being served that day because everyone else around me was served it… I’d just assumed it was a top-​up that wasn’t offered to me.)
I acknowledge that generally speaking, if you go to Masa, you shouldn’t go in being price sensitive. So rather than saying «it was expensive», I shall say that I’ve had better (both quantity and quality) sushi meals for less. Those meals happened outside of the United States, so perhaps that’s not an entirely fair comparison. I suppose I’ll leave it with the takeaway that if you’re comparing this to high-​end fine dining Japanese cuisine in other countries, I’m inclined to say that you can do better elsewhere.
It’s also important to note that Masa isn’t an «authentic Japanese dining experience». I haven’t read their own press, so I don’t know if they position themselves that way, but I went based on stars and word of mouth, so perhaps I was partially at fault for misaligned expectations. But ‘traditional Japanese’ this is not. The sashimi course was a bonito carpaccio, the fish completely overwhelmed by ponzu. Very much a good carpaccio, but defintiely not what you’d expect of a cuisine that emphasises the taste of the produce over preparation and treatment.
I feel a bit… miffed that for that price, there was no otoro or chutoro, only toro (though that was served 3 – 4 times). I was also surprised that part of the omakase included certain sushi being served twice, in the same way. I also wonder that considering the number of pieces of sushi… it’s a little cheap that one of the pieces was… shitake? And it’s not like the other fish were absolutely premium either. Toro, Aji, Hirame, Kinmedai, Anago, Unagi, Saba, Sayuri, Amaebi… most of the fish on that list aren’t the kind to break the bank. And in terms of quality, only the kinmedai stood out because it was one of the fattiest pieces I’ve ever had. Absolutely delicious… but also likely due to seasonality (fish are fattier in the winter and early spring). The anago was surprisingly dry, everything else just ‘average high-​end’.
I must mention the saba though. Smoked saba nigiri sushi. Brilliant. Admittedly nontraditional, but the flavours worked wonderfully and the smokiness was seductive and not overpowering.
Dessert was grapefruit granita, followed by (my choice) a scoop of house-​made goma-​cocoa powder ice cream. I would have preferred a slice of musk melon or an assortment of Japanese fruits, but ah well. Rather underwhelming really, and that’s even without me subjecting myself to a slice of Lady M mille-​feuille matcha cake.
Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend Masa to friends, and I actually don’t understand why it received three Michelin stars. I’ve had better meals at 1 – 2 star restaurants in Tokyo.

Oh Masa… I am conflicted whether I am just too picky or the rest of the reviewers simply gave it 5 stars because of the name and price… after much contemplation and conversation with my husband and the other couple, we decided that it was just not as great as everyone things and this is a «yup, did that but wouldn’t come back again» situation.
We went here with another couple friend and the total bill came out to $ 3142.13, PRE-​TAX for 4 people. Now… the question is was the food worth the bill?
We did 4 prix-​fixe, 4 beef tatami MASA upgrades, 6 bottles of sake (we asked the sake somm to basically do a sake pairing for our prix-fixe)…all of which were very delicious. The issue I do have is that they charged us $ 30 for 3 bottle of Badoit… I mean, really?! When someone spends that much money… they have to charge us for sparkling water as well? It just felt like a bit of a rip-off…I mean, Per Se and JG and La Bernadin all had complimentary sparkling or still…
Anyways, the sushi as delicious and chef MASA could not be any friendlier, he offered us a picture with him and apparently everyone gets a signed copy of the menu for the night. The standouts were the grilled uni, Kue Nabe Shabu and the saba. The special dish of the night, which was the beef tatami that’s flown in from Japan was certainly delicious… it was melt in your mouth kind of delicious.
Bottom line: I am glad we tried MASA and went all out… as now we can cross it off our 3-​Michelin Star Quest.
It was certainly an experience worth trying once… but I would not return to MASA again as there are better sushi experience out there in the city and better 3 Michelin starred restaurants.

Sometimes it is hard to appreciate the Michelin criteria, however Masa proves the opposite. Enjoying food at this tremendously famous sushi restaurant is not at all like finding a piece of golden nugget in a desert, but more like picking pearl on a crown. Have been to Nakazawa, Yasuda and Soto myself, I would say Masa seemed to reach another altitude for its unique sushi culture.
Let’s start our journey right away.
A. Miso marinated grilled squid, sesame
Sesame was definitely adding to the point, it was able to bring the original flavor of squid out, with a little bit more of smoky feeling.
B. Caviar on top of tuna (heart)
As a big fan of caviar, I strongly suggest this dish to whomever the same. Never realized tuna and bread is actually the best combo, with the freshness of caviar.
C. Sashimi
Soy sauce was able to marinate the sashimi in a lighter way.
D. Soft shell crab, fried
Always thought fried food was a little bit overwhelming… yet this small dish was not at all too oily. Shell was essentially melting in my mouth!
E. Steamed king crab, ginger (heart)
One of my favorite dishes at the table. Scallion and ginger aroma was just about the right level to accompany the sweetness of crab meat. Extra credit to the cute thin plate holding the crab!
F. Seaweed soup, ready for sushi;D
Using one word to describe Japanese, no doubt delicate was the perfect one, and it has been completely represented during the main courses. They not only paid attention to the way food was present, but also tried to be aware of feelings of the clients. 18 pieces of sushi, each one conveyed its own story.
G. Toro with sauce (heart)
H. Jet fish, Japanese fluke
I. Snapper
J. Squid, Yuzu sauce, sweet shrimp (heart)
K. Uni, clam (heart)
L. Fatty tuna
M. Sea eel, fresh water eel
N. Needle fish, mushroom (heart)
O. Toro, mint leaf
P. Grapefruit sorbet, buckwheat tea (heart)
Towards the end, they were considerate enough to serve the buckwheat tea, which helped to clear up my palate. Such a marvelous dinner, my bar has been raised again…
There is gotta be some reason for Masa being awarded the Michelin three star, and the only three star Japanese restaurant in New York. I have never been to Jiro’s dream of sushi, nevertheless I guess the spirit flows. Humbleness brings success, yet being able to deliver confidence in a humble way brings recognition.

Tasting menu: $ 450.
Five shots of sake: $ 200. Sorry, even though it was good, I’d have much rather spent it on good Scotch. :)
They don’t let you take any pictures in the restaurant, and I dined there alone last October, so I can’t recall each individual dish, except that the food was excellent. Not overly «done», but had a simple sophistication to them. And the chef (I forget his name) was exactly what you’d expect of a Japanese master: low-​key, humble, courteous, and oh-​so-​good at his craft!

PETTY, UNPROFESSIONAL, EMBARRASSMENT OF A RESTAURANT. I have never been treated more rudely by the manager Stacie… HORRIBLE, VITRIOLIC CUSTOMER SERVICE ON HER PART.
We had lunch reservations at Masa and on arrival at Twc, we went to bar masa asking for directions to the masa restaurant. We were told to eat at bar masa instead as staff member insisted that Masa was closed for lunch. So THEY canceled our reservation at Masa and charged us FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS even though we showed up and were mislead by their staff. Stacie was very rude and unprofessional in dealing with this, even YELLING at a PAYING CUSTOMER on the phone. What a pitiful «staff» at this absolute embarrassment of a restaurant.

A GAZILLION STARS! Masa is a 3-​Michelin-​starred Japanese restaurant located in the Time Warner building (next to Per Se). Owned by Chef Masayoshi Takayama, Masa only offers omakase (which is thought of/​prepared by the Chef himself). You can request seating either at the sushi counter (made out of the rare Hinoki wood that is sanded daily (!!!)), or be seated in the regular dining area (I highly recommend the sushi counter!). When you make reservations, you can also request Chef Masa himself to serve you — UM, HELLO, YES, OF COURSE, YOU SHOULD REQUEST THIS!!! It’s not guaranteed, but just cross your fingers that the lucky stars align for you (which it did for us, and I had tears of joy (yes, literally!)). The hubsters and I came to Masa to celebrate my birthday — so, you bet your tootin’ bootin’ I was extremely excited! We actually got to the restaurant a little early, but we were seated without any questions — Chef Masayoshi was right there, in the flesh, who greeted us — I almost lost it, because I become so fan-​girly :x Since the restaurant does not allow pictures (which was so painful for me with my OCD (you can still use your phone to email and text)), I tried my best to just relax, enjoy, and soak in everything. We had fatty toro tartare with caviar (which was unbelievably generous in portion and oh-​so-​delicious!); yellowtail sashimi that had a lovely complement of ginger; grilled yellowtail collar (yes, it was recommended that we use our fingers — I’m all for that: P; bbq-​ed membranes/​toro sinew; shabu shabu with foie gras and grouper; Omi beef with white truffle slices (YES, OMI BEEF, WHICH IS BETTER THAN KOBE!!! It comes at a supplemental charge, but totally worth it; literally melts in your mouth!!!); and, an extensive selection of fresh nigiri, ranging from red snapper, squid, uni, yellowtail, scallop, eel, shrimp, mackerel, etc. Each and every single bite was distinct, and each and every single bite was oh-​so-​fresh! In addition, the service was impeccable (Jason and the rest of the serving staff were so sweet and courteous!); bowls of hot water with a slice of lemon was replaced for every nigiri touched (yes, you eat the nigiri with your hands — that’s what Chef Masa said!), with a hot washcloth to wipe/​dry-​off. We had hot buckwheat tea (which was soothing), and our glass was always refilled with cold and refreshing Evian. For dessert, the hubs and I shared a Green Tea Mille Crêpe, which was absolutely divine — not too sweet, had a great green tea flavor, soft & creamy, and a great way to end the evening. I loved how Chef Masayoshi was focused on us and served pretty much every part of the omakase — it was lovely to watch him prepare everything, his execution, his preciseness, as well as his extreme meticulousness; he had a great sense of humor, and we had a total blast — we had a running joke of ‘soy sauce,’ and we even got to take pictures with him at the end: D Chef Fuji and Chef George were also both very sweet and attentive as well! Our experience at Masa was unbelievable, and, while a splurge, it is DEFINITELY a place worth trying — we’ll be back again! :D
+omakase only!
+request Chef Masayoshi! :D HEART HEART HEART
+don’t forget to request the OMI beef!!!
+request seating at the sushi counter!
+Chef Fuji & George were both awesome!
+Jason and the rest of the serving staff were the BOMB! :D