Masa Takayama
Encyclopedia
is the chef
and owner of Masa
, a three-Michelin-starred
Japanese and sushi
restaurant in New York City. He is also owner of Bar Masa, with a location adjacent to his New York restaurant as well as a location in the Aria Resort & Casino
in Las Vegas, Nevada
.
his father had made. In the spring, which is wedding season in Japan, the family catered celebrations, typically five-course dinners for 200 guests where he would help all day at the expense of school. In high, he wanted to become a surgeon
. After high school, he apprenticed for eight years at the famous Sushiko in Tokyo's upscale Ginza
district. As per traditional culinary apprenticeship in Japan, he spent many of those years working on the mundane tasks of dishwasher and bathroom cleaner before rising to the level of sushi chef. In 1978, a vacation to Los Angeles convinced him to move to the United States. In 1980, Takayama opened his first restaurant in Los Angeles, Saba-ya. He planned to eventually open a restaurant that would be closer to what was available in Japan, a plan that he felt he fulfilled with his second restaurant, Ginza Sushiko.
; it was not far from Saba-ya. Originally aimed at Japanese diners, it did not advertise and had an unlisted telephone number. However, it quietly gained a reputation as the most expensive restaurant in Los Angeles, and a place for food purists. Instead of a menu, diners were served omakase
and meals lasted two to three hours. Takayama would keep a careful record of each customer, the date he or she dined at the restaurant, how many were in the party, what they drank and what they ate so that he could offer them something new on their next visit. He would have most of his fish flown in from the Tsukiji fish market
in Tokyo. In 1990, the average bill without alcohol, depending on the amount eaten by a customer and the fluctuating price of fish, ranged from $125 to $150 per person. Ginza Sushiko garnered some celebrity attention. Marlon Brando
, who would frequently visit the restaurant after hours with his family, was the only customer to whom Takayama would deliver food. After eight years at its original location, it moved in 1992 to more fashionable and upscale Rodeo Drive
in Beverly Hills
. The 12-seat restaurant cemented its status as L.A.'s most expensive and exclusive sushi restaurant. A decade later, Takayama decided to try a change of surroundings and sold Ginza Sushiko to his sous-chef, who changed the name to Urasawa.
In 2004, Takayama opened his own eponymous restaurant in New York City. Located in recently constructed Time Warner Center
, it had a 26-seat dining area. The idea for the location came from fellow chef and admirer, Thomas Keller
, who was opening his own restaurant, Per Se
, in the complex. Continuing the ideas he developed in Los Angeles, he continued to serve only an omakase menu, tracking his customers' meals and reactions, and sourced 90% of his fish from Tokyo's Tsukiju fish market.
Restaurant Masa garnered the Michelin Guide
's highest rating starting in the 2009 edition and was the first Japanese restaurant in the U.S. to do so. It is one of only seven restaurants in New York City to currently hold a four out of four star rating by The New York Times
. It has also received five out of five stars in the Forbes Travel Guide (formerly known as the Mobil Guide).
A second Bar Masa opened in the newly built Aria Resort & Casino in CityCenter on the Las Vegas Strip
in December 2009. The restaurant also included Shaboo, an upscale omakase-style shabu-shabu
dining room that charges approximately $500 per person without drinks.
Takayama was married to Hisako, who was a Japanese native studying English in America when they met at an Orange County
sushi bar where he worked briefly in 1978. Together they had three children before separating. He plays golf, runs marathon
s and is also a potter
who designed the plates at Masa, along with the wooden sake cups; he sculpted the other sake cups from bamboo. He currently lives in a $4.8 million, four bedroom and four and a half bath town house on West 92nd Street.
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
and owner of Masa
Masa (restaurant)
is a Japanese and 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. Located next door to the restaurant is Bar Masa, a less expensive and more accessible restaurant...
, a three-Michelin-starred
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
Japanese and sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
restaurant in New York City. He is also owner of Bar Masa, with a location adjacent to his New York restaurant as well as a location in the Aria Resort & Casino
ARIA Resort & Casino
Aria Resort & Casino is a luxury resort and casino located within the CityCenter complex on the Las Vegas Strip. Aria consists of two curved glass and steel highrise towers adjoined at the center. It opened on December 16, 2009 as a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Infinity World...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
.
Early years
Born in Kuroiso, a small town one hour north of Tokyo, Takayama's parents owned a fish shop and a catering business. He began cutting fish as a child. His brother and three sisters all helped in the store, loading the fish into the display cases before school. After school, Takayama would get on his bicycle and deliver sashimiSashimi
Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy. It consists of very fresh raw meat, most commonly fish, sliced into thin pieces.-Origin:The word sashimi means "pierced body", i.e...
his father had made. In the spring, which is wedding season in Japan, the family catered celebrations, typically five-course dinners for 200 guests where he would help all day at the expense of school. In high, he wanted to become a surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
. After high school, he apprenticed for eight years at the famous Sushiko in Tokyo's upscale Ginza
Ginza
is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...
district. As per traditional culinary apprenticeship in Japan, he spent many of those years working on the mundane tasks of dishwasher and bathroom cleaner before rising to the level of sushi chef. In 1978, a vacation to Los Angeles convinced him to move to the United States. In 1980, Takayama opened his first restaurant in Los Angeles, Saba-ya. He planned to eventually open a restaurant that would be closer to what was available in Japan, a plan that he felt he fulfilled with his second restaurant, Ginza Sushiko.
Ginza Sushiko
Ginza Sushiko, sometimes spelled Ginza Sushi-ko, opened in 1987 in the corner of a mini-mall of an unglamorous section of Wilshire BoulevardWilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire , an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. Henry Wilshire initiated what was to become Wilshire...
; it was not far from Saba-ya. Originally aimed at Japanese diners, it did not advertise and had an unlisted telephone number. However, it quietly gained a reputation as the most expensive restaurant in Los Angeles, and a place for food purists. Instead of a menu, diners were served omakase
Omakase
is a Japanese phrase that means "I'll leave it to you" .The expression is used at sushi restaurants to leave the selection to the chef. It differs from ordering à la carte. The chef will generally present a series of plates, beginning with the lightest fare and proceeding to heaviest, richest dishes...
and meals lasted two to three hours. Takayama would keep a careful record of each customer, the date he or she dined at the restaurant, how many were in the party, what they drank and what they ate so that he could offer them something new on their next visit. He would have most of his fish flown in from the Tsukiji fish market
Tsukiji fish market
The , commonly known as the , is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. The market is located in Tsukiji in central Tokyo, and is a major attraction for foreign visitors....
in Tokyo. In 1990, the average bill without alcohol, depending on the amount eaten by a customer and the fluctuating price of fish, ranged from $125 to $150 per person. Ginza Sushiko garnered some celebrity attention. Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, who would frequently visit the restaurant after hours with his family, was the only customer to whom Takayama would deliver food. After eight years at its original location, it moved in 1992 to more fashionable and upscale Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive of Beverly Hills, California is a shopping district known for designer label and haute couture fashion. The name generally refers to a three-block long stretch of boutiques and shops but the street stretches further north and south....
in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
. The 12-seat restaurant cemented its status as L.A.'s most expensive and exclusive sushi restaurant. A decade later, Takayama decided to try a change of surroundings and sold Ginza Sushiko to his sous-chef, who changed the name to Urasawa.
Masa
| "My job the same as carpenter. What kind of house you want to build? What kind of food you want to make? You think your ingredients, your structure. Simple. |
| – Masa Takayama describing his cooking style |
In 2004, Takayama opened his own eponymous restaurant in New York City. Located in recently constructed Time Warner Center
Time Warner Center
The Time Warner Center is a mixed-use skyscraper developed by AREA Property Partners and The Related Companies in New York City. Its design, by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, consists of two 750 ft towers bridged by a multi-story atrium containing upscale retail shops...
, it had a 26-seat dining area. The idea for the location came from fellow chef and admirer, Thomas Keller
Thomas Keller
Thomas Keller is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, notably the Best California Chef in 1996, and the Best Chef in America in 1997...
, who was opening his own restaurant, Per Se
Per Se (restaurant)
Per Se is a restaurant located at Columbus Circle in New York City, on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center. It has been called the best restaurant in New York City by the New York Times...
, in the complex. Continuing the ideas he developed in Los Angeles, he continued to serve only an omakase menu, tracking his customers' meals and reactions, and sourced 90% of his fish from Tokyo's Tsukiju fish market.
Restaurant Masa garnered the Michelin Guide
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
's highest rating starting in the 2009 edition and was the first Japanese restaurant in the U.S. to do so. It is one of only seven restaurants in New York City to currently hold a four out of four star rating by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. It has also received five out of five stars in the Forbes Travel Guide (formerly known as the Mobil Guide).
A second Bar Masa opened in the newly built Aria Resort & Casino in CityCenter on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
in December 2009. The restaurant also included Shaboo, an upscale omakase-style shabu-shabu
Shabu-shabu
is a Japanese variant of hot pot. The name Shabu Shabu is derived from the "swish swish" sound of cooking the meat in the pot. The dish is related to sukiyaki in style, in that both use thinly sliced meat and vegetables and are usually served with dipping sauces, but it is considered to be more...
dining room that charges approximately $500 per person without drinks.
Takayama was married to Hisako, who was a Japanese native studying English in America when they met at an Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
sushi bar where he worked briefly in 1978. Together they had three children before separating. He plays golf, runs marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
s and is also a potter
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
who designed the plates at Masa, along with the wooden sake cups; he sculpted the other sake cups from bamboo. He currently lives in a $4.8 million, four bedroom and four and a half bath town house on West 92nd Street.