Chef
Masa Takayama
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- New York City, New York, United States
i. Biography
Japanese cuisine and sushi, as practiced at Masa in New York City by owner Masa Takayama, are organized around attention, timing, and restraint. The omakase form is present, but not treated as a fixed procession. The meal is built against the day’s fish and ingredients: availability, season, texture, and the judgment required to decide how little or how much to do. Abundance is secondary to calibration.
Coming Up
Sushi craft begins with apprenticeship because repetition trains the hand before it trains the menu. Early in his career, Masa Takayama trained as an apprentice before becoming sushi chef at Sushiko in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan. That foundation sits in the practical details of the counter: knife angle, rice temperature, hand pressure, and the ability to read when fish should be served simply or given another kind of attention. Japanese sushi practice changed register when carried into California dining culture, and Takayama brought that precision to Los Angeles, California, USA, founding Saba-ya (from 1980). The work stayed tied to the rigor of his training while meeting a different audience. As founder / owner at Ginza Sushiko in Los Angeles / Beverly Hills, California, USA (from 1987), the chef-restaurateur role became part of the craft: sourcing, sequencing, restraint, luxury, and a personal reading of ingredients had to hold together in service. The counter expanded into a broader restaurant practice across several projects and cities. Takayama became restaurateur at Kappo Masa, extending the work beyond sushi into another expression of Japanese dining. He was also founder at Tetsu in Las Vegas Strip, Paradise, Nevada, USA (from 2012), and founder at Tetsu in Tribeca, New York City, New York, USA (from 2017). Across those addresses, the constant is immediacy: craft held between simplicity and richness, with the ingredient setting the terms. Today, Masa is owner of Masa (since 2004) and owner of Bar Masa.
Today
Shibui gives Masa in New York City its working principle: elegance carried through proportion, texture, and restraint rather than display. In Takayama’s ownership, the restaurant remains centered on omakase, fresh fish, and a meal structure that responds to what the ingredients allow. The menu is not only selected; it is adjusted through contact with the day’s product. Ingredient-led cooking at this level is not a slogan but a service discipline. Takayama describes it directly: "Actually the ingredients are my teachers. They tell me, “Hey Masa, cook me this way, that way. I want to be changed that way.” I talk to ingredients every day." The point is practical. Availability is part of the architecture of the meal. What reaches the guest depends on what has arrived, what is at its peak, and what Takayama believes it requires in that moment. Masa’s Toro Caviar is a signature dish served as the second course in the omakase menu, pairing rich toro with the salty brine of Osetra caviar. The dish uses luxury as a controlled contrast rather than as excess: fat, salinity, and depth set into a precise early position. Takayama states the function plainly: "This dish is always served as the second course in the Omakase menu because it prepares the guest for what’s to come." It works as a palate-setting course for the progression ahead. Restaurant ownership remains part of the same craft system. Takayama’s current restaurant work includes ownership of Bar Masa, and he also opened Tobi Masa in London.
Signature
Signature dishes include Masa's Toro Caviar, Fish pasta, and Dancing Shrimp. Each marks a different use of the same discipline: toro and Osetra caviar for concentrated richness, Fish pasta for form, and Dancing Shrimp for immediacy. In Takayama’s cooking, these are not trophies; they are recurring markers of precision, movement, and response.
Peer Recognition
Recognition for Masa includes Highest MICHELIN Guide rating for Masa; first Japanese restaurant in the U.S. To receive it (2009), Two Michelin stars for Masa, Four-star rating for Masa, and Five-star rating for Masa. The honors point to sustained attention on the restaurant and on Takayama’s broader career, where choosing, cutting, seasoning, and serving remain the core acts behind Japanese dining in New York City and beyond.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Masa
What is Masa Takayama's current role?
Masa Takayama is owner of Masa.
Where did Masa Takayama work before?
Earlier in their career, Masa Takayama worked at Sushiko, Saba-ya, and Ginza Sushiko.
What recognition has Masa Takayama received?
Highest MICHELIN Guide rating for Masa; first Japanese restaurant in the U.S. To receive it (2009).
