Chef Masa Takamaya – Get the Best of Masa and Stick to Takamaya!

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To dine at Masa, you need to make sure that you have at least $300 in your pocket. You wouldn’t want to end up embarrassing yourself. Masa is one of the breathlessly awaited restaurants with a world-renowned chef slaving in front of its stove. In truth, the chef and owner Masa Takamaya works patiently and industriously behind Masa’s bar as well.

Let’s Talk of Masa, the Restaurant

First of all, do not expect menus if you are going to eat at Masa. No, menus are not antiquated. Chef Takamaya just prefers to cook dishes according to what ingredients he has that day. This is pretty ingenious actually. He and his staff do not have to labor daily just so they can get the ingredients. He also considers his customers preferences and whims.

Needless to say, you need to stick to the chef if you want to get the best of Masa dining experience. You can say that you will always have something new to say every time you dine at Masa. The food, atmosphere, and experience vary depending on when and what time you decide to dine. There are subtle but palate-enriching changes from one dish to another. You will see significant differences as you go through one dish after another.

The Chef and His Cooking

There are several words that one can use to describe the creations of chef Takamaya. These dishes are intricate. You can liken the preparation and presentation to a cultural performance. You will find yourself in suspended anticipation as you wait for the next palate-cleansing dish.

Chef Takamaya knows his traditional Japanese cuisines, but do not expect to get the same from this chef. He likes to experiment with traditional dishes and create exciting ones. This is probably because he does not just create meals. He creates a sublime culinary experience. He has a specific clientele in mind for this, so you can’t really complain about his prices because there are people who are only too eager to dish out $300 just to enjoy his culinary creations. In this sense, you can think of Chef Takamaya as a diva in his own right. Of course, the fact that he has a penchant for expensive ingredients justifies the prices. He uses Kobe beef like there’s no tomorrow. With Kobe beef and black truffles in practically every dish, you really can’t expect to pay $5! Needless to say, you will definitely have a memorable meal at Masa. Of course, you have to make sure that you really can spare several hundreds of dollars.

Chef Masa Takamaya’s Grapefruit Granite

Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 cups grapefruit juice

1 cup Sauternes or champagne

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, optional or to taste

1 large grapefruit, cut into segments between the membrane, each segment cut into thirds

6 teaspoons Grand Marnier

Grated zest of 1 yuzu (1 lime can be substituted)

Instructions

Combine the grapefruit juice and Sauternes. Add the sugar to taste, stirring until dissolved. Pour the liquid into an 8-by-10-inch tray and freeze for several hours.

To serve, scrape or mash the frozen grapefruit with a fork and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the grapefruit segments and divide the granité into 6 individual bowls. Pour 1 teaspoon of Grand Marnier over the top of each granité, finishing with a little yuzu zest. Serve immediately.

Recipe via NY Mag

Image Credit Circle of Taste

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