This unique gastronomic experience requires that you have 600 € of disposable income available to have it. If that isn’t the case, stop reading now.
If you do have the means, you must consider whether it is worth it to spend such a copious amount on a single night’s feast. The reasonable answer is that there is no food on the planet that justifies such expenditure. Nonetheless, you must understand that if you have never sat at the bar in Masa (10 chairs) and watched Masayoshi Takayama practice his art for two and a half hours, you have missed one of the most grandiose culinary experiences in the world and in history. And we’re not exaggerating one bit. Thinking it through is advised; not being able to go in the first place is another matter entirely.
That having been said, the reservation must be for the bar, contemplating the technique and virtuosity of an exaggeratedly perfectionist chef. The tables, where another 16 seats are available at night, are equally good as far as the food is concerned but you miss out on the physical beauty with which the fish and shellfish are treated, the art with which the knives are wielded and the curious, scholarly roasting that certain pieces receive on the grill. It’s the same, but it’s not the same. Just to be clear.
Everything is summed up in just a few words. The finest product on the planet, of the marine variety in general, arriving daily from Japan. Delicacies presented raw or with a brief, precise doneness that is used to intensify their intrinsic qualities: natural and juicy. The flavors couldn’t be any more immaculate. Astoundingly pure and exquisite. The chef boasts a privileged palate that is conveyed in the dressings. The salt, wasabi, soy, ginger, lime… every element on scene is presented in utter subtlety with magical touches and elegant harmony, richening the already impeccable product. The refinement and balance here are difficult to surpass. Delicate nuances and counterpoints within essential constructions. Concretization, reflection, erudition, meticulousness… the finest in gastronomic artisanship. No one is more polished or more authentic.
The menu is chosen by the chef and comprised of 29 small mouthfuls. Char-grilled calamari with miso sauce; spaghetti of raw fish (hamo) with sansho pepper; toro tartare with caviar and chives; kochi sashimi with mustard sauce and sudachi juice; hot ohmi beef carpaccio with black summer truffle, Himalayan salt and kombu seaweed; Hamo Name shabu-shabu, the fish submerged in a broth of seaweed, placed in front of the guest and heated with lettuce, accompanied by a side of cucumber in vinegar; sea urchin risotto with black summer truffle; eel with cucumber; a dozen stunning sushi pieces with a vast array of shellfish, fish and dressings, with the shrimp, tuna belly and smoked eel taking away the highest honors; ice-blended grapefruit and green tea crêpe tart with chestnuts.
Japanese cuisine lifted to its maximum excellence.
