Chef Masayoshi Takayama apprenticed under the direction of sushi master, Suhiyama Toshiaki, at Tokyo’s famed Ginza Sushi-ko where he learned to appreciate an intimate relationship with food and dining to create a full sensory experience. After moving up the ranks under the tutelage of his revered master, Chef Masa followed a boyhood ambition to travel to the U.S. to open his own restaurant — and play lots of golf. In Los Angeles, he opened Ginza Sushi Ko in 1987, an homage to his former teacher, where he taught himself to combine classic and modern techniques to serve dishes inspired by tradition, yet inflected with his creative spirit. A move to New York on the advice of friend Chef Thomas Keller came ten years later, and Masa opened its doors in 2004. A solid hinoki wood sushi counter is the focal point of the otherwise simple décor at Masa, allowing the ingredients and dishes to shine. The courses build on seasonal properties utilized only in their freshest, most quintessential state. Each course is served on plateware designed by Chef Masa himself, through his ceramics vertical Masa Designs, chosen to complement the dish's ideal visual and gastronomic appeal.