Masa

03/19/2008 Posted by PJHJ

This was my first time at Masa. No doubt the food was amazing. And in contrary to some of the other reviews, I felt the staff were very attentive and professional. The chef went out of his way to please us as well. Consistently trying to make us pieces the way we liked it. Even after the dinner, he was standing by at his counter until we left the restaurant. All in all, considering the name and price, I don't think it blew me away enough though. But I really think it was because I was way too overhyped. Nevertheless, I still think it is worthwhile for everyone to experience this restaurant at least once in their dining career.

Pros: Amazing food and sushi. Great attentive chef and staff.

Cons: In economics term...the "utility return on value" was not up to par.

11/18/2007 Posted by evillagefoodie

Took me forever to get a reservation for a Tuesday night, and then there is only one other table seated for dinner service the whole night in an otherwise empty restaurant.. So their reservation policy is BS first of all. Secondly the food was only OK.. it was good sushi but not for $800 per person (after food, wine and tip).. I have had just as good or better sushi for a fraction of the price elsewhere in this city. Over all it did not live up to the hype nor the price. Was a big let down :(

Pros: Very good service

Cons: wayyyy overpriced for what it is

03/02/2007 Posted by vernamilkos

After my great hair experience at Rodolfo Valentin Salon, and willing to show how beautiful my hair was to the entire world, we ( my husband and I) enjoyed one of the best meals of our life at Masa. It is the most romantic and elegant place to have a gourmet feast!.

Pros: great

Cons: very expensive

02/24/2007 Posted by jkritic

Toto noto. Is this the Masa everyone raves about. Unlike some others the concierge at Mandarin got the two of us a reservation in less than 24 hours. We had no problems with the desk getting seating. Then our extraordinary experience began. It was a unfortunate. The food was dreadful. One expects these prices in New York. But really. Time to wake up folks. Does he fly it in from Borneo on an A380? The service was inconsistent. The tables are too close. The lighting is terrible. In brief, it's like eating in a Mall in New Jersey. Time to start a new, small restaurant. Sayanora sushi Masa.

Pros: Let me think. Steps from the hotel. You don't have to go out into Manhattan. Is that a plus?

Cons: Steps from the hotel. In a mall. Poor food and service. You don't have to go out into Manhattan.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

10/09/2006 Posted by gildedtruffle

They had confirmed my reservation for 2 at the sushi bar (which is supposed to be a completely different experience than the tables) to find out that there was a mistake on their behalf when we showed up, we were met with a smile and an apology then a suggestion to make the reservation for another day. This is customer service?? Mind you this was a very special birthday occasion... and we are not about to wait another year. So they sat us at the "best table in the restaurant", which was nice but NOT what I had reserved. We sat at the table for what seemed to be an eternity (15 min) waiting for something to happen. Now keep in mind, I was not expecting a "comped meal", however I would think for a restaurant of this calibre it wouldn't be unusual for them to maybe send a drink or two on the house. It was not until chef Masa took notice of the very unhappy couple that the manager researched the botch up, saw that we actually DID have a reservation at the sushi bar (it just wasn't "logged" as such) and tried to smooth it over by offering us the sushi counter as it became available which ended up being midway through our meal. Sitting at the sushi bar was a completely different experience. Chef Masa was incredible, the food was exquisite, the service staff very attentive. The highlights of the evening.. the toro tartar with caviar, fugu sashimi, foie gras and lobster shabu shabu, more fugu, more toro. The roles kept coming, served straight from chef Masa's hand and onto our plates. What sets Masa apart from say Nobu or Morimoto is the intimacy. You truly feel like you are apart of something special. Other than the botched reservation and total lack of customer service by the managerial staff (he DID apologize), the night was a once in a lifetime ($1,200.00 with sake and tip) experience.

Pros: seasonal ingredients, very intimate, celebrity chef that actually works in restaurant

Cons: price, price, price... reservations are a gamble

08/15/2006 Posted by aacuna

A friend and I popped in for a quick drink. The bartender was completly rude and standoffish. We ordered a bottle of wine and some appetizers. While my friend took a sip of her wine the glass broke in her mouth! The bartender did not apologize and the manager came over to help smooth out the situation. Instead of making everything better the manager made it worse! She thought it was a good idea to pour the wine from the broken glass into another wine glass! It was obvious that broken shards of glass were being transfered - I immediatly told her to throw it out. I was completely surprised to see their lack of customer service and common sense! The bartender and the manager did not offer a new bottle of wine, a round of sushi or to comp the wine we did not drink! I can't believe how terrible my experience was at Masa. NYC has a thousand other places with BETTER service, BETTER food, BETTER atmosphere and BETTER character!

07/05/2006 Posted by maguro

First of all, it is in a mall which does not belong in NYC. The room itself is pleasant and it was nice to sit at the sushi bar. The sushi chef was very adept and pleasant. The service is very accommodating. They serve one piece at a time so you can savor it. About 25% of the pieces of sushi were mouth-watering, the rest were very good. You can't really gripe about the price because you KNOW what you are getting into. I kept the bill to a modest $450 for one person by not drinking (this includes tip and tax). I think at this price though they could have given me a few more pieces until I was full rather than saying, "That's it." The best part of the experience was seeing the shock and awe on people's faces when I told them how much I spent. But it would have been better to remember the sushi.

Pros: Nice sushi, service, taxis will take you there

Cons: Price, mall

02/03/2006 Posted by hkgnyc

I had made a reservation there earlier this month for a special occasion only to find out last minute that there was a logistical error with our reservation. Now, I can understand that this happens once in a while. What I cannot is how a restaurant of this small volume and presumed caliber screws up then informs the customer late. There was little effort made as a courtesy due to the inconvenience. The best restaurants go out of their way to re-accommodate. A comparable restaurant offered meal on the house recently for a similar situation. Granted, I don't expect that as the norm, I expect a restaurant that claims to put its customers first to demonstrate respect and at least offer courtesy, say a beverage or priority rescheduling for the inconvenience especially since they ask us to pay $100 if we screw up. Well done for alienating a potential customer.

10/21/2005 Posted by nikalove

The Masa experience is amazing. The tasting menu never ends. The food is divine. It is without a doubt the best sushi I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. They only seat 30 people at most for 1 seating per night, which takes about 3 hours. It is a very humbling, individual experience where the sushi clearly takes the spotlight. A very serene experience and worth it once. However, even for the best sushi, a meal that is $500 a person with drinks, tips, and tax is just way too expensive. This is about 200$ too much. But I guess they have to cover there overhead, with only 1 seating per night.

Pros: sushi, ambience, service

Cons: price, price, price

07/29/2005 Posted by rockingjo

I have been here twice and I think the place is extraordinary. The staff is very attentive, the food is exceptional. It is a very expensive meal yet you really get what you deserve, which is the staff's attentiveness, the detail to the meal, the freshness of the seafood. I think it is truly an experience if you can afford it.

Pros: service, freshness of seafood

Cons: price