Chef Masa grew up in Japan, spent decades in Los Angeles, and now has made it to New York to open his eponymous sushi restaurant. The ideology behind the venue is what Masa calls shibui umami, shibui meaning honest presentation of materials, and umami meaning the basic essence of flavor.

The interior is as carefully designed as the food, and diners are instantly put at peace once they enter, with a single slab of Japanese Hinoki Wood as the sushi counter, while a bamboo garden and pond hide behind it.