"Every once in a while, something genuinely remarkable would arrive, as if from another kitchen."
Now that stings.
Now that stings.
12
Great review!
3
I am just about to see if my Powerball number has won anything. If its a lot I vow to eat at Kappo Masa next week. That is, if I can get a reservation.
1
I guess the place doesn't offer discount coupons or early bird prices.
2
no, but if wish really really hard, it'll be in Groupon soon.
Clearly, the bulk of the commenters on this review could not be the target customers for Kappo Masa.
1
Target customers? Who, the millionaires who can't taste the difference between tender and charred mushrooms?
Clearly.
Clearly.
8
New York City (and most certainly America) has lost it's way.
May a review as honest as this begin the tedious process of pushing the needle back to normal.
(Yes, I know. Even "normal" bordered the absurd, but it was manageable).
May a review as honest as this begin the tedious process of pushing the needle back to normal.
(Yes, I know. Even "normal" bordered the absurd, but it was manageable).
6
I love visiting NYC and eating at its excellent restaurants. So, thanks for the warning. At this price level, the food must be consistently great and the service exemplary. Overcharges on the bill are inexcusable!
7
I wish the Real Estate section of this newspaper would have the same honesty about pricing and its socio-economic implications for New York.
23
I teach college students Economics. Thank you, Mr. Wells for providing me with an excellent example of a contradiction to the laws of demand and rational consumer behavior first suggested by Thorstein Veblen in the 19th century when he coined the term "conspicuous consumption". Now if I can just get my students to accept that people really do eat raw fish........that will be another lesson. Great review!
8
This review was a pure joy to read. And you couldn't pay me to eat at any of these places.
5
I appreciate excellence on all levels and when I can afford it (right now I can barely afford a 1 lb box of macaroni) I will have the occasional ridiculous indulgence. My favorite place (Ducasse) is closed... But this? never.
For those prices, the napkin should leap out of my lap to daub my lips, the wine glass should levitate to my mouth at the exact right moment, and the dessert should be calorie free.
Yet another wonderful review by Pete Wells. Thank you so much for your honesty, terrific writing skills, and delightfully trustworthy palate.
For those prices, the napkin should leap out of my lap to daub my lips, the wine glass should levitate to my mouth at the exact right moment, and the dessert should be calorie free.
Yet another wonderful review by Pete Wells. Thank you so much for your honesty, terrific writing skills, and delightfully trustworthy palate.
19
Stupid pricing. After all, if the only potential clientele are those for whom money is no object, or that want to flaunt their spending ability, why stop at $78 for rolls? A hundred dollar roll makes for a better conversation piece.
9
Fascinating review. Thank you. I love the clarity and directness of your writing.
16
Having just dined at Batard last night which Pete Wells highly recommenders, I was struck by the fair prices at this lovely place. Not only fair, but actually really great prices for superb food in a beautiful atmosphere. Places like Kappo Masa will perhaps find an audience among those who don't know better or just feel good blowing wads of cash because they can. Thank you for exposing this restaurant for what it is. I would have never gone there, but hopefully some of those who are so inclined may now think better of their decision.
12
My wife and I are about to go out for lunch to a local CHINESE restaurant. For about 35.00$ (tax and tip included) we shall eat a great meal and have lots of leftovers. I shall enjoy the meal even more having read this article.
15
Bravo Pete Wells!!!!
The emperor has no clothes.
I am delighted that you have decided to take the lead in exposing places like Kappo Masa, and their silly, outrageous and "restaurant price raping", and its in the basement.
I think Gagosian and Takayama actually should consider providing airline tickets to Tokyo for patrons and a one night Sushi special at various Tokyo restaurants.
It may end up costing less and would certainly be more fun than being subjected to this
kind of nonsense.
Gagosian has been a master of the art market hustle, I am not sure he will be able to
conquer the world of food as easily.
The emperor has no clothes.
I am delighted that you have decided to take the lead in exposing places like Kappo Masa, and their silly, outrageous and "restaurant price raping", and its in the basement.
I think Gagosian and Takayama actually should consider providing airline tickets to Tokyo for patrons and a one night Sushi special at various Tokyo restaurants.
It may end up costing less and would certainly be more fun than being subjected to this
kind of nonsense.
Gagosian has been a master of the art market hustle, I am not sure he will be able to
conquer the world of food as easily.
18
It's three months old, so someone is patronizing it.
1
You forgot to mention P.T. Barnum, other than that a great response.
2
It can be three months old and have no patrons at all.
Business plans are usually in place to keep a place running UNTIL a clientele has been established, and not dependently solely on the third day's or third week's in-come.
Business plans are usually in place to keep a place running UNTIL a clientele has been established, and not dependently solely on the third day's or third week's in-come.
1
The prices, the ups and downs of the menu items, and the quality of the service are all what one could expect from a restaurant partially owned by an art dealer.
5
I just don't understand this reviewer. He'll use the most glorious superlatives about a place and give it one star and/or seem to feel rather mediocre about another place and then the stars appear faster than they can fall from the sky. In this case ASIDE from the merits of the food the PHOTOS are SO beautiful and the restaurant overall looks so lovely based on the photos that The Times CHOSE to publish that based on that alone the place deserves at least ONE star lol. I mean the place is gorgeous, I flipped through them and then read the article and found myself typically perplexed my Mr. Wells which is why I take him with a grain of salt (pun intended).
3
When the decor is edible, perhaps that should factor into a rating.
15
You can't chew the scenery.
12
Pete Wells: priceless
31
The most recently posted wholesale price of Far Niente 2012 Chardonnay for New York State is $51/bottle. Mr. Wells is trying to persuade us that retail wine stores survive on 8% markups. Does fact checking not apply to review columns? Industry standard retail markup is 50% over wholesale and industry standard restaurant markup is 200% over wholesale, which for the math savvy, equates to 100% over retail. $190 is high even according to this formula, but if same degree of exaggeration is consistent throughout the column, the article loses credibility.
thus demonstrating that you have missed the point entirely...
12
Here's your fact checking: Leiser's Wines & Liquors in Flushing sells that bottle for $42.99. Michael Towne Wine & Spirits in Brooklyn has it for $56.99. The price at Astor Wine & Spirits in Manhattan is $59.99 and drops to $53.99 if you buy a case.
40
The argument given here assumes parity between restaurant and retail costs. As you yourself helpfully point out, retail prices decrease with volume; precisely the model on which retail purchasing operates. A case of Far Niente Chardonnay occupies 1.26 cubic feet of space. How many cases of wine can be stored in the cubic space occupied by a table and two chairs at Kappo Masa, floor to ceiling?
Factor in the cost of ranges, ovens, fryers, hoods, walk-in, standing, and low-boy refrigerators, cooking & serving vessels and utensils, commercial dishwashers, glassware, flatware, silverware, holloware, and luxury decor and add on the overhead costs of larger payroll, utilities, contract cleaning, florals, and linens & uniforms.
It becomes readily apparent that restaurants and retail are completely different business models with vastly different investment and operating costs to account for; the idea that restaurants are somehow taking advantage of guests by charging more than the wine is "worth" is absurd. Comparing the price of a bottle of wine at the UES restaurant of an acclaimed chef to the price of a bottle of wine at a retail shop in Flushing is like comparing the price of Dominique Ansel's Apple Tart Tatin to the price of the same apples at Costco, then trying to argue that it's still apples to apples.
Ryan Sutton's method of comparing the price of the same item at various restaurants yields a valid comparison. Comparing restaurants to retail yields a false analogy.
Factor in the cost of ranges, ovens, fryers, hoods, walk-in, standing, and low-boy refrigerators, cooking & serving vessels and utensils, commercial dishwashers, glassware, flatware, silverware, holloware, and luxury decor and add on the overhead costs of larger payroll, utilities, contract cleaning, florals, and linens & uniforms.
It becomes readily apparent that restaurants and retail are completely different business models with vastly different investment and operating costs to account for; the idea that restaurants are somehow taking advantage of guests by charging more than the wine is "worth" is absurd. Comparing the price of a bottle of wine at the UES restaurant of an acclaimed chef to the price of a bottle of wine at a retail shop in Flushing is like comparing the price of Dominique Ansel's Apple Tart Tatin to the price of the same apples at Costco, then trying to argue that it's still apples to apples.
Ryan Sutton's method of comparing the price of the same item at various restaurants yields a valid comparison. Comparing restaurants to retail yields a false analogy.
A four star review.
20
I guess if Mr. Wells had the option he might be tempted to give negative stars.
13
I probably enjoyed this review more than I would the food.
23
Don't let this review stop you from eating a la carte sushi at bar masa. some of the best sushi and japanese food in nyc.
2
I couldn't disagree more with Pete Wells. My experience at Kappa Masa was superb. The atmosphere was elegant and inviting. The staff was attentive without being intrusive and the food was fresh and delicious with some truly innovative selections. That food criticism has devolved into unnecessary bashing is indicative of the arrogance and false power with which the critics seem to regard themselves.
So, just how long have you worked for Kappa Masa?
No, seriously, a "critic" is just that, i.e., an individual with, hopefully, experience and expertise in a particular area (here, cuisine), who offers his/her objective opinion. From reading Mr. Wells's past columns, I don't find arrogance or false power at all. He has seemed very informed, neutral and populist.
No, seriously, a "critic" is just that, i.e., an individual with, hopefully, experience and expertise in a particular area (here, cuisine), who offers his/her objective opinion. From reading Mr. Wells's past columns, I don't find arrogance or false power at all. He has seemed very informed, neutral and populist.
40
Mr. Wood, you are wrong in your assessment. Like the truly juvenile (and utterly characterless) comments posted by people who have clearly not had a meal at this restaurant, your need to cast a derisive comment towards someone who had a positive experience at this restaurant reveals a certain intolerance.
Mr. Wells is entitled to his opinion and so are others who have actually been to Kappo Masa. "Populist" is perhaps a significant descriptor for Mr. Wells.
Mr. Wells is entitled to his opinion and so are others who have actually been to Kappo Masa. "Populist" is perhaps a significant descriptor for Mr. Wells.
2
"The beef had a species of tenderness that I associate more with bluefin tuna than steak." One can get the same result cooking a cheap cut of beef sous vide and not get a dose of mercury from the tuna.
1
Why to be surprised about the Larry Gagosian restaurante venture? What's the difference with his art venture? It's exactly the same: ridiculously overpriced, and poor quality. Of course, Gagosian and Masa just made up those prices "out of the thin air" for their poor quality food as Gagosian. The same happens in his art world venture with his associates. Please, look at Mr. Gagosian deals in his around-the-world-galleries, how he and his associates (art museums, collectors, the new billionaires owners of their museums with their own chefs, I mean, curators, etc) impose constantly upon us--the "uninvited"--their profitable deeds. Please, when are the art critics of the NYT follow their fellow Pete Wells? What Mr. Wells did for the sake of our palate, our culinary culture, the NYT art critics should do it for the sake of our eyes, our visual culture .
20
Hysterical and wonderfully written!
17
Pete Wells- thank you for your writing. Art exhibition reviews are rarely as unabashedly candid and independent as your restaurant reviews. This article was probably a surprise to two men who, I imagine, are not used to hearing 'truth to power.'
30
I have visited on several occasions including within a week when it opened. We were offered several expensive options to make up a full omakase meal. The total price came to what we would have paid for the omakase at Masa. Yet this is clearly a rip-off joint; the food was not done by a specialist chef. Some of it looked like it was re-heated. The overall quality was very sub-standard. This is clearly a venture to make money by over-charging while leveraging off 2 famous brands!
19
So, It seems we are all as one, rich, middle and working class, New Yorkers, finally sick of it all. Who would have thought it would be self-regarded omnipotent Larry Gagosian who brought us together. This is wonderful, a transposable delicious review in the style of Walmart, one size fits all. Cut and paste this hilarious on point review and you have an evaluation of how Mr. Gagosian conducts himself in the art world. No stars for a man who is dazzled by his own reflection.
14
best "art" review I've read in a really long time hilarious and sad
13
Website says it all - that is, nothing; check it out:
http://kappomasanyc.com/
How dare you even ask to see a menu, let alone prices. But two ways to reserve, email or Open Table....
http://kappomasanyc.com/
How dare you even ask to see a menu, let alone prices. But two ways to reserve, email or Open Table....
10
Ridiculous! I wonder if they serve "Fugu" which contains traces of poison and can numb your lips?
1
Why do I take such great pleasure in reading this review? I mean, again and again . . .
42
Maybe dinner comes with a complimentary Warhol? All kidding aside- all that and you're eating in the basement? Great expose, Mr. Wells.
15
Just as when you reviewed Masa, the whole review is all about how overpriced everything is, and the deliciousness of the food is all critiqued by the standards set by the price tag that goes with it.
You even end with the fact that the cost of the meal affects the rating of the prestigious NY Times stars. It begs the question of how much does value play a part in the prestigious NY Times star system? I don't think Nakazawa deserves 4 stars in terms of food when you compare it with Soto, Masa, or Ichimura. But it certainly is the best deal of the high level sushi establishments, so it gets that prestigious 4th star?
You even end with the fact that the cost of the meal affects the rating of the prestigious NY Times stars. It begs the question of how much does value play a part in the prestigious NY Times star system? I don't think Nakazawa deserves 4 stars in terms of food when you compare it with Soto, Masa, or Ichimura. But it certainly is the best deal of the high level sushi establishments, so it gets that prestigious 4th star?
1
Is there at least any worthwhile art on the walls?
1
Who's going to be looking at the walls? It seems that if someone is dining there, he or she will be looking at the other diners to see if they are in turn looking at them. "Look! We're rich!"... or quite possibly, "Whew! We're not the only suckers!" Not that anyone would admit to that, of course.
6
Go get'em, Pete!
Nothing more egregious than insultingly overpriced food
Nothing more egregious than insultingly overpriced food
7
Where's da gloves?
Photo #5...handling raw fish to be served raw with bare hands. Yuck.
Photo #5...handling raw fish to be served raw with bare hands. Yuck.
2
You obviouslt eat a lot of sushi
4
The food prep workers are handling fish with their bare hands that will be eaten by others uncooked. Where have those hands been? It's unsanitary.
What does that have to do with making sushi or sashimi?
What does that have to do with making sushi or sashimi?
2
Bravo.
Someone has to tell the Emperor he has no table linens.
Someone has to tell the Emperor he has no table linens.
15
So sad....I was just thinking of the famed Jewish restaurant that shut its doors a few weeks ago, the name escapes me. Serving good, quality food at reasonable prices. I think it was on the West side and theater people used to frequent it. And what has replaced it? This place? Sad, that a family of four cannot take a stroll and dine in this restaurant. Also sad, that the food seems subpar, according to the reviewer. Not everyone who lives or comes into Manhattan, has a boatload of cash for dining. I came into NYC a few weeks ago for the holidays and we dined at Ca Va, the Todd English place in the Intercontinental Hotel. We had lunch with a $33.00 prix fix menu. My friend did have a $20.00 Manhattan but that was to be expected. All in all, it did not break the bank and it was tasty and pleasant atmosphere.
5
The Edison On W 46th Street
1
"And yet if you are one of those people who suspects that Manhattan is being remade as a private playground for millionaires…"
Ding, ding, ding!!!
"If I suspect"? No suspicion necessary. Bloomberg said he was making New York a "luxury product." And here we are.
Swell, huh? Or--at least in my opinion--zero stars.
Ding, ding, ding!!!
"If I suspect"? No suspicion necessary. Bloomberg said he was making New York a "luxury product." And here we are.
Swell, huh? Or--at least in my opinion--zero stars.
31
As this restaurant is in the basement of Gagosian's gallery (oops BELOW the gallery), rent is probably not as significant a factor as in other instances, but I may be wrong. However, the pricing is ludicrous, even for a "top chef" restaurant. And, yes, staff are paid to inquire if a guest has experienced any damage when an accident of any nature occurs - spilled wine, upturned votive, etc. Isn't that part of what the insane price ensures? Throwing money away for this kind of experience seems beyond wasteful. I appreciate a fine meal as much as anyone, but I define it quite differently - good company, nice atmosphere, and reasonably priced dishes that deliver on their promise.
16
In Tokyo, spending $450 per person is not unusual but the experience would be. The same should be the offering here but clearly the experience fell flat. People will vote with their feet but it may take a while.
2
I had first class sushi in Tokyo for $200. Even Jiro isn't this expensive.
2
Does this then finally burst Mr. Gagosian's other smoke-and-mirror operation? The parallels are uncanny
19
Ouch! You have to wonder who is the intended clientele of a restaurant like this. Maybe it's the tourists and conventioneers who can't get a place at Masa? They can go home and tell friends they dined at "a Masa restaurant," and feel that it was an exclusive experience because it was os darned expensive.
6
Oh, but the profits are trickling down, creating jobs and stimulating the economy. This restaurant's owners are public benefactors, as are the customers, who surely have labored mightily for their wealth.
20
As with everyone else I found this review both refreshing and amusing. However, does paying an absurd amount of money for dinner change the job description of waitstaff? I ask because Mr. Wells expected the staff to ask if anyone had been hit by the fallen candle or 'checked to see if we had wax on our clothes' and I would think an adult diner would be responsible for checking their own clothing etc etc. They aren't butlers, they're waitstaff, so that's why I ask - does the exorbitant price somehow require the staff to coddle the diners above and beyond the norm.
5
It isn't about the act of inspecting the clothes - if wax had stained someone's clothing, the restaurant should have offered to pay for dry cleaning.
3
You saw that it was a server who knocked the candle over, right? If a waiter spills a glass of water on your table, don't you think s/he is obliged to see if you got hit with it?
6
Not coddle. Higher prices to me suggest better trained staff.
2
The pretentiousness and readiness-to-be-played-for-a-sucker of New Yorkers plays endlessly amusing for the rest of us. God I love New York. Otherwise where would you find the means to describe the word "provincial"?
18
Your gratuitous swipe at New Yorkers (and I spent my first 18 years much closer to Evanston than Manhattan) sounds a bit provincial or (Dare I say it?) jealous.
6
In Evanston, apparently!
5
Bravo, indeed! The comment about the emperor's new cloths was perfect. People who waste their money on places like this need to be exposed as the poseurs that they are. Haughty, arrogant narcissists! Why not take a page from Bill Gates or Warren Buffett and do something worthwhile besides nourishing one's ego?
8
Perfect for the Russian oligarchs who are (over)spending multiple thousands of dollars per square foot for equally ostentatiously and unadulteratedly tasteless (pardon the pun) pied a terrres
11
From what I can see here, the design of this restaurant cannot be faulted. It is quite tasteful. The food and service are what fall short.
3
That was before the ruble crashed and now with oil tanking I suspect a lot of real estate purchased in the past 5 or 10 years is suddenly going to default
1
Mr. Wells, you saved me from a catastrophe. I was thinking of dining here but then read: ``the standard finger napkins didn’t appear until halfway through the sushi course.'' A bullet dodged.
18
Ahhh, yes, the dreaded lack of standard finger napkins.
Did'ya ever think you would see those 3 words together: standard finger napkins? Yes, indeed, a bullet dodged.
Did'ya ever think you would see those 3 words together: standard finger napkins? Yes, indeed, a bullet dodged.
2
Such a young crowd, who are these people? 30 years old and spending $450 for dinner, per head? Insane. The first photo with the guy with the cell phone in his lap, the maître d. is the oldest person in the room.
I loved the Guy Fieri Times Square thrashing, but that was a restaurant review, this is politics.
I loved the Guy Fieri Times Square thrashing, but that was a restaurant review, this is politics.
6
Great review. What is rarely mentioned about the cost of eating out in NY is the correlation between rent and menu prices. This restaurant may have rent between $1500 to $2500 per square foot. The same space in Astoria might be $125 per square foot. One is paying for the rent not the food.
7
Great review. One question. Isn't the wine markup even greater considering that the restaurant purchases it for much less than retail from a wine wholesaler? Still a ripoff either way. More reviews like this SVP.
7
I think that many of the cranky comments miss Mr. Wells point. That being that neither the food nor the service nor the wine was worth the exorbitant price paid. Were the meal extraordinary, the service unparalleled, the wine not a rip off, I suspect that Mr. Wells would have given Capo Masa a better review. Let's not forget that the NYT gave Masa four stars.
fine dining can be very expensive in many places, howewever there was no value here, hence no stars.
fine dining can be very expensive in many places, howewever there was no value here, hence no stars.
20
This was too much fun to read! My mind is dancing with descriptors, even if I had the wherewithal to pay these prices, I'd never in a million years eat there. I mean, really, what's the point? Theatre for the the absurd....
6
Mr. Wells' displeasure aside, I'll really have to reserve my opinion until I read the reviews on Yelp.
15
I think your comment missed the point: Yelp has self-selective bias. And Wells's comment would support this point: "And yet if you are one of those people who suspects that Manhattan is being remade as a private playground for millionaires who either don’t mind spending hundreds of dollars for mediocrity or simply can’t tell the difference, Kappo Masa is not going to convince you that you’re wrong."
1
That cracked me up. The opinion of the unemployed hipster connoisseur has a high value here... but Sr. Wells is right on the money with this review. Keep calling them out, Pete.
Cheap shot from me,but the crowd,the dealer,the whole bunch deserve each other . Thanks for exposing the highway robbers.
6
Outstanding review, Mr. Wells! That you bravely took on both Larry Gagosian, one of the most powerful impresarios in the global art world, and Masa Takayama, one of the major contemporary chefs, and showed their restaurant for the sham that it is really heartened this reader.
So much of New York City is going in this direction: grotesquely overpriced and geared for the plutocratic corporate/billionaire class, with no recourse for anyone else except to shut up and deal with it.
That you call this emblem of the new, hypergentrifying and yet increasingly hollow, museumified (mummified?) New York on the carpet deserves the highest praise.
So much of New York City is going in this direction: grotesquely overpriced and geared for the plutocratic corporate/billionaire class, with no recourse for anyone else except to shut up and deal with it.
That you call this emblem of the new, hypergentrifying and yet increasingly hollow, museumified (mummified?) New York on the carpet deserves the highest praise.
30
Taking shots at Guy Fierri's preposterous restaurant was very entertaining, but didn't make much of a statement beyond "don't go there!" This review does far more, and offers a generous side of social commentary as well. Bravo, Mr. Wells.
81
Very nice for the expense account crowd. Just shows how people with money will spend it to show off. Maybe give them a pin to wear saying 'I ate at Kappo Masa;' but there are plenty of examples in NY and around the world for those with money to burn.
Thank you Mr. Wells for an honest review.
Thank you Mr. Wells for an honest review.
20
This is just a spectacular review...thank you for writing it. NYC needs someone like you to keep the restaurant business honest. It is also a very fun review to read and had me laughing as I read it.
52
It's about time that Pete calculated the cost of dining out. I'd love to see him apply the same calculus to other restaurants. For example, price of a burger, $19; cost to restaurant $1.12. One pizza at upscale place, $22; price to restaurant, $2.00. Plate of paste, $23; cost to restaurant, $1.50. Cocktails all over town: $15-17; cost to restaurant, $4. These are legitimate ways of looking at dining out these days in major U.S. cities. Kappo Masa isn't the only culprit, just one of the most egregious.
16
Your cost calculations are off. Both with respect to all the ingredients on the plate (one component), salaries, wages, rent, linen, utilities, other overhead, etc. So no, not legitimate.
5
I will agree with your statement to a certain extent because the majority of trendier restaurants in the city do drastically over-charge. However, you obviously have no clue how many costs are involved in operating a restaurant. You can't simply think in terms of the price of the raw ingredients without considering the overhead, not-to-mention the variable costs of food, beverage and labor. What you can do is choose not to go to said restaurants.
4
And these are legitimate reasons to learn to cook and eat at home. That's what I do.
5
Mr. Wells' review made me think of today's over inflated and sometimes absurd contemporary art market. It is all about 'creating' the impression of value, making things desirable because they are unaccessible. At this, Mr. Gagosian is an expert. In today's warped universe, Kappo Masa might victoriously take off anyway--despite its shortcomings.
26
This is just a spectacular review...thank you for writing it. NYC needs someone like you to keep the restaurant business honest. It is also a very fun review to read and had me laughing as I read it.
27
Spot on Mr. W. I would never spend that much for four stars, but for no stars? Far better everything can be had for the money. Yes, I'll stick with the two and three star awards and be perfectly happy.
7
This is the ideal companion to Mr. Wells' review of Guy Fieri's Times Square restaurant. The two show that opposites -- bad food that's cheap and bad food that's expensive -- ultimately converge, sort of like peanut butter and jelly.
29
This review almost rises to the level of the Fieri review....but that was a masterpiece.
7
I love reviews like this. Living far away from New York I enjoy reading the very good and very bad experiences at restaurants up there. It is truly amazing to me that, even in this time of affluence, someone would even consider throwing away money like this. But the place obviously caters to those who can do just that. It probably was packed with eager patrons desiring to be seen. I am sure that just being able to chunk down $500 for dinner was personally satisfying, no matter how that translated into food quality.
I am sure this will be it's downfall, so those that can afford this place will just gravitate somewhere else.
I am sure this will be it's downfall, so those that can afford this place will just gravitate somewhere else.
7
As someone who dines with the very wealthy at places such as these, which, btw, is generally beyond an expense account budget for almost everyone (my expense account budget is $65), I am sorry to tell you that there is no satisfaction involved whatsoever to plop down 500 for dinner. They don't look at the prices, don't notice the bill and have a hard time recommending restaurants to those of us only making 6 figures because they can't remember price ranges. It's just not a thing for them. They just don't think about money in the 3 figure range at all.
Big Cow, "they" don't look at the bill? How is the tip figured? I'd like to hear from some wait staff on how "they" don't think about money in the 3 figures at all.
1
Sorry, but all this fuss over an expensive restaurant with the most perfect food is akin to taking a shower with a raincoat on--you cannot really enjoy the food nor do you ever get enough of it. I've eaten in the best of them and I'm usually more hungry that when I started. This is because these high end eateries specialize in pretense while forgetting to properly feed their customers.
14
Just spent $500.00 at Gato for dinner for four. Everything was delightful and delicious, service was extraordinary and ambiance was top notch. For that price, I could have eaten all by myself at "this joint", had mediocre, unpredictable food and smarmy faux-attentive service. But oh those butter-cup yellow leather seats!
Right on, Mr. Wells.
Right on, Mr. Wells.
16
Four of us spent New Years Eve at Gato and could not have been happier. Agree with you that we four equal one at "this joint" with much less enjoyment.
What a delicious review! Just more proof that much of NYC high-end business is simply a machine for removing money from the (very) rich and undiscriminating. Thank you, Peter, for pointing out the unclothed king
29
5 stars for Mr. Wells' comic perfection!
A joy to read.
A joy to read.
88
Good thing Mr. Gagosian is his own landlord (apparently).
The basement, indeed.
Fools.
The basement, indeed.
Fools.
38
If the high prices keep out the rif raf I am happy to pay it. I wish the prices were higher so only my friends could afford to eat there. For us it is like the price of a McDonald burger for you.
9
Is that you Stephen? Of Colbert's Platinum?
7
That's riff raff to you, Emperor
26
Off with their heads.
10
Though too many of the well-heeled will always seek out any way to flaunt it, this does sound like a place to avoid at all, um, costs ... so Zero stars - good for you! There should be more honest restaurant reviews stressing the positvely unreal relationship between prices and food on plate.
25
Proof you don't necessarily need brains to become rich. Same people who'd pay through their noses for this stuff would pay millions for a rotting animal carcass pickled in formaldehyde if some art gallery told them it was worth that amount.
32
Thanks for the warning! I was just about to fly to NYC specifically to dine at Kappo Masa, but now I think I'll stay home tonight and eat green chile stew.
27
Conversely, a New Yorker could fly to Albuquerque for the weekly breakfast special at Duran's Central Pharmacy lunch counter (huevos rancheros with carne adovada -- Thursdays if I recall) and spend less than on this pretentious ersatz Japanese food, airfare included (I live in Tokyo and eat splendid meals for less than twenty dollars). Enjoy the green chile!
3
Pork or turkey?
2
It has to be pork or it's not green chile stew!
3
Wow. Not that I ever could afford to go there, but thanks for not mincing words but telling it as you found it.
33
A transplanted Midwesterner, I often feel out of place in the NYC dining scene. I prefer menus that accurately, and clearly, describe my choices. I've felt uncomfortable and intimidated as condescending staff, and at times owners, implied that my tastes were plebeian and that I was unwelcome, displaying a definite inhospitable attitude in what is known as the hospitality industry. Perhaps my steak and potato palate is unsophisticated, and to be scoffed, but, per your review, my taste buds are being spared unappetizing overpriced offerings, and my wallet spared what is bet termed legal theft. Thank-you.
8
Kudos to Mr. Wells and the Times for printing this extremely honest and entertaining evaluation, certainly my new favorite Times review. What I would give to have been a fly on the wall as the principals of this establishment read it. The Sushi photographs well though.
59
Ah Gagosian! The master of the art of the overcharge! He has done for Japanese noodles what he did for Richard Prince's cut and paste ripoffs of photographer Patrick Cariou's Rastafarians.
And New Yorkers think the rest of us are bumkins!
Bon Appetit!
And New Yorkers think the rest of us are bumkins!
Bon Appetit!
43
In the first photo in the slide show, note the glow emanating from the stomach of the diner at the first table on the left. Possibly it's a glow of happiness from a stomach full of exquisite food. More likely, though, it's from a smartphone discretely hidden by its owner, just before or after snapping a photo of his totally awesome sushi.
Or possibly the glow comes from an alien who is about to burst out of the diner's tummy, and, in a rage at the restaurant's price/quality ratio, send the wine back.
Or possibly the glow comes from an alien who is about to burst out of the diner's tummy, and, in a rage at the restaurant's price/quality ratio, send the wine back.
10
Maybe it was Mr. Wells taking notes!
1
The perfect denouement to the money they wasted upstairs at the Gagosian gallery buying art that no one will care about in 20 years.
34
Apologies for the typo...it's Craig Claiborne.
Thank you Mr Wells. I have always trusted the Times' reviews since the days of Craig Clairborne but your review is exceptional in its honesty and, yes, morality.
Talk about a divided city.
Talk about a divided city.
58
I viewed the slide show. What I saw was edible art, the value of which, however, depreciates rather quickly upon consuming. What I did not notice were servings of baby aspirin that should accompany the welcoming hot towels -- to prevent heart attacks while viewing the menu. I wonder what "Kappo Masa" means in Japanese? Infarction, maybe?
7
If you can afford to buy anything at all from Mr. Gagosian's little art shop upstairs, the prices at this restaurant are completely meaningless.
Dan Kravitz
Dan Kravitz
8
No price is meaningless. Price is a statement by its setter that says: "who we are". In this case, it is also saying who Kappo Masa think "WE are". (Suckers?) Another thought: maybe the restaurant is compensation for the admission charges they wish they could collect upstairs. These galleries double as free museums many a times. Thank you Mr. Wells for your honest, necessary and courageous review. And for stealing the show by cooking and serving something better: "food for though".
10
In the first photo in the slide show, note the glow emanating from the stomach of the diner at the first table on the left. Possibly it's the diner's reaction to eating delicious food. More likely, though, is that he's being discrete with his smartphone, but will snap a photo the moment he thinks he can get away with it. Or perhaps the alien in his tummy is fed up with the price/quality ratio, and is about to burst out and send the wine back.
3
(Price of dinner for one before tax, tip and drinks: $450.
Suppose that means that the economy is getting better for someone.
Suppose that means that the economy is getting better for someone.
7
Excellent review--entertaining, but also extremely informative.
58
Why would anyone other than the Kardashians dine there?
16
I guess this proves that a restaurant that charges exorbitant prices does not necessarily provides you with a good meal. Well said Mr. Wells. And thank you.
36
As Steve Miller once sang in Living In The USA: "Somebody gimmie a cheeseburger!"
7
We're living in a plastic land
1
One last word--hat's off to Mr. Wells for exposing what this restaurant and other restaurants in the Masa group really are about: parting rich patrons from their money in the guise as a paragon of dining experiences.
83
Nice slam dunk. Of course would be interesting to see if they make any changes based on this review, or if they just don't care (my guess is the latter).
23
Mr. Wells, thank you for your honesty. Price is no indication of quality. I have always felt Sushi Masa was dishonest for its price (for instance, you can have a stellar meal for 2 at Brushstroke for a fraction of what you will pay at Masa). Kappo Masa makes Saison's price almost seem reasonable. Has Masa started paying his workers? With his prices, he should be able to resolve his legal issues.
33
Sorry, my bad - Jiro it should have read. Argument stands though.
3
jiro is expensive but not this much but way obnoxious in his own way.
1
Seriously, best review I've ever read in NY Times. Honest. And entertaining. Thank you.
74
I agree. Would love to see more honest, unflattering reviews like these from the NYT, not just kowtowing to the fanciest and most expensive things that NYC has to offer (which NYT tends to do quite a bit).
1
So Hiro would not eat there? Too timid, almost.
1
Perfect pricey restaurant for the "new Manhattan" where apartment prices are equally outrageous. Bloomberg said it was good to bring in the kind of people who can afford these prices. Good for whom? The rest of us?
16
Fantastic and honest. I can only imagine some other numbers that should be thrown out:
Number of fits likely to be thrown by arrogant owners after reading this: 4
Number of staffers likely to be replaced by said owners after throwing said fits: 5
Number of items likely to have their prices lowered: 0.
Number of fits likely to be thrown by arrogant owners after reading this: 4
Number of staffers likely to be replaced by said owners after throwing said fits: 5
Number of items likely to have their prices lowered: 0.
48
Why am I deliriously happy reading this review?
37
The "art" at Gagosian galleries is similar.
49
What fries my bacon is that the "expense account fools" able to splurge at such a place create "legitimate" business expense serving as a deductible off profit thereby reducing the income tax paid to be made up by us no-expense account fools.
74
Mr. Wells gets it right! High price should negatively affect stars when the quality is not there. Congratulations.
137
Can we start a pool on how long a new Upper East side restaurant can survive with a No-Star review from the New York Times? Of course, you have to factor in Gagosian/Takayama deep pockets and the high concentration of neighborhood & expense-account fools, but based on what I read here, I don't give this place more than 9 months. Anyone else?
63
It may last longer than you'd expect. There's a certain class of diners who would spend any amount to ensure that their fellow diners are not members of the 99.8%. The food is probably the least important aspect of the experience.
24
9 minutes?
Nah... you're probably right!
Nah... you're probably right!
1
Sadly, I couldn't agree more. These 1% clubs are almost never about the food. At a less-exalted level, witness the now-departed Gino's on Lexington. Ordinary was too kind a word for it and still it thrived. So too may this.
3
More reviews should be this frank!
154
love this review!!!!! emperor's new meal?
103
While this type of restaurant would never be on my 'must go' list,this review commands 5 stars in my opinion for honesty,humor and sheer entertainment value.