Uptown Masa

Larry Gagosian, one of the world’s most successful art dealers, has long believed that the Madison Avenue neighborhood around his Gagosian Gallery needed more restaurants. So he asked his friend chef Masa Takayama- the acclaimed sushi master whose flagship restaurant Masa is situated in the Time Warner Center- if he’d be interested in going in as a partner. Kappo Masa– the more casual yet ultra pricey offshoot- recently opened beneath the Gagosian Gallery near the Met, where the open kitchen produces raw and cooked items for a vast yet seasonal and often luxurious menu of sushi, sashimi, and grilled, steamed, braised and fried dishes.

Takayama turned the lower level into an understated, elegant dining room serving 20 courses- priced at $240 per person- of wonder inside the 82-seat space, where the walls are made of pale textured ova stone, hung with only a few pieces of art. Sashimi is served on blocks of frozen glass, and dishes such as caviar and white truffles are plated on dinnerware that Takayama designed. The designer Lisa Perry has collaborated with her friend Gagosian to design the staff uniforms for Kappo Masa. Perry’s uniforms reflect the restaurant’s contemporary look: men’s ties sport her signature circle, while flared-hem shift dresses feature a yellow contrast zipper in back. Who knows…a sublime meal at Kappo Masa just may run you more than one of Gagosian’s paintings…although doubtful. www.kappomasanyc.com