In a somewhat tantalisingly short bombshell, department store Harrods has declared its next partnership will be with a renowned Japanese chef. Masayoshi Takayama (more commonly known as ‘Masa’) is a bit of a sushi legend, rumoured to have helped kickstart the Los Angeles obsession with sushi when he moved there and opened a restaurant in 1980.
Masa trained at Tokyo’s acclaimed Ginza Sushi-ko under sushi master Sugiyama Toshiaki and he’s now famous for his three-Michelin-star restaurant in Manhattan, also called Masa, which opened in 2004 to critical acclaim. It was the first Japanese restaurant in the US to be awarded three stars and was also deemed one of the most expensive restaurants in the US for several years after its opening. Sounds like it will fit right in at Knightsbridge’s ultimate shopping destination, right?
We will bring you news of what to expect from Masa in SW1 in due course, but it’s likely to be similar in style to the recent Harrods restaurant by Swedish chef Björn Frantzén, which made the store worthy of destination dining. Harrods seems to be on a winning formula, teaming up with some big names recently, including Jason Atherton, Angelo Musa, Tom Kerridge, Mireille Hayek and Gordon Ramsay.
Sneaky peeks at Masa’s website only heighten our intrigue: the menu is omakase (starting at $750 per person) and the majority of the fish is sourced from Japan. Diners there are also asked to limit the amount of perfume they wear, to avoid tainting the experience of other guests. We look forward to seeing how this all translates here in London.
More about Harrods
Where is it? 87-135 Brompton Rd, London SW1X 7XL
When does it open? October 2023
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @harrods
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