Masu Sushi & Robata: A Sneak Peek
Pork ramen with fish cakes and soft-poached egg at Masu Sushi & Robata.
Image credit: Mecca Bos
The latest effort by chef/consultant/gastronomic superstar Tim McKee, Masu Sushi & Robata will surely prove to be Northeast’s darling new hotspot for the stylish set. And stylish you will have to be to glam it up in these sleek new digs that feel like a cross between a teenage boy’s anime fantasy and a cover of Conde Nast Traveler.
Clean white lines make a nice backdrop for colorful, artistic touches that vie for attention with one another like the cast of Looney Tunes. Over here—Japanese war movies on flat screen! Over there—a wall of Japanese money dolls so colorfully rendered they’re mesmerizing. Over here—a series of gorgeous Pachinko machines, a national obsession in Japan.
On a mural at the back of the room, two big, beautiful brown Asian eyes stare you down as you imbibe. And that imbibing is as good as it gets, with top mixologist Johnny Michaels at the helm of the cocktail list. We liked the icy, refreshing Lucky Millionaire Mojito, arriving with a lottery ticket (gotta give credit where credit is due to Michaels, who enjoys pairing other vices—like a cigarette for instance—with his concoctions).
The room is so sexy, it almost competes with the food, which is well poised as a serious dining destination’s food should be. McKee has tapped the top sushi chefs in town to twist his rolls, and groaning boards of fish were jewel-like in their precision. In addition to nigiri, sashimi and makizushi, Masu sets itself apart in a variety of other ways—you’ll notice that “Robata” comes right after sushi; it’s a Japanese grilling technique involving charcoal, not gas. The results are smoky, meaty (veggie options are available, but why?) small bites, perfect for sharing and grazing over cocktails (think tapas, gone East). Bacon-wrapped quail eggs were swoonworthy, as were unctuous squares of pork belly with alternating layers of meat and melty fat, dreamy enough to hush the whole table.
And like the room, even more edibles fight for your appetite, like the porky, porky ramen adorned with traditional accompaniments of fish cakes and a beautiful soft-poached egg. Udon and soba can be yours as well, for around 10 bucks per beautiful bowl. There are “Set Meals” too, different than bento, but similar in their little-bit-of-everything goodness, most coming with a portion each of protein, robata, tempura, sushi, rice and some veg. In the $20 range, this is the kind of entrée that engergizes those of us fatigued with the $30 protein/starch/vegetable/sauce combo that, regardless of the caliber of cooking, gets old after a few bites.
If I could, I’d go back tomorrow and drop a fortune. The menu hides all sorts of intrigue—just listen to these few: Faux Nagi (striped bass in the style of unagi,) Habanero Masago and a BLT roll (crispy salmon skin, lettuce, tomato, basil and spicy masago mayo).
Did the PR company hire the stunning, leggy Asian models to act as even more eye candy, or is that really the caliber of hip you’ll find at Masu? It’s hard to tell. Starting today you can find out for yourself. Now open for business, lunch, dinner, and in-between hours.
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