woman: [ speaking japanese ] [ speaking non-english ] i took a walk in this beautiful world felt the cool rain on my shoulder found something good in this beautiful world i felt the rain getting colder sha, la, la, la-la-la sha, la, la, la-la sha, la, la, la, la-la-la this is the restaurant masa in new york city tucked away fourth floor of the time warner center on columbus circle. it america s most expensive restaurant. dinner here costs around $600 per person, before sake or extra pieces of the most outrageously high-quality tuna on the planet. the raw ingredients are unparalleled often flown in from japan or grown specially to this man s specifications. this is masa takayama. to call him america s top sushi chef is an injustice as he is much more than that. what is it about him that set him apart took him from a bleak farming community in rural japan to become first the toast of los angeles, and later the king of new york? it is a fascinating st
it s time to relax. masa: beautiful color, huh? anthony: looking good. masa: right? anthony: get together with some friends and cook up some al fresco, mountain style sukiyaki, bitches. maybe a little tempura made from foraged wild asparagus and fukinoto. yep. masa: beautiful. anthony: and when it s sukiyaki time, after a whole lot of, shall we say, home brewed sake you just kick back, stir in the maitakes and the shiitakes and some tochigi beef and enjoy the day. masa: this is what i do. beautiful, right? anthony: oh yeah.
force. masa: yeah, much bigger than the universe. anthony: bigger than flavor? masa: of course. this vegetable is called fukinoto. under the ground, covered in snow. cold. then, little by little, it opens up like that. this is first sign of spring. we appreciate that. anthony: how do you cook this? masa: grill, fried, or braise it. i m gonna grill it, little bit of oil, then a little bit of salt. this is so happy, the phases. so happy. they re going to be cooked this way. their blood is bitterness, very bitter. you need bitterness to grow. anthony: this is italian. agro dolce, at the end of an italian meal. masa: exactly. anthony: sweet, fat, sweet, fat, at the end of the meal, something bitter to remind you of the sadness. masa: this is the umami, too. that kind of sense building, i didn t know that. he taught me this kind of delicacy.
mountains, for instance. oh, awesome. masa: oh, man. so good, huh? anthony: yeah. i feel healthier already. masa: yeah. where s the beer? cheers. anthony: it is suntory time my friend. it s time to relax. masa: beautiful color, huh? anthony: looking good. masa: right? anthony: get together with some friends and cook up some al fresco, mountain style sukiyaki, bitches. maybe a little tempura made from foraged wild asparagus and fukinoto. yep. masa: beautiful. anthony: and when it s
masa: how is it, good? anthony: that is good. mm. masa: this kind of charcoal slow cooking gives this kind of flavor, soft, juicy. how s the fish? konishi: [ speaking japanese ] [ laughter ] masa: you know what he said? before fish, i m gonna burn up. anthony: so him first. [ laughter ] masa: don t hurry. good food takes long time. anthony: so this big argument with the spanish. big argument. is umami a flavor or a sensation? masa: umami is essence. strong essence. anthony: so it s a mysterious force. masa: yeah, much bigger than the universe. anthony: bigger than flavor? masa: of course. this vegetable is called fukinoto. under the ground, covered in snow. cold. then, little by little, it opens up like that. this is first sign of spring. we appreciate that. anthony: how do you cook this?