Kappo Masa Restaurant

Kappo Masa
Kappo Masa, photo by Naho Kubota
Restaurant information
Established	2014 (2014)
Owner(s)	Masa Takayama
Food type	Japanese
Street address	976 Madison Ave
City	New York City (Upper East Side)
State	New York
Postal/ZIP Code	10075
Country	United States
Website	KappoMasaNYC.com

Kappo Masa is a Japanese restaurant located within the Gagosian Gallery on Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City.

Conceived as a venture between Michelin-starred chef Masa Takayama and art dealer Larry Gagosian, Kappo Masa serves a range of specialty small-plate dishes as well as an omakase menu, served at the restaurant’s dining counter, made by New York City-based craftsman Andre Joyau. ^[1] The space, occupying what was once a bank vault, features works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, and Pablo Picasso. ^[2]

Background

Owners Gagosian/Masa with Preeti Sriratana

Prior to opening Kappo Masa, chef Takayama has opened two other major ventures, beginning in 2004 with his eponymous three Michelin-starred restaurant, Masa, in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle in New York City, and subsequently with barMASA in the Aria Resort & Casino on The Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a Masa regular with a long-standing interest in the hospitality world, art dealer Larry Gagosian conceived of the partnership with Takayama, as a way to expand the exposure of his contemporary and modern art gallery. ^[3]

In 2012, Takayama began collaborating with New York City-based designer Preeti Sriratana, managing director of MNDPC, to design Kappo Masa restaurant. The concept was to present Chef Masa’s take on a traditional Japanese menu in a modern and casual setting. ^[4] The design of the space features materials found in traditional Japanese architecture, such as teak wood and volcanic oya stone, as well as works of art from the Gagosian Gallery’s collection. ^[5]

New York Times food critic Pete Wells reviewed Kappo Masa in 2015, giving it zero stars. ^[6]

In September 2023, a class action lawsuit was filed against Kappo Masa. The lawsuit alleged that Kappo Masa employees were owed tip money for their services and that the restaurant “underpaid its employees by 12 percent.” ^{[7] [8]}

References

1. Kahn, Howie (2014-09-08). "Larry Gagosian and Masa Takayama Open Kappo Masa". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on 2017-01-30. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
2. Rao, Tejal (2014-12-02). "Review: New Masa Outpost Kappo Masa Is Excellent, But Uneven". Bloomberg . Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
3. Fabricant, Florence (2014-10-07). "Masa Takayama and Larry Gagosian Open Kappo Masa". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2015-11-07. Retrieved 2015-12-03.
4. Allen, Emma (2014-10-20). "With Six You Get Sushi". The New Yorker . Retrieved 2015-12-02.
5. Cuozzo, Steve (2014-12-04). "Kappo Masa doesn't live up to original Michelin-starred Masa". New York Post. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
6. Wells, Pete (2015-01-06). "Restaurant Review: Kappo Masa on the Upper East Side". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-04-17.
7. Greenberger, Alex (September 22, 2023). "Restaurant Co-Owned by Dealer Larry Gagosian Faces Class Action Lawsuit from Former Employees". ARTNews.
8. Orlow, Emma (September 21, 2023). "One of NYC's Priciest Restaurants Is Sued for Alleged Wage Violations". Eater New York.

40°46′28″N73°57′48″W / 40.774577°N 73.963399°W / 40.774577; -73.963399