I love good food, but I am no foodie. I look at the aesthetics, the noise levels, the service, the comfort of my seating – even the mien of my fellow diners – as well as the food, and that is why I find our UES restaurants mostly so hopeless. And so, when Kappo Masa opened downstairs in the Gagosian street level space – which also happens to be next door to Brownings METHOD where I work out – I was delighted. I adore Japanese food, and the look of the spare, loft like restaurant is joyous. The kitchen is completely open and on the same level as the diners, a design choice I like but which my companion did not care for as much. We went for a bento box lunch – mine robata chicken and his beef sukiyaki – which comes accompanied by an assortment of daikon and tofu and a whisper light miso soup.
Yes, you can walk three blocks east and make the same menu choices, but not only is the food light and sophisticated and beautifully served, but the surrounds here are also stunning. And with owner Mas Takayama greeting old friends who saunter in for a relaxed bite, there is an added dash of style.
http://www.masanyc.com/#masa-takayama
Cape Town is one of the world's great cities. The setting alone is worthy of top billing. And then you have a vibrant culinary scene, a fascinating flora and fauna representative of its microclimate, a diverse population and the logistical advantage that makes it a gateway for visits to the wine lands, to the garden route and north into the bush. In spite of the aforementioned, what makes me vibrate with anticipation in Cape Town is its flourishing art and design scene, its world class museums and galleries, its artisans, many of them passionately committed to ensuring that hand and design skills endure. The person who knows as much about this sector of the Capetonian landscape is Marion Ellis whose company, Cape Insights, designs whole or partial itineraries that feature - among other subject matter - the flourishing arts of the city. Marion's knowledge has both the breadth and depth to take you on a meandering journey across the media - from paintings and ceramics to photography and art installations - and behind the scenes to meet with collectors and artists, teachers and innovators."
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