Weather 
Call it the omakase apocalypse.
Sushi lovers were stunned this week when the Michelin Guide to New York City restaurants knocked Masa off its long-time three-star perch and demoted it to a measly two stars. Meanwhile, Michelin raised Sushi Sho, which just opened in the city early last year, to three twinklers from two.
Restaurant industry insiders say Masa’s demotion spells trouble for the 26-seat eatery. The 15-year-old restaurant has long had three Michelin stars and reigned over over the city’s sushi scene from its perch at Deutsche Bank Center at Columbus Circle.
A source told The Post that the diss to Masa — the city’s most expensive restaurant, where the cheapest menu option costs $750 per person, beverages not included — jeopardizes long-term prospects for chef Masayoshi Takayama’s precious establishment.
“This will cost Masa — not overnight since they’re booked far into the future, but once they go through that list,” said a high-end restaurateur who’s familiar with Michelin’s impact on business.
“When a place is demoted from three stars to two, it can cost them 25% to 30% of their revenue,” said the food-world insider, who didn’t want to be identified.
The source explained, “Michelin is still the gospel for a coterie of big spenders from Europe and Asia who chose restaurants based on whether they have three Michelin stars or not.”
Larger restaurants that lose a star can survive. Daniel Boulud’s Daniel was demoted to two stars in 2014 and lost another star last year, but it’s weathered the storm, thanks in part to corporate clients and the ability to host events.
But Masa is tiny and has to contend with a bevy of less expensive omakase spots popping up across the city. There are at least ten Manhattan omakase eateries where the simplest meal starts at $400.
Even my dry cleaner that was replaced by Sushi Akira, an intimate, 12-seat affair on East 75th Street where a well-turned-out 19-course menu weighs in at a bargain $220.
Sushi Sho’s menu starts at a relatively reasonable $450 per person..
And, supposedly wroth it. The popular blogger and sushi company head who goes by Sushi Legend told me “Sushi Sho is, in my opinion, the best [sushi restaurant] in the country.”
Prolific food writer and omakase expert Kat Odell went further: “I believe that Sushi Sho is the greatest sushi counter in the world outside of Japan,” she said.
“When Masa opened in 2019, no other Japanese restaurant was nearly as pricey,” Odell said. “But since then, the omakase style —a sushi-based tasting menu chosen by the chef — has skyrocketed along with prices.”
When Masa first opened, it offered an experience you couldn’t get anywhere else. That’s no longer the case.
“Under no circumstance does one in New York need to spend $1,000 per person to have a special sushi meal,”Odell said. “I’ll point you to places that in my opinion are better than Masa at nearly half the price.”
