After ten years in Muara Baru, frequent diners of Sushi Masa can now rejoice over the opening of its second outlet at SMT Food Plaza in Gading Serpong. As the first, and as of now, the building’s exclusive tenant, the restaurant occupies the third floor, with plans to assemble a curation of dining establishments to fill up the remaining floors.
Keeping to the clean, uncluttered Japanese style of its first branch, its second home invites diners with the same warmth, emphasised further by the wooden decor and paper screens illuminated in soft lighting. Upon entry, the space opens to a long corridor of private rooms on both sides, which leads up to the main open seating area.
If the interior hints at anything, it’s the focus on offering a distinctly Japanese dining experience. Carrying the same dependable formula that has kept regulars returning to their first home, a meal here can stretch between casual and a premium dining experience.
Regardless of the location, one thing that diners can count on is fresh fish and high-quality ingredients. From the buttery Hokkaido bluefin tuna to sashimi platters displaying a medley of generously cut tuna and salmon, fresh fish in Sushi Masa are air-shipped thrice weekly from Japan to ensure its freshest state.
The menu also reflects more familiar and affordable selections, from sushi rolls, steaming plates of omelette rice and curry to udon. Worth noting is their Beef Kabuto, where diners can choose between foie gras or ikura (salmon roe) to top the thinly sliced beef and rice, while their Shimanto Udon is cooked using freshwater from Shimanto River, also known as Japan’s last free-flowing clear stream.
The attention to quality ingredients that Sushi Masa has maintained explains why regulars would bear the long commute to Muara Baru. The same agenda is happening at their Serpong abode, where bookings are quick to fill up the space. As proven by the stream of returning customers, each visit only prompts another.