At Masa Takayama's namesake restaurant, you won't find standard menus any more than you'll find the standard sushi chef. While he's been in the States since 1980, working at his craft in Los Angeles and New York, Takayama's beginnings in Tokyo laid the foundations and set the course for the rest of his career. The son of honest-to-goodness fishmongers, seafood and sushi are actually in Takayama's DNA, and his early years after high school, when he worked at Tokyo's renowned Ginza Sushi-ko, honed the artistry that would eventually earn Masa a four-star review from the New York Times and a coveted triplet of Michelin stars.

Chef Takayama adjusts his meals according to the availability of fresh fish and ingredients, making his multi-course tasting menus some of the world's most reliable surprises. Such attention and travail from the chef translates into understandably pricey meals that ring in at a minimum of $450—not including tax. Add to that the intimate setting of Masa, which necessarily means limited seating, and you can understand why a rigid system of reservations is in place, where the first week of every month sees seatings open up for the following month and the following month only. But whether you get a seat in front of the chef himself or any seat at all, the experience of dining at Masa is worth whatever price and hassle that comes with it.

Of course, if you're in the mood for something a lot more casual but still showcasing the work of Takayama, Bar Masa is just next door, with a more reasonably priced and extensive menu of seasonal selections and, perhaps most importantly, a no-reservation policy.