Masaki Saito, the only Canadian chef with two Michelin stars under his apron, first sliced out a space for himself in Toronto’s food scene in 2019, when he opened his eponymous eight-seat omakase restaurant in Yorkville.
Since then, the whimsical master chef has been making overtures to the city’s younger, less established generation, first with his relatively more accessible sushi counter, MSSM, where the Edomae-style omakase service goes for the low price of $98 (compared with Sushi Masaki Saito, that’s basically free), and more recently with his nostalgic Jiro-style ramen shop, Ramen Tabetai, which doles out only 100 bowls of noodles a day at just $22.88 a pop.
Related: Masaki Saito’s new ramen restaurant makes only 100 bowls a day
This past Saturday, the sushi rizzler took to Instagram to announce a two-night, star-studded collaboration between himself and master New York sushi chef Nozomu Abe of the Big Apple’s award-winning Sushi Noz. The event will take place at MSSM’s Ossington location on July 4 and 5.
Though the two chefs hold a combined four Michelin stars, the night promises to be less than buttoned up. According to the Instagram announcement, the sushi will have swagger: “This is not your typical omakase—think Michelin-level sushi, graffiti walls, DJs, good drinks and serious vibes.” The good news is that tickets are only $125. The bad news is that they sold out in less than 30 minutes (if you’re reading this, it’s too late). Looks like the first dish on the menu is FOMO.
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Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.