Raw Fish for Rich Palates at Masa: Big Spender

Masa makes it clear to customers that the charge doesn't go to service staff, says Veda Nishikawa, the restaurant's business manager. The waitstaff are paid at least $15 an hour, he says.

While the per-person price at Masa is unusually extravagant, sushi experts say that an omakase experience is a smart choice among the raw fish set; ala carte menus can be unwieldy, and the chef likely knows more about sushi than you do.

"All that's required is a spirit of surrender; you accept what you get and what it's going to cost," says Mark Spivak, who writes the blog Spivak On Wine and goes out for sushi twice a week. "Still, one of the things that Americans complain about most in top-end sushi bars is the lack of choice. We're conditioned to have choices in everything we do."

Those who prefer an ala carte experience can hang out next door at Bar Masa, which doesn't bother with reservations. Bar menu items include Ohmi beef sashimi with garlic soy for $89, toro tartare with caviar for $68, and Kobe beef sukiyaki with foie gras for $68.

-- Reported by Carmen Nobel in Boston.

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