New York’s fine-dining world woke up to a rare jolt yesterday as Masa , the Columbus Circle temple of omakase—largely considered untouchable—is no longer a three-Michelin-star restaurant. Michelin announced the demotion ahead of next week’s Northeast Cities ceremony, an unusual move for the guidebook that typically holds its cards close to its chest.

Chef Masayoshi Takayama opened Masa more than 20 years ago, bringing rigorously precise and deeply personal Japanese food to the then-Time Warner Center. The restaurant earned two Michelin stars—an assessment some critics at the time considered overly conservative—and received its third star the following year, becoming the first Japanese restaurant in the U.S. to do so. For years, it also reigned as the most expensive dining experience

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