Deep-frying precious tuna belly seems so wrong — until you try sushi chef Masa Sasaki’s version at Masabaga, which opens today in Oakland.
The restaurant is a collaboration between Sasaki, who also owns his eponymous omakase restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District and was the chef at Maruya when it earned a Michelin star, and Chikara Ono, who operates Japanese restaurants Utzutzu, Delage and B-Dama in the East Bay. The pair became friends when Sasaki worked as the opening chef at Delage.
Sasaki has wanted to open a restaurant based on tuna belly for ages — but not the fatty toro from bluefin tuna that’s prized in sushi restaurants. He was more interested in haramo, a specific belly cut that’s never used at sushi restaurants because it’s too chewy served raw. Delicious when cooked, haramo is also far less expensive than toro and can come from more sustainable species like yellow fin and bigeye tuna.
“Not many people think to use it, and I hate to see it wasted,” Sasaki said. “Sauteed is good, but I find panko-crusted and deep-fried, all the muscle fibers break down and it tastes like toro.”
The tuna belly burger was born — in Sasaki’s mind, at least. He couldn’t find a supplier that could provide enough haramo to sustain a restaurant until last year.
“It’s from Japan. It’s frozen. But I can get as much as I want,” he said. “Finally.”
At Masabaga, which occupies the former Hutch Bar & Kitchen space in Uptown Oakland, the main attraction stars brined, breaded and fried haramo on a soft Acme bun with yuzu kosho aioli and a minty slaw dressed in shiso vinaigrette. The crispy crust gives way to a lush, buttery interior — it tastes simultaneously rich and light, with giant, spicy-salty sesame crackers on the side for a total of $16.
But Sasaki felt like he couldn’t only serve tuna burgers at Masabaga, so two other sandwiches will be on the menu. One is a more typical burger with washugyu beef, a half-Japanese, half-American breed raised in Oregon.
“I like it because they raise them slowly. It’s pretty much just like Japanese wagyu,” he said.
It’s significantly cheaper, though, allowing him to sell the burgers on an Acme challah roll with wasabi mustard mayo and American cheese for $15.
The last offering is a saba sandwich ($14) with grilled Norwegian mackerel, lemon and pickled daikon, inspired by a mackerel sandwich Sasaki tried in Istanbul.
Fries and a salad round out the menu, but chef Raiden Brenner, whose resume includes the Cultured Pickle Shop and multiple James Syhabout restaurants, hopes to bring on more options on a rotating basis in a few weeks. He’s toying around with waffle fries dressed up like okonomiyaki with tonkatsu sauce, Kewpie mayo, nori and bonito flakes, or served with Japanese curry and soft tofu for a riff on poutine. Sasaki also likes the idea of adding future specials using local seafood.
One day, diners will get to enjoy the restaurant’s stark and minimalist interior design. But luckily for Sasaki, whose omakase restaurant remains closed in San Francisco, Masabaga lends itself well to takeout.
Masabaga. Takeout only. 5-9 p.m. Thursday-Monday. 2022 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 401-216-6121 or https://www.masabaga.com/
Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker
The Link LonkJuly 10, 2020 at 12:54AM
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Tuna belly burger restaurant Masabaga opens in Oakland - San Francisco Chronicle
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