From Dreams to Reality: Latin and Asian Flavors Merge at Masa 14

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MANY RESTAURANTS ARE one person's longtime dream, but Masa 14, which recently opened just north of Logan Circle, is the combined effort of two chefs already known in D.C. Richard Sandoval of Zengo and Kaz Okochi of Kaz Sushi Bistro have teamed up to create a Latin-Asian, small-plates restaurant that fits in nicely with the influx of new eateries on 14th Street.

"I've known Richard for a long time," Okochi says of how the two decided to partner. "When he opened Zengo in Denver, I was a guest chef, and when he comes to D.C. he comes to my restaurant. We've been talking about doing something together for a long time, but since he's been opening restaurants all over the world, we didn't have a chance."

Okochi says that two more players soon factored into the picture.

"At the same time, Latif [Guler], the owner of Jack's Restaurant, who knows Ivan [Iricanin], the bar manager, had plans to open a restaurant and was trying to find a location," Okochi says. "Ivan used to work for Richard, and it all just kind of came together — Latif, Ivan, Richard and me."

Guler is the general manager, and Iricanin is the bar manager. Okochi and Sandoval are the executive chefs, and they designed the menu together. Dishes are executed by chef de cuisine Antonio Burrell, who previously cooked at Commonwealth Gastropub.

Okochi says that to find Burrell, he and Sandoval had to interview "quite a few candidates."

"We have this concept of Latin-Asian, and it's not easy to find someone who has been cooking this type of food — it's not like French or Italian," he says. "But the most important thing is a passion for food and somebody who has a good palate and common sense."

To create the menu, Okochi and Sandoval "did a lot of tasting, and spent time in Zengo and in my restaurant," Okochi says. "We spent a good amount of time discussing and trying and changing and tweaking."

The menu is divided into hot and cold. Cold means sushi hand rolls such as a vegetarian wrap made with sweet tofu, pickled cucumber and basil, or salads and ceviche. Hot dishes include flatbreads with toppings like wild mushrooms or Serrano ham and cantaloupe, meat dishes such as pork belly al pastor tacos and seafood items such as grilled baby octopus with chimichurri.

Masa 14 has a large bar/lounge area — at 65 feet, it's one of the longest bars in D.C. The drink menu features an extensive tequila list (along with create-your-own tequila flights), signature drinks like strawberry lemonade — made with vodka, fresh strawberry puree and lemon juice — along with sake, wine and beer.

On a budget? Try Masa 14 during happy hour weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Dishes such as the spicy tuna and vegetarian hand rolls, crispy chicken wings and edamame are $4, as are traditional margaritas and mojitos and other drinks.

Written by Express contributor Amy Cavanaugh
Photos by Peter Stepanek