San Francisco: Death of a Master Chef

Masataka Kobayashi was a curious mix of cultures. He was a Japanese chef who specialized in exquisite French dishes at some of America’s finest restaurants. The son of a Tokyo food dealer, he went to Switzerland at age 16 to learn the art of French cuisine. Years later in New York, Kobayashi (“Masa” to his friends) transformed Le Plaisir into one of the city’s most prestigious restaurants. In 1981 he became master chef at the Auberge du Soleil in California’s Napa Valley. Two years later, he opened Masa’s in San Francisco, a restaurant so popular there was a 21-day wait for reservations.

Last week Kobayashi, 45, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment after he had failed to show up for work at Masa’s. He had suffered head injuries and was discovered in a pool of blood. The contents of his wallet were scattered on the floor, the front door was unbolted, and a rear window was ajar. Nevertheless, homicide investigators declined to say that the chef was a victim of an attempted burglary. Said Bill Cunin, maítre d’ and general manager of Kobayashi’s restaurant: “There was no one who was overtly anti-Masa or even upset with Masa.”