Watch the Journey Unfold:
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I met Chef Ryan Ratino about three years ago, when he was preparing to open MAASS, his first restaurant outside of Washington D.C. Despite being just a few years older than me, he had already become one of the youngest two-star Michelin chefs in America, earning recognition across the industry.
What struck me most, though, weren’t the accolades. It was his work ethic.
Chef Ryan talked about sleeping on a restaurant banquette after service so he could be ready for the next morning’s deliveries. About obsessing over details he knew most people would never notice. About building a dining experience worthy of the farmers, fishermen, artisans, and producers whose work arrived in his kitchen each day.
Five Michelin stars later, those standards haven’t changed.
That’s why I’m excited to announce MAASS as the title sponsor for The Tea Trail – Japan.
The more time I spend here, the more I see similarities across industries. Tea farmers obsess over the timing of a harvest by the hour. Ceramicists apprentice for years refining a single form. Craftsmen dedicate entire careers to perfecting techniques that remain invisible to the untrained eye.
It’s an approach that feels strikingly familiar to what Chef and his team pursue every day in their restaurants.
Chef Ryan was one of the very first people I called when I decided to embark on The Tea Trail. From the beginning, he and the Hive Hospitality team have been generous with introductions, recommendations, and local connections that have helped me reach the people at the heart of Japan’s tea culture. As those conversations continued, it became clear we shared a common belief: the people behind extraordinary products deserve to have their stories told.
That’s what this partnership is about.
Great restaurants honor great ingredients. The very best honor the people behind them.
MAASS
525 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
Fantastic! What a perfect partnership. I can’t wait to see it unfold.
This is fantastic Connor. Match made in heaven! Is he Japanese? If not he surely has the work ethic and pride element of the Japanese!!