O Ya

»O Ya… Consistency whittled down to the dull art of repetition; or One and Done

Last weekend we went to O Ya for the second (and last) time. The first time we had been was three years ago shortly after O Ya opened.

We went back this past weekend. This time we elected to get the “Grand Tasting Menu,” weighing in at a whopping $275 dollars and 21 courses. It was our 10th anniversary, so it seemed reasonable to get what we liked. This was a mistake.

One of the first...+READ Last weekend we went to O Ya for the second (and last) time. The first time we had been was three years ago shortly after O Ya opened.

We went back this past weekend. This time we elected to get the “Grand Tasting Menu,” weighing in at a whopping $275 dollars and 21 courses. It was our 10th anniversary, so it seemed reasonable to get what we liked. This was a mistake.

One of the first things we noticed when we were there, were the number of dishes that were the same as the last time we were there three years ago. The entirety of the meal proved that O Ya had indeed managed the difficult to attain goal of “consistency,” but had whittled it down to the dull art of repetition. This was a shock, because when you’re paying that kind of money, you are paying largely for inventiveness. It appears that the chefs at O Ya had a burst of inventiveness a few years ago, and since then have resorted primarily to repetition. Even the last time I was there, I do remember being surprised that the menu we were offered was identical to the one a friend had gotten several months earlier. This is surprising because O Ya is a sushi restaurant; sushi restaurants typically rely on whatever is freshest to drive the menu. This is not the case with O Ya, at O Ya, the recipes dictate the menu, not the fish. This is one of the gripes that sushi purists (which I am not) have about this type of sushi restaurant—that the additional preparation dilutes one’s ability to appreciate the fish, and at worse masks low quality fish. I would not say that the quality of the fish was bad, but it is not the best, and at a sushi restaurant that dares to charge $275/person, it should be the best—regardless of the fanciness of the dressings.

There were two dishes where the fish really was outstanding (2 of 21), the wild ivory king salmon with spicy lemongrass curry sauce, toasted garlic and sesame, and the shima aji (amber jack) with Santa Barbara sea urchin, ceviche vinaigrette, and cilantro. However, to appreciate the amber jack, you had to remove the sea urchin, which totally overwhelmed the amber jack.

That brings us to another point. There were two dishes with sea urchin (uni). The uni was clearly not live uni, which just doesn’t seem right at an ultra-high end sushi restaurant. I realize that there are times when uni is not in season, but it seems like a restaurant like O Ya shouldn’t serve it when it’s out of season and not fresh—particularly when it is not additive and masks the taste of fresher fish.

The second issue, is again with quality of ingredients, and a bit of near-misrepresentation. Two of the “courses” said they had Ossetra caviar—from the black river. You might reasonably think, and particularly at $275/person, that this would be real osetra caviar, from the Caspian or the black sea. But in fact it is not. That was immediately proved out upon tasting it; it had none of the rich nuttiness of real osetra caviar. Instead it had a briny, sea taste, even a little fishy. Not at all what I had hoped for. Further research shows that the Black river has nothing to do with the Black sea (very clever marketing though, as people might assume such a relationship). In fact, this Black river—or rather Rio Negro—appears to be in Uruguay, the caviar harvested from Russian born sturgeon farmed in Uruguay. I am a caviar purist, and I love really good caviar. I do enjoy the lesser varieties too, and have served them in my home. But when I serve them, I feel duty-bound to refer to the origin of the caviar, both location and type of fish, since it does help people to set their expectations. Clearly no such compunction governs O Ya. The caviar was served in one instance with sea urchin, in which case the bite was a mushy mess of fishiness. In the other instance, it was served on top of an “onsen” egg, which looked to be a slow-cooked egg with a partially set yolk. In the latter instance, it was so sad to have the lesser quality caviar, because the egg was very good and would have been perfectly augmented with real osetra. But the much harsher, fishier taste of the black river caviar only detracted.

I was impressed with one piece of sourcing that O Ya did. There was a lovely dish of a sea scallop served with sake sea urchin jus, chervil and Australian winter perigord truffle. The dish itself was wonderful, and the slice of the Australian truffle was wonderful, a wonderful option for when black truffles are not in season in the Northern hemisphere. We had just returned from Italy, where we got our fill of the Tuscan “bianchetto” truffles, which are much milder in flavor, and this black truffle was a real treat.

Before I close, I have to talk a little about price, because this is honestly one of the biggest issues I have with this meal. Our meal at O Ya rang in at $830 with tip (we were not overly generous as we didn’t think the meal or service merited it, giving only %15). $830 included two $275/person Grand Tasting Menus, one $12 glass of bad, cheap champagne, on $12 bottle of sparkling water (we would have gotten more, but were offended that we were being soaked on water, on a meal that would weigh in near $1000), and $120 sake pairing. I’d like to put this cost into perspective. 275/person is more than it costs to eat at Alinea in Chicago, which rings in at $250/person for 24 courses. Alinea is a 3-star Michelin restaurant and deserves every point of each star, and perhaps more, for every facet of the meal. Alinea is the best meal I have ever had—by leaps and bounds. I would love to go on about Alinea, and how truly wonderful it is, but this is a review about O Ya. The point about Alinea is, if we had both gotten the sake tasting (as we both got the wine pairings at Alinea), this meal would have cost us the same as Alinea, with far inferior food, alcohol and service. Perhaps you are saying that this is not a fair comparison, Alinea is not a sushi restaurant. OK, so let’s compare O Ya to some sushi restaurants. Sushi Yasuda, in NYC cost us less than $200 for two omakase, and 3 carafes of sake. Sushi Yasuda is the best sushi I have ever eaten, where the fish is literally orders of magnitude better than any other fish, and where even the rice is a wonder. Uni, the sashimi bar at Clio in Boston, typically sets us back about $350. At Uni, the fish drives the menu, making the omakase different and interesting, and the wines exceptionally well-chosen. Uni is always a pleasant experience that I savor; at O Ya, rather than anticipating the remaining courses, I felt held hostage by them. Oishii too, in Boston, is a much better value for the Omakase, and is much more inventive.

The final insult at O Ya came at the end of the meal, and came as a one-two punch. First, they asked us if we would like to see the dessert menu. Really? A $275 Grand tasting menu doesn’t include dessert? I had just assumed that they didn’t do desserts, and that the foie gras and chocolate nigiri was our dessert. But nope, you can have dessert, you just have to pay a little more. And then the final insult. We were presented our bill, without anything acknowledgement of our 10-year anniversary—this despite the facts that the person who showed us to our table confirmed the reason for our visit, and that O Ya does engage in such “pedestrian” traditions, as we saw by the people next to us were brought a surprise birthday dessert.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (66 Replies) (by divinemissmoe, created July 20, 2011)

O Ya

Full review with pictures in blog, text as below:

http://uhockey.blogspot.com/2011/06/o-ya-boston-ma.html

Save for the newly appointed Restaurant at Meadowood the only stateside Michelin 3-Star I’ve not yet been is MASA and considering how frequently I visit New York this is admittedly no accident. Call me crazy or call me unrefined but when you grow up in the Midwest the difference...+READ O Ya

Full review with pictures in blog, text as below:

http://uhockey.blogspot.com/2011/06/o-ya-boston-ma.html

Save for the newly appointed Restaurant at Meadowood the only stateside Michelin 3-Star I’ve not yet been is MASA and considering how frequently I visit New York this is admittedly no accident. Call me crazy or call me unrefined but when you grow up in the Midwest the difference between fish here and the fish at almost any costal location is so profound that I just can not fathom spending nearly $500 (and not being allowed to take pictures) on “amazing” sushi when I could be nearly (or just as) impressed by a meal one quarter the price at a “good-to-great” costal sushi spot. With all that said, however, my interest was peaked when review after review and friend after friend told me Boston had something different – that there was a place doing “sushi” in a way that not only featured the freshest fish and designer ingredients but also found a way to make the food and experience something totally different and entirely unlike anything else out there; that place was O Ya.

A frequent reader of Food and Wine plus many blogs and newspaper articles I’d obviously heard of O Ya – it was hard to miss given the fact that the small location in Boston’s leather district had once been named The Best New Restaurant in America by Bruni and owner/chef Tim Cushman had nabbed Food & Wine’s Best New Chef award the same year. With the restaurant seating a mere three-dozen my reservations were made far in advance and even despite my late hour of arrival the place was packed throughout my visit –some folks drinking a bit of sake and eating a couple plates while others opted to indulge in the $250 long-style tasting menu and any combination in between. Having requested a seat at the sixteen stool bar I arrived slightly early for my reservation and greeted by Nancy Cushman and a pair of hostesses my bag was taken and I was led quickly to the seat I would inhabit for the next 160 blissful minutes.

With my seat directly before one of the three sushi chefs and my water filled by an astute young man who would keep me filled to the brim throughout the meal the next person to greet me would be my captain of the evening, Jessica, who presented the luxury tasting menu along with the a la carte menu and a sake/wine list. Explaining to me also that there was the option for a chef’s omakase that could be constructed for $160 and tailored to the diner’s likes while focusing on the restaurants signatures and whatever was most fresh I spent a few minutes deciding and eventually opted for the omakase as opposed to the luxury menu largely because the luxury contained two beef courses, but also because I decided putting myself in the chefs’ hands with the notes of “no beef, but as many foie gras courses as they would like to serve” seemed like a grand idea.

With Jessica returning to the kitchen after a smile and a “good choice,” the meal would start slow as the overhead stereo delighted with Radiohead and Led Zeppelin bouncing about the high ceiling of the former firehouse and as I waited for my first course I would be pleasantly entertained not only by the sushi chefs and action in the largely visible kitchen, but also by the smiles, oohs, and aahs of nearly everyone around me. With dish after dish presenting something new and unique – certainly not your standard salmon on some sticky rice – I watched with great interest as items were torched, sous-vided, grilled, foamed, sliced, seared, and assembled. While not as interactive as many of the sushi bars I have seen, the level of skill was undeniable and during the rare moments when the sushi chefs were not working on a specific plate they were smiling, conversant, and clearly enjoying their clients reactions to the complex flavors of each and every dish.

Seated for perhaps twenty minutes hoping that each impressive creation that passed before my eyes would be included in my menu, my first bite of O Ya was a single Kumamoto Oyster with watermelon pearls and cucumber mignonette. Served on ice and bracing in its sweet/salty balance punctuated by a creamy gush on biting into the oyster this was the sort of raw oyster that even I, a man generally unimpressed by uncooked mollusks, could learn to like.
With the pacing tending towards a new plate every 7-10 minutes my second of the twenty courses would be Hamachi with spicy banana pepper mousse – an intriguing preparation with the lightly torched fish characteristically clean and a bit smoky, but with extra “oomph” added by the acidic sweetness of the pepper that brought out some of the more flavorful notes of the otherwise mild fish.

Noting in advance my overall blasé feeling for both salmon and overpowering citrus flavor, course three would be my least favorite of the night and – to be fair – the only dish out of twenty that didn’t work for me. Titled Salmon with unfiltered wheat soy moromi and yuzu the salmon was reportedly wild caught and actually quite good in texture and flavor; what didn’t work for me however was the bracing fermented wheat and yuzu combination which smelled something akin to waterless hand sanitizer – not a good thing and even with the characteristic heft of salmon totally overwhelming.

With that single disagreeable bite behind me the next sixteen savories would literally serve as a perception altering foray into the world of Chef Cushman and teams’ brilliance – the first eye opener entitled “Warm eel with thai basil, kabayaki, fresh Kyoto sansho.” Served over slightly sweetened rice and indeed warm I was explained that this slice of eel was originally dipped in soy and then broiled prior to a quick pan searing of the skin to create a dramatic effect with the fish crispy on one side and creamy on the other. Not settling for a simple great piece of eel the addition of sansho and thai basil gave the bite an earthy flavor with top notes resembling anise that melded well with the unctuous flavor of the fish.

Next up – a slice of chutoro as thin, fatty, and as perfect as one would expect. Described as “Peruvian style kindai bluefin chutoro tataki with aji panca sauce and cilantro pesto” this was one of my favorite courses of the night and having never heard of aju panca in the past I was told it was a form of sweet Peruvian pepper the chef fancied for pairing with more subtle fishes, particularly tuna, and all-in-all I must say it was an inspired choice acting to not only accent the buttery fish but to also serve counterpoint to the bold flavor of the pesto.

Arriving sixth would be a dish I couldn’t help but hear my neighbors gushing over and although it really did not seem like much at first the moment I tasted “Homemade Russian fingerling potato chip with summer truffle” I immediately understood why. Featuring a single razor thin chip, crisp and buttery as possible and topped with nothing but a bit of chive, crème fraiche, and a slice of truffle this was simplicity done well – chips and dip perfected – all perched peculiarly atop hand formed sushi rice.

Following the chip, Wild Santa Barbara spot prawn with garlic butter, white soy, and preserved yuzu was a relatively straight forward presentation and with the jellied yuzu intensely sweet to offset the punchy garlic this snappy torched shrimp was delicate and flavorful yet nicely balanced with a saline top note from a quick paint-brushing of white soy prior to service.

Reverting back to the first course and amongst my favorite bites of the menu, dish eight would present Fried Kumamoto Oyster with yuzu kosho aioli and squid ink bubbles. An extremely dynamic presentation both to the eyes and to the mouth this morsel featured a single oyster – tempura crisp and buttery outside but liquid, briny, and slightly sweet within topped with a frothy amalgam of tart citrus, a bit of spice, and a lot of brine that permeated the nostrils the moment it entered the mouth and clung to the palate well after the bite was gone. I could have (and should have) ordered an a la carte round of these simply to experience it again.

Nearing the midway point of the menu, Kyoto style morel mushrooms with garlic and soy was a great followup to the oyster in its earthy simplicity – no tricks, no gimmicks, just an excellent morel with some traditional seasoning and rice – if you like morels you would like this dish and from my standpoint I like morels as much as I like truffles and this meaty specimen wad excellent.

For my next course I was granted a gift – the only dish of the evening not on the menu and described by Jessica as “something the chef has been working with – he wanted to send this out since you said you like foie gras; he calls it Foie Gras spoon with miso and yuzu.” Served as stated on a wooden spoon I’d actually seen something similar to this before at Alinea and on inquiring how it was done the technique was confirmed as the foie was first house cured, then blanched and frozen before being pushed through a sieve and then dehydrated to form the creamy microspheres that melted on the tongue into a creamy pool lightly accented with savory miso and candied yuzu.

Course eleven would arrive on hand-blown glass plate and was titled Shima Aji and Hokkaido Sea Urchin ceviche vinaigrette with cilantro – it would be the heftiest flavor of the evening save for the final savory and also amongst the most refined services of a jack fish or mackerel that I have experienced. With rosy flesh and silver scale plus a ribbon of fat betraying its cold water sourcing the fish itself was slightly sweet and firm yet supple – a truly perfect specimen – but what truly put the plate over the top was the urchin vinegar pairing with the two distinct flavors literally melting into one indescribable taste that only punctuated the complexity of the fish.

With the restaurant now starting to empty as the hour neared 10:30 the soundtrack slowly shifted to some heavier more modern tunes including the Silversun Pickups and Pearl Jam and with that my next course would arrive in a steaming basket. Annotated as “Arctic Char – yuzu cured with smoked sesame brittle, cumin aioli, cilantro” this warmed preparation was uncovered at presentation and with a puff of steam the air immediately filled with a smoky grilled aroma yet the dish itself would be merely warm as the scent lied beneath. Meaty and flavorful, slightly sweet but more so a mélange of spices and a lovely balance of textures from the smooth fish, crunchy brittle, and creamy aioli – another resounding success.

For lucky number thirteen another sashimi course would arrive – this time Kindai Bluefin Tuna Tataki with smoky pickled onion and truffle oil. Another return to more traditional flavors and topped with strings of daikon the tuna itself was as good as one would expect at a restaurant such as O Ya while the savory onion and aromatic truffle oil served to accentuate the more “meaty” tones of the fish.

With the tastes and textures now clearly progressing towards the heavier end of the spectrum my request for a foie gras heavy menu would be realized with three of the last six savories – the first of which was “Seared diver scallop and Foie gras, Shiso grapes, Vin Cotto,” an intriguing “surf n’ turf” served on a nearly eighteen inch long plate. Starting first with the scallop and foie gras my favorite aspect of this dish was the manner in which Cushman chose to prepare them nearly identically – cool at the base and crispy caramelized atop (though the foie was notably sous vided prior to meeting the pan) – a unique flavor contrast to be sure. With the proteins at the centered and minimally adorned the next step in this plate’s success was the ‘choose your own adventure’ aspect of it; an open invitation to explore the nuances of the scallop and liver with toppings including tangy vinegar, tiny grapes dotted with bits of shiso paste, and a thick puree of what I believe was chestnut and spices – this would be the first time in the meal I utilized my fork and knife, largely because I didn’t want it to go to fast.


Next up, “Shiso tempura with grilled lobster, charred tomato and ponzu aioli,” a dish that seemingly took notes from Chef Thomas Keller’s playful manner of undermining the ‘wow-factor’ of lobster by naming other ingredients first, yet in this case appropriate given the impact of the crispy leaf of savory shiso on the dish – an impact that when combined with the creamy ponzu and smoky tomato lent this dish a nearly “BLT” tone with a lot more pizzazz.

Course sixteen would be one of the most talked about on O Ya’s continuous rotation partially because of Bruni’s glowing review of it but also because it really is quite good. Titled Grilled Chanterelle and Shitake mushroom sashimi with rosemary garlic oil, sesame froth, soy and featuring lightly sautéed strips of sliced mushroom tinged with notes of both soy and rosemary for myself the highlight of this dish was actually the “froth” – the very essence of woodsy mushrooms and earth with crunchy bits of sesame punctuating the otherwise creamy and smooth experience.

Originally Chinese but now adopted by Japanese culture as well, gyoza seemed a logical choice for the O Ya menu and if one is going to make dumplings why not fill it with something delicious – and top it with something equally excellent? Entitled Foie Gras gyoza with Kyoto sansho and pink peppercorns, course seventeen would prove to be the most substantial of the meal and also the most spicy. With the dumplings nearly translucent and the creamy filling also used as garnish the sapor of liver was notable throughout, yet by utilizing the peppercorn/sansho/crisp bacon garnish there was nothing simple or one-dimensional about this plate and as a matter of fact despite not generally enjoying a lot of heat this may have been my favorite uses of whole peppercorns ever.

For my “final savory” of the evening I was served Tea Brined Fried Pork Ribs with hot sesame oil, honey, and scallions, a relatively straight forward dish with a pleasant balance of sweet and spice overlying crisp skin, succulent meat, and melting cartilage.

Having noted that the prior dish was my final savory, dessert was next – and it too contained Foie Gras. With a slender glass arriving first and filled with a shot of 13 year old sake the final course of my omakase was titled “Foie gras with balsamic chocolate kabayaki, raisin cocoa pulp, sip of aged sake” and like the rest of O Ya’s signatures it did not disappoint. Perfectly seared and served still sizzling the foie itself was lovely while the combination of raisin, cocoa, and balsamic lent a sweet and aromatic top note that only became more pronounced with a sip of the semi-sweet sake.

With the clock reaching 11:15 my server would arrive to ask if I’d like to try dessert and never one to pass on at least looking at the menu I knew the moment I saw it that the Tres Leches soaked Boston Crème Pie with cocoa crumble and sesame was a must. Priced at $12 and served as a sort of angel food cake with cream filling absolutely drenched in sweet milk and resting atop crumbled chocolate cake laced with notes of soy and cinnamon everything about this plate simply worked. Complex – for sure. The best Boston Crème Pie I had in Boston? Without a doubt – and in a trip that contained a number of stellar desserts it was certainly the most unique.

With the bill paid (well less than half the cost of MASA or Urasawa for those keeping tally) and a menu collected I made my way to the hostess stand after a bow from the sushi chefs and a “thank you for coming” from Nancy and within moments I was tucked into a cab en route for my hotel with not only some great food in my belly and some great memories in my mind, but also a new found appreciation for sushi and a new member of the Top-10 meals I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy in the United States.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (78 Replies) (by uhockey, created July 3, 2011)

»O Yeah!

Walked in Christmas week and was squeezed in between reservations by accomodating owner/hostess. Meal was amazing. Nine tiny plates (quit after 8-sooooo full). Highlights: hamachi, braised pork, fried oyster, clam chowder, scallop sashimi. It just kept coming and delighting. I would go back in an instant. Urusawa (LA) at half the price. (by Paul Matteucci, created December 26, 2009)