Hailed by New York Times' Frank Bruni as the best new restaurant in the US, I felt compelled on my trip to Boston this past weekend to try it. Best? In Boston? This tiny unassuming eatery steps from Boston's South Station rocked my culinary world. Sorry Momofuku Ko, but O ya kicks your ass and I dare say, less expensive although certainly not cheap. If you follow the server's suggestion to pick six small dishes (each really one or two bites) expect to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 without drinks) And you can actually get a reservation, through OpenTable no less. My friend and I ignored his suggestions (we felt neither rich nor ravenous) and ordered eight small dishes to share. Here's the descriptions of what we ordered from the menu in the order they were served, and my notes:
MISO chanterelle and shiitake mushrooms, tofu - sounds prosaic but simply the best miso soup I've ever had, a good indicator of things ahead...
CLAM CHOWDER tempura bits, potato, kurobuta pork fat drizzle and cracklin's - also a great soup, but let's face it, lots of places make a good clam chowder. It was the little crunchy bits on top that were exciting.
WARM BRAISED SHIITAKE MUSHROOM nigiri with anise hysop, truffle honey sauce - this is when we both started getting excited. Theorginality of ingredients, complexity and balance of flavors were truly outstanding.
FRIED KUMAMOTO OYSTER yuzu kosho aioli, squid ink bubbles - normally I am not impressed by the preciousness of these kinds of dishes especially with a blackish foam bubble on top but again, brilliantly executed, perfectly fried.
GRILLED SASHIMI OF CHANTERELLE & SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS rosemary garlic oil, sesame froth, homemade soy - Normally I wouldn't have order this especially at $24, but Frank Bruni was particularly enamoured of this dish so I was willing to give it a go. Mushrooms are often treated as an afterthought or a side dish in most restaurants, but o ya really hit the nail on the head.
YUZU BRINED BALLOTINE OF CHICKEN WING napa cabbage & shiitake stuffing, homemade kimchee - terrific texture a little crunchy, offset nicely by the light kimchee underneath.
ONSEN EGG dashi sauce, truffle salt, homemade pickled garlic - my friend was so-so about this but I absolutely loved the freshness and simplicity of this dish, a perfectly soft poached egg with an original seasoning combination.
SHISO TEMPURA WITH GRILLED LOBSTER charred tomato, ponzu aioli - I was a little hesitant about shiso tempura- I mean a battered leaf? Again delicious.
As for beverages, this is the first time I have encountered sparkling sake. We ordered a delightful glass of Moon Rabbit, light, citrusy and refreshing. I would describe it as a cross between a dessert wine, champagne and vinho verde.
We rounded off our meal by sharing the raw chocolate gelato with caramel, sea salt and sesame seeds - a very nice combination with the sesame providing a slightly unique and not unpleasant twist.
We were surprised to learn the chef Tim Cushman never had formal culinary training (good for you Tim!) but instead worked in the kitchens of Nobu and all over Asia.
