o ya, boston….second time back

We returned to O Ya.  Well I did, Emily had never been.  I love this place.  If it was in NYC, I'd probably go too often.  Because O Ya is in Boston, I can enjoy the whole experience only once in a while.  Sitting at the bar is key.  To watch the chefs prepare each dish is part of the fun.  Incredible attention to detail and the flavors are unique.  We chose what we wanted but I must come back with Fred (who would love this place) and let the chef bring it on.

I ordered a bottle of the Mukune sake which was layered yet light.  There are many sakes to choose from which is another added bonus.  Our first course out was sliced salmon topped with a mixture of unfiltered wheat soy moromi, yuzu and scallions.  Emily took one bite and said "I have not tasted anything this good in a long time."  

Second was sea urchin.  Emily doesn't do sea urchin so I ate them both.  Woah.  Santa Barbara sea urchin with sliced piece of blood orange and a homemade soy mixed with fresh wasabi.  Unbelievable melt in your mouth.  The citrus just cut through the urchin and created an incredible flavor combo.  

Third was two pieces of Peruvian style Toro.  Toro that had been seared with an aji panca sauce and cilantro pesto.  Really interesting flavors.  Tasted like a South American barbecue.  

Fourth our was eel.  Warm eel with a variety of Japanese flavors and names that I can't even give you a definition for in terms of flavor.  Kabayaki and fresh Kyoto sansha.  What came out loud and clear was the Thai basil.  The basil hit your senses just a few seconds after you popped the eel in your mouth.  Tasty.  

Fifth was Scottish Salmon sashimi in a spicy sesame ponzu sauce with scallion oil.  Delish with a nice kick.

Sixth was more toro.  Our waiter recommended this.  Wild bluefin Toro with a dollop of a Georgia herb sauce.  Not sure what Georgia herb sauce is but it tastes like a combination of interesting herbs with a pesto consistency.  Really good.  

Seventh was hamachi tartare.  A cylinder of chopped hamachi sitting in a sauce of ginger jus topped with a spicy chile oil.  

Eighth was simple with a true hit of wasabi.  Wild Bluefin Otoro with wasabi oil and lots of green onions.

For our ninth, we moved into pork.  Tea brined fried pork ribs with a hot sesame oil, honey and scallions.   Fall off the bone yet crispy at the same time.  

Our last before dessert was a rock shrimp dish.  They had taken a bunch of rock shrimp and fried them together so I almost thought it was butterflied shrimp.  This is served in misuba, fresh yuzu zest and topped with a warm sesame mayo.  

At this point I spoke to the chef about the beautiful eggs he was cracking.  Perfectly cooked soft boiled eggs that he cracked and they came out whole and shiny.  They cook them at 62 degrees in water for 4-5 hours.  They set after about an hour but can hang out for that long.  He said I could try simmering eggs for 30 minutes at the same temperature and could probably create the same thing.  I am going to try this at home. 
Then out came dessert.  Deconstructed Boston Creme pie.  The cake part is soaked in some type of alcohol with a coca crumble, sesames on the side and shavings of dark and white chocolate.  Interesting. 

All and all we had a great meal.  See how every physical plate is different.  The attention to detail is impressive.  Not only was the food good, the atmosphere is nice, Beatles music only and watching the performance behind the bar is worth the price of admission alone.  Considering I haven't been back for two years and O Ya is still rocking says it all.