Restaurant Recap: O Ya, Boston, MA

The next time I complain about having bad luck, please remind me about the time I was lucky enough to snag bar seats at O Ya on a Friday night.

A few girlfriends and I decided to try O Ya, a Boston sushi restaurant famous for its creative preparations and impeccable presentation. We sat at the bar in full view of the theatre before us, watching three sushi chefs preparing a wide variety of dishes for each table of eager diners. Small, unassuming, and tucked away on East Street, a small side street off of Atlantic Ave., O Ya is the definition of hidden gem.

While I’d like to think that I have a way with words, I cannot pretend to have the talent to describe each of the preparations we sampled in O Ya’s Omakase, a 17-course tasting menu that can be customized to accommodate diners’ preferences. Every plate that came out had me saying, “There’s no way they’ll be able to top the last dish.” They made a liar out of me each and every time.

Paired with a few glasses of sparkling sake, here are the dishes we sampled in the Omakase, with a few additional plates added in along the way:

Kumamato Oyster – watermelon pearls, cucumber mignonette



Hamachi – spicy banana pepper mousse

Salmon Tataki – torched tomato, smoked salt, onion aioli

 

Warm Eel – Thai basil, kabayaki, fresh Kyoto sansho

Homemade Fingerling Potato Chip – burgundy truffle



Wild Santa Barbara Spot Prawn – garlic butter, white soy, preserved yuzu



Fried Kumamato Oyster – yuzu kosho aioli, squid ink bubbles

Wild Bluefin Maguro – soy braised garlic, micro greens

Kyoto Style Enoki Mushrooms – garlic, soy

Shima Aji & Santa Barbara Sea Urchin – ceviche vinaigrette, cilantro

Scottish Salmon – spicy sesame ponzu, yuzu kosho, scallion oil

Hamachi – viet mignonette, thai basil, shallot

Bluefin Tuna Tataki – smoky pickled onion, truffle oil

Shiso Tempura with Grilled Lobster – charred tomato, ponzu aioli

Eclectic Eel – tamago, foie gras, Kyoto sansho

Grilled Chanterelle & Shiitake Mushroom Sashimi – rosemary garlic oil, sesame froth, soy



Seared Petit Strip Loin of Wagyu Beef – smoked potato, grilled onion, fresh wasabi

Kushiyaki Of Strip Loin of Wagyu Beef – roasted onion, yuzu kosho, maple soy sauce



Foie Gras – balsamic chocolate kabayaki, Claudio corallo raisin cocoa pulp, sip of aged sake

We also tried three of the desserts:




Yuzu Curd – Almond, blackberry-jasmine, meringue

Warm Mochi cake – soy gelato, coconut kaffir, blackberry

Passion Fruit Mango – white chocolate coconut soy milk, lychee shiso

Chocolate Truffles

Other than the telephone number to call and make a reservation, there is little else you need to know about O Ya. Come in with an open mind and an empty stomach—O Ya will be one of the most memorable dining experiences you’ll have in Boston, and probably in your lifetime. Cheers!

Ingredient Spotlight – Tripe; Recipe – Tripe and Red Bean Stew

The other day, I had a craving for tripe…I am well aware that that’s a very odd thing for an American to say, but I love tripe. Its flavor is great, similar to a mild chicken liver, and it readily absorbs flavors of accompanying ingredients and sauces. Tripe’s texture is what makes it amazing. If you like the texture of barely-cooked sautéed calamari, you’ll love the texture of tripe! Thinly sliced in Vietnamese Pho, it blends in with the noodles and gives you a lovely, chewy surprise when you sink your teeth into it. In Spanish Callos, it adds a soft and silky counter to chorizo and morcilla, two dense, spicy sausages. In my recipe below, it simply satisfied my craving.

If you are unfamiliar with tripe, it is the lining of a cow’s stomach. If you’re put off by this, don’t be—if you’ve eaten sausage, you’ve eaten tripe. In fact, Wikipedia gives a list of global dishes containing tripe, and this list includes American breakfast sausage, which typically uses tripe as a filler. Most tripe sold in American markets is sold prepared, which means that it has already been dressed and pre-boiled. Even if it has been boiled, tripe benefits from slow cooking, so I boiled mine for an hour before adding it to the stew.

It may be hard to find tripe at your run-of-the-mill supermarket, but if you know of a good Italian or Latino market or butcher shop, you should be able to find good tripe.



Tripe and Red Bean Stew

For the Tripe:
1 lb. / 455 g honeycomb tripe
6 peppercorns
1-2 dried red chiles
Pinch salt
Water to cover

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about an hour. Drain, set aside until tripe is cool to the touch, then slice into thin strips.

 
For the Stew:
4 strips streaky bacon, chopped
1 small carrot, minced
1 large brown onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano chiles, minced
2 green peppers, chopped, divided
1 lb. / 455 g. fresh roma tomatoes, chopped
1 28 oz. / 822g can red beans (do not drain)
Tripe, cooked as prepared above
Generous pinch dried chipotle pepper
2 t. / 5 g. dried oregano
1 packet La Flor brand sazon (or another brand without MSG)
Splash water or chicken broth
Drizzle olive oil
Handful chopped cilantro

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over a medium flame and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon begins to crisp, then add the carrot, onion, garlic, Serrano chiles, and one of the chopped green peppers. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onion has softened.

Now, add the tomatoes, red beans, tripe, chipotle pepper, oregano, sazon, and water or chicken broth. Stir, then cover and reduce heat. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the remaining green pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped cilantro. This dish is delicious on its own, but is also wonderful served over seasoned rice.

* To purchase ingredients used in this recipe, click the link(s) below:

Frontier Herb 61965 Organic Chipotle Chili Peppers (Google Affiliate Ad)

Nutritional information (without rice): serves six. 230 calories, 6g fat, 28g carbohydrates, 19g protein

Campaign Cocktails for Debate Drinking

Ladies and gentlemen, Election Season 2012 is underway, and the first Presidential Debate is airing on Wednesday, October 3. Whether you’re a committed party member or just a committed partier, the Presidential Debates can provide loads of information—and, often unintentionally, loads of laughter.

Whether you’re genuinely interested in what the candidates have to say or if you’re just in it to play a few drinking games (remember “Palin Bingo?”), here are three cocktails that everybody can agree on: For the Lefty, the ALObama Slammer; for the Righty, the Mitt-tini; and for the Swing Voter, the Singapore Mudsling.


The ALObama Slammer

The traditional Alabama Slammer is made with Amaretto, Southern Comfort, and Orange Juice. In this version, we substitute Peach Lambic beer for the peach-flavored Southern Comfort, because we know our President likes his beer. This recipe serves two, because when it comes to good beer, it’s always nice to share your wealth.

2 shots amaretto
Orange juice
1 750 mL bottle Lindeman’s Peach Lambic

Divide the amaretto between two pint glasses. Add a splash of orange juice to each, and fill each glass with the Peach Lambic beer.



The Mitt-tini

Sometimes a candidate has to abandon ideals to appeal to his/her base, so this martini features a few things that your typical Mormon would frown upon, but on top is a float of Goldschlager, which contains flakes of gold. This recipe serves one—if someone else wants a sip, just say, “You didn’t build that!”

1 oz. vodka
½ t. cocoa powder
2 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. goldschlager

Combine the vodka, cocoa powder, and Kahlua in a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Pouring slowly and carefully over the back of a spoon, “float” the goldschlager atop the mixed drink so that you can see the gold flakes.


The Singapore Mudsling

This drink is for the person who can’t take the back-and-forth blame game or the mudslinging. Sometimes, all the lying and the finger-pointing and the half-truths will drive you to drink! This cross between a Singapore Sling and a Mudslide will do the trick. It serves two, and I must warn you that it’s deceptive strength may sneak up on you, so make sure you don’t drink too many and sleep through Election Day!

1 oz. dry gin
2 oz. pineapple juice
2 oz. coconut coffee creamer (SoDelicious is my favorite brand)
2 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. brandy from brandy-soaked cherries
4 brandy-soaked cherries
1 t. cocoa powder
Squeeze lime juice
Handful ice cubes
Lime wedges, to garnish
Sprinkle cocoa powder, to garnish

Blend all ingredients except the lime wedges in a blender—the drink will foam a bit, so pour immediately. Serve in margarita glasses, garnished with a lime wedge and a sprinkle of cocoa powder atop the foam.