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!