boston restaurants: o

Yes I'm skipping ahead to "O" for Boston's best restaurants, but this is a secret I can no longer hide. O ya is hands-down my favorite restaurant in all of Boston. With steep prices and mostly two to three pieces per order (ranging from $8-38, with an exception of the $189.99 eight-ounce wagyu beef striploin), it is definitely a place for celebrations. T & I first headed to o ya for our 4-year anniversary, then I took my college roommate, Amanda, here when she visited from California, and this recent trip was to celebrate my birthday. Located in the small Leather District of Boston (yes, it exists), Tim and Nancy Cushman have been dazzling diners since 2007 in their loft-like open space that seats 17 at the bar, and only 20 at tables. Reservations for these highly-coveted seats can be made online for the bar, but seats at the tables must be called ahead (and be sure to 3 months in advance of the date you wish to dine). To make o ya even more accomplished, this year Tim Cushman received the James Beard best chef of the Northeast award and once again o ya landed on Boston Magazine's 50 Best Restaurants list (unsurprising really after you have had the honor of tasting their innovative combinations).

With a small sign hanging a block or so from South Station, and a large unmarked wooden door, at first you may think you have mistaken the directions...but you are correct, and behind this large door is a magical restaurant where you will have a magical evening.
 

 

With many menu options to choose from (including an omakase chef's tasting and a grand tasting menu), you have the option to either mark up the menu and let them be brought out as prepared, or order like a tapas menu, a few orders at a time while you enjoy and decide your next steps. We marked our menus up and handed them over, trying some new items as well as some of our favorites (you can find the menus here). If you are unsure, the waiters and waitresses are very knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly!

We started with the Nantucket bay scallop sashimi 

with a coconut broth, a nice light start with a little kick

Soy marinated salmon with truffle oil & green onion

Hamachi with a spicy banana pepper mousse

Artic char with yuzu cured, smoked sesame brittle, cumin aioli

 & cilantro (this arrives to your table still smoking, a real show-stopper)

Scottish salmon with spicy sesame ponzu,

 yuzu kosho & scallion oil (T's favorite)

 

  
It was somewhere around here that an older gentleman, that was apparently out with a rowdy bunch of friends, approached our table and simply said "I just want you to take this...please take this"...and handed over his gold mask...

Confused we moved our focus back to the food! 
Next was the hamachi with a harissa sauce

Wild ivory king salmon with a spicy lemongrass

 curry sauce, toasted garlic & sesame

 Venison tataki with porcini crema & ponzu oil (my favorite)

Wild Santa Barbara spot prawn with garlic 

butter, white soy & preserved yuzu

 Langoustine tempura with ao nori, spicy 

langoustine sauce & lemon zest

House smoked moullard duck tataki with

 foie gras kabayaki & arima sansho

House smoked wagyu with yuzu soy

Onsen egg with dashi sauce, truffle salt 

& homemade pickled garlic

 

Tea brined fried pork ribs with hot

 sesame oil, honey & scallions

Yuzu brined chicken wing ballotine with napa cabbage 

and shiitake stuffing & house ramp kimchee

Shrimp tempura with bacon truffle emulsion 

& scallion ginger oil (my second favorite)

 

After our savory dishes were complete, we happily 

waited for the birthday dessert...

a chocolate pudding cake with banana

 tempura & goma gelato 

Full & satisfied we headed home to drink some sparkling wine by 

the fire to complete the birthday celebrations for this year.

 

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simple weekend recap: edition 12

This weekend was spent celebrating my birthday a week early with some champagne...

 

and Swiss chocolate brought back by T...

 

before a dinner out at Blue Ginger on Saturday. 

Sunday night dinner was pot roast (recipe tomorrow)...

 

followed by snuggling up...

with homemade hot chocolate and 

vodka whipped cream (recipe Wednesday)!

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taj afternoon tea

Sunday warranted a trip to the Taj Boston's afternoon tea. The Taj Boston sits at the end of Newbury Street overlooking the Commons, in a very posh area (which is a great people-watching spot). There are two seatings, one at 1:30pm and the other at 3:30pm. We opted for the Taj Royale (menu here) and the cheese tasting along with 1 pot of Chai and 1 pot of English Breakfast. We enjoyed our finger-foods (with a room filled of middle-aged well-dressed women) while being serenaded by a violinist. Highlights included the smoked salmon & American caviar sandwich, the lobster profiterole, and the currant scone with Devonshire cream.

At the end of our mini-meal, as we were waiting for the check, the violinist began to play Happy Birthday. I looked up to see a candle-lit plate heading straight for me. My birthday is November 3, mind you, but I just cannot turn down a plateful of tasty pastries.

 
An extra little bonus I spotted in the ladies room: they were stocked with Molton Brown products (my favorite London soap brand, that I even fill my own home with)!

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simple weekend recap: edition 5

This past weekend T, Erin, & I went to the lake to celebrate T's 26th birthday and go to our yearly day at the Saratoga Race Track to see the horses.

After a late night of driving & a late morning of sleeping, I woke to have some of my meim's home-made potato & cheese pierogis.

 

 

 

After a day of relaxation...

We headed out to dinner followed by an evening of family portraits (of which, Erin obviously got bored within 3 pictures) & basketball!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our big work out, we relaxed by the lake while T's birthday cake thawed out!

 

 

 

 

 The next day, we went to the track where I stuck to my regular bets of $1 to show on the gray horses, the long-shots, and the names that stick out. Unfortunately, as usual, I walked away -$5. Dang. We headed home to grill and relax before heading home.

 

 

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