Camberville Cuisine

It was my birthday yesterday! I am old! And Hyoun took me out to a place we’ve both been eyeing for a very long time now: O Ya. I never realized how close it was to where I work – if I angle my head correctly when I look out my office window, I can actually see it. This is probably very bad news for my future food budget; the only saving grace is that they don’t do lunch.

So we did the omakase, natch; as first timers, one glance at the lengthy menu assured me there was no way indecisive me would be able to narrow it all down and prioritize. And, well, who knew it would end up being 19 courses? Granted, each course was sized appropriately; with a couple of exceptions, no more than 2-3 generous mouthfuls per dish.

1. Kumamoto oyster: watermelon pearls, cucumber mignonette (sashimi).
2. Hamachi: banana pepper mousse (nigiri)
3. Salmon tataki: torched tomato, smoked salt, onion aioli (nigiri)
4. Warm eel: Thai basil, kabayaki, fresh Kyoto sansho (nigiri)
5. Homemade La Ratte potato chip: summer truffle (nigiri)
6. Spot prawn: garlic butter, white soy, preserved yuzu (nigiri)
7. Fried Kumamoto oyster: yushu kosho aioli, squid ink bubbles (nigiri)
8. Kyoto-style enoki mushrooms: garlic, soy (nigiri)
9. Bluefin maguro: soy-braised garlic, micro greens (nigiri)
10. Shima aji and sea urchin: ceviche vinaigrette, cilantro (sashimi)
11. Scottish salmon: spicy sesame ponzu, yuzu kosho, scallion oil (sashimi)
12. Onsen egg: dashi sauce, truffle salt, homemade pickled garlic (Hyoun hates eggs, so this one was all me :D )
13. Hamachi: viet mignonette, Thai basil, shallot (sashimi)
14. Bluefin tuna tataki: smoky pickled onion, truffle oil (sashimi)
15. Shiso tempura with grilled lobster: charred tomato, ponzu aioli
16. Grilled sashimi of chanterelle and shiitake mushrooms: rosemary garlic oil, sesame froth, homemade soy
17. Seared petit strip loin Wagyu beef: potato confit, sea salt, white truffle oil
18. Foie gras: Balsamic chocolate kabayaki, raisin cocoa pulp, sip of aged sake (nigiri)
19. I had the raw chocolate gelato with a sesame-caramel coating; Hyoun had the “afumagato” – raw coconut almond gelato with an espresso foam.

Everything was insanely delicious, but there were some standouts.

Probably the most surprising revelation was the Thai basil atop the eel. I’ve had eel many, many times now, some better than others, but almost always in the expected preparation with the kabayaki sauce. Adding the tang of the Thai basil made an old favorite new again.

I’m also not a big mushroom person, but the mushroom sashimi tasted amazing. It didn’t have that stomp-all-over-your-mouth flavor I associate with most cooked mushrooms; it was light, yet still identifiable as “mushroom.”

Wagyu beef? “Prepare it simply, then get out of its way” is the best philosophy for meat this good, and O Ya’s version is spectacular; moist and tender and flavorful.

And I’ve had foie gras in other sweet preparations before, primarily with fruits, so the raisins didn’t surprise me, but the addition of the chocolate gave it this extra savory dimension that I wasn’t expecting. As for the sake accompaniment, I didn’t know sake could be that sweet and taste that good – it was almost like icewine.

So, yeah; when’s our next special occasion excuse to come back? :)

O Ya. 9 East St, Boston. 617.654.9900.