o ya (Boston)

I asked for a no finned fish “omakase” menu, which they were kind enough to accommodate

1. kumamoto oyster w/ watermelon pearls, cucumber mignonette (good, clean flavor, but way too much cucumber)
2. White asparagus w/ sake butter, summer truffle (my favorite bite of the night, explosive flavor)
3. Hokkaido sea urchin & caviar w/ uni shoyu, fresh lemon zest (fine, simple)
4. Smoked mixed baby carrot w/ ito togarashi, dill (sneaky heat balances out the sweet and smoky flavors, really excellent)
5. Ume shiso handroll (fine, not memorable)
6. Baby bok choy w/ house soy moromi, ginger scallion oil (fine, good vegetal flavors)
7. Housemade fingerling potato chip w/ truffle vegan aioli, summer truffle (awesome, nice crunch and not too heavy handed with the truffle)
8. Fried mookiemoto oyster w/ yuzu kosho aioli, squid ink bubbles (fun and creative but slightly underwhelming)
9. Kyoto style morel mushrooms w/ garlic, sake, soy (so simple but so perfect, they nailed the texture and flavor)
10. Foie spoon w/ karashi miso, preserved yuzu (wanted to like this more than I did, tasted like foie gras dippin’ dots ice cream – yes, it was frozen)
11. Avocado tartare w/ ceviche viniagrette, onion seeds (really good, surprising levels of heat complemented the creamy texture)
12. Tsukemono w/ seasonal pickles (good texture but nothing crazy, salt was the predominant flavor)
13. Kale ohitashi w/ black sesame miso (earthy, nutty flavor, not my favorite)
14. Snap pea kakiage w/ herb dashi (insanely bitter, easily my least favorite course)
15. Braised diakon nimono w/ summer truffle, crispy radish (fine, wanted more going on)
16. Miso soup w/ mushrooms, wakame, tofu (this one grew on me, didn’t like it at first but was slurpin by the end)
17. Warm pea leaves & caviar w/ plankton butter, lemon (very rich, great flavor, nice rebound from some underwhelming courses)
18. A5 Japanese seared wagyu w/confit onion, yuzu kosho, soy maple (my first time having A5 wagyu and now I understand the hype, insane texture and flavor)
19. Foie gras w/ kabayaki sauce, pairing sip (complementary madeira was a nice touch but the texture of the foie was unexpectedly firm and not as flavorful as other foie I’ve had)
20. Strawberry dusted mini mochi donuts w/ lime zest (fine, mochi is not my preferred style of donut)

Overall, I really enjoyed my meal here. Not every course was a winner, but there’s so much to like. There’s a lot of hype for this place to win a Michelin star, given that the new guide is coming out in the fall. I think it’ll earn one, but you never know with places like this. In my opinion, o ya surpasses Gramercy Tavern* in NYC, Barley Swine* in Austin, and Boka* in Chicago (as examples), but it’s pretty unique in its irreverent, sometimes over-the-top, omakase experience. It’s already fairly polarizing in the local fine dining community.

The servers were knowledgable, approachable, and engaging, but there’s a casualness to the place that might turn off inspectors. The music was all 70s/80s light rock. At $295 before tax and tip, it’s a tad expensive for what you get (not sure if this is the case for the menu with finned fish included), but it’s the only place around that offers a fun, non-traditional omakase experience. I welcome any questions about the experience!