443433 Fri Sep 21 08:35:23 -0700 2007 11 12 Boston Area 0 2962810 After reading numerous posts on this and other foodie sites I found an occasion to try O-Ya. It was a business dinner with several guests from Japan so it was an ideal opportunity to give O-Ya a try. All I can say is Wow!! After having lived in Japan for almost 7 years and been traveling there for over 20 years I didn't think Boston would ever have a Japanese restaurant of this level. I have to warn anyone who is thinking of going there that it is not a cheap place to eat but if you enjoy and appreciate excellent Japanese food you should not miss O-Ya. There were five of us in our party and after study the menu for awhile we just decided to go with an Omakase course after consulting with the waiter about an upper price per person limit of about $125.00. The following are some of the the twelve different courses we were served. Each one seemed to be better than the previous one but when we got to the twelfth course of Foie Gras with a chocolate Kabayaki sauce served with a sip of aged saki everyone agreed that this was the absolute best of the best. (1) Kumamoto Oyster served with watermelon pearls, cucumber mignonette. One oyster perfectly fresh with these delicious toppings. (2) Peruvian style Chu Toro Tataki with cilantro pesto. (3) Warm Eel with Thai Basil and fresh Kyoto sansho. This was my second favorite item on the menu. (4) Wild Bluefin Otoro with wasabi oil and green onion. Absolutely perfect O-Toro!! (5) Kin Medai with white soy ginger and lemon oil. These are just a sampling of what we enjoyed but I would say that all of the rest were also very, very good too. O-Ya also has a very impressive list of sakes. One of the co-owners, Nancy, is also very knowledgeable about sake and was very helpful in assisting us to select a couple during our dinner. The dessert selections are probably the weakest part of the menu offerings but the Wild Berry Crunch with sake sabayon, soy milk and marscapone creme was outstanding. The check for the five of us including two and a half bottles of rather expensive sake came to slightly over $600.00. Certainly expensive but well worth the price considering the quality of the food and the excellent and attentive service. Now all I need are more excuses to entertain business clients so I can return to O-Ya as soon as possible. Fri Sep 21 08:35:23 -0700 2007 17193 RoyRon 1 2962864 Thank you for taking the time to post about your experience. It sounds great. I still haven't gotten there for omakase, but your post makes my mouth water! Fri Sep 21 08:47:32 -0700 2007 2962810 15217 gini 1 2964494 interesting... i ate at o-ya not too long ago and the two thoughts i had were 1) why didn't i just go to uni? and 2) this is way overpriced 600 for five omakase sounds nothing like i experienced when i went... this is very encouraging and i will certainly return. Fri Sep 21 15:24:28 -0700 2007 2962810 28475 bowmore36 2 2965708 I spent about three hundred recently for two, but that did include about hundred worth of sake. We did $100.00 omakase each and were very happy with the meal. Attentive service, fantastic food, chill vibe. Too much bloody Elvis on the stereo though. Sat Sep 22 08:43:13 -0700 2007 2964494 20717 sailormouth 1 2965116 I love O-Ya and I'm glad to hear that you did too. I love that otoro with the green onions and I've also had the oyster with the watermelon which was delicious. I think this place is great for its especially fresh fish and inventive preparations. I have also always been a cheerleader for Uni but right now O-Ya holds a special place in my heart. Fri Sep 21 20:31:21 -0700 2007 2962810 12702 lissy 2 2965822 I too enjoyed o-ya, but my one gripe was that when you get an omakase they do not do anything cooked. Last time i went I asked for a few cooked courses and did not receive any, and dessert courses were not include. I also wish the service was more knowledgeable for the money spent. Places that charge around that much for a dining experience have much better, more professional, and more knowledgeable service. Places i put in that category are Clio, No 9, Radius. Sat Sep 22 09:43:54 -0700 2007 2965116 13110 jpeso 3 2965909 I visited recently and thought our waiter was completely competent, service-wise. He wasn't gushing and he did forget to bring us plates at one point but he was fine. For outstanding servers who know every single detail about the food, I am very impressed with Troquet. Sat Sep 22 10:18:20 -0700 2007 2965822 10232 yumyum 3 2966190 It's still relatively new and it's not "normal" food so I'm sure wait staff there need more ramp up time than for the French places mentioned. The guys I've had waiting on me there were all friendly, unobtrusive and, most importantly, were not shy about asking for help. I had wagyu with my most recent omakase, quite good (Nelson says: "ha ha"). Sat Sep 22 12:15:33 -0700 2007 2965822 20717 sailormouth 3 2968557 The service has been outstanding and knowledgeable every time we have dined at O Ya, Sun Sep 23 15:27:32 -0700 2007 2965822 13687 Gabatta 1 2969254 We decided to head in for a spontaneous visit on Saturday night. Our second visit in a few months. Not an everyday kind of spot at these prices, but the quality of the food and creativity of the menu are spectacular. Had the chutoro tataki - excellent. Favorite dish of the night was the sea urchin with aji and a "ceviche vinaigrette" that almost had us asking for a spoon or something to sop up the delicious sauce. Also really enjoyed the smoked duck tataki. The music is indeed still classic rock. Doesn't quite fit, but it's a personal expression by the owners. As much as the decor, service and creative food. Worrisome, and I'm wondering if someone in the business can shed some light, was the size of the crowd on a Saturday night. We decided to head over at 7:30 and try our luck. Several empty tables at that time and we got two great seats at the bar. Seems the Boston audience hasn't taken to O-Ya like one would hope. Nice to get a seat on a Saturday night...but I'm hoping these guys make it. Any insight? Sun Sep 23 20:07:57 -0700 2007 2962810 11494 edgrimley 2 2969726 Just a guess ... on my first and only visit it seemed like the place was full of people who worked in the area. Financial types. It was a weekday and it was full. I wonder if it's always less busy on weekends? Any regulars know for sure? Mon Sep 24 06:04:36 -0700 2007 2969254 10232 yumyum 2 2969788 I also share your concern about the lack of consisistent #'s and wonder if Boston can support this type of place. In my opinion the music not only "doesn't fit", it's awful. Mon Sep 24 06:33:26 -0700 2007 2969254 127425 XBG07