562932 Tue Oct 07 06:21:52 -0700 2008 10 12 Greater Boston Area 0 4087404 I believe that Asana opened maybe a couple of days ago, along with the opening of the new Mandarin Oriental on Boylston Street. Any reports yet? What is the menu like? Prices? Service? Tue Oct 07 06:21:52 -0700 2008 14771 hiddenboston 1 4087428 I just saw the glossy photo-essay in the Globe earlier this week (yesterday?). Looks like it will be priceeeee! I can only imagine what a room-service turkey club would cost at this place. Tue Oct 07 06:31:05 -0700 2008 4087404 10143 MC Slim JB 2 4088281 Is it open? Their restaurant in Manhattan - Asiate - is quite good, and certainly no more expensive than the competition downstairs. I'd guess the prices to fall somewhere between SDLT and l'Espalier, though I'm sure a turkey club runs about $24. Tue Oct 07 11:45:39 -0700 2008 4087428 102066 almansa 3 4088287 They are. I'm just not sure which day they opened....probably Saturday or Sunday? Tue Oct 07 11:47:19 -0700 2008 4088281 14771 hiddenboston 1 4088297 I just checked Open Table. They have tables for 2 available tonight @ 5:45 and 8PM. The description lists prices at "under $30." There is no menu available online. Tue Oct 07 11:50:51 -0700 2008 4087404 102066 almansa 1 4095387 Walked by last night. At 7:00 it was only about 10% full. At 9:00 it was about 75% full. Bar next door (M Bar and Lounge?) was a mob scene at both times. Fri Oct 10 07:56:14 -0700 2008 4087404 23783 jody 1 4095645 A most gracious staff member gave me a tour on Tuesday and showed me the menus for all three meals. Lots of tempting items and concepts. They have a number of themed Bento Boxes. That should be fun. It was clearly high end on the pricing. It is a lovely room but what caught my attention was described as "the chef's pride and joy" – a cheese cave in the center of the room, made of glass. My guide even cracked the door a tad so that the lovely aromas could tempt me. The menus will be on line soon-- they are just working out final details. They will be open for the holidays and will announce those menus as soon as possible. Again, the chef is just finalizing them. I think that between L'Espalier's expanded cheese cart (and the new salon where you can just have cheese if you wish) and this glass cave, the Mandarin complex may become "Cheese Central" for Bostonians. Now, if they could just find a space for a Formaggio Kitchen branch, life would be sublime. Fri Oct 10 09:30:15 -0700 2008 4087404 21331 BostonZest 1 4101443 Yesterday we stopped in for brunch. We were both in the mood for breakfast food, but there were plenty of menu options if one of us had decided to have lunch instead. I had the Brioche French Toast with blueberries and added a side of crispy bacon. While it sounds as if it could be a heavy version of the classic dish, it was quite the opposite. This French Toast almost floated off the plate. Thin slices of brioche (with the crust removed) were lightly dipped in the egg mixture and cooked to perfection. Small jars of maple syrup were offered in addition to the blueberries. And, I just now realized that no butter was presented and I never missed it. The buttery flavor was already baked into the dish. Ed tried the traditional Eggs Benedict. These were served with asparagus and tomato garnish and a potato pancake. His eggs were perfectly poached, and we both enjoyed the sides on his dish. Our expectation for service and ambiance was high because these are Mandarin trademarks. We were not disappointed. We were pampered by well trained staff in a serene, lovely setting. They had almost every detail right for us. We'll go back whenever we need a path to serenity. More and photos here: http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/10/asana-at-the-mandarin-hotel---a-first-look.html Mon Oct 13 12:12:11 -0700 2008 4087404 21331 BostonZest 1 4118333 Menus are now on line. http://www.mandarinoriental.com/boston/dining/asana/ Tue Oct 21 08:31:01 -0700 2008 4087404 11052 BBHound 2 4118402 Hmm, deceptively simple menu? While there are a few interesting items, the menu sounds rather dull to me overall, with their breakfast being the most delicious-looking. I'm sure the execution and the service, as suggested above, will make a big difference, but nothing on the menu screams at me as "must try." And for all the attention to detail you would expect from the Mandarin, they spelled kyuri wrong on their breakfast menu. :p Tue Oct 21 08:52:39 -0700 2008 4118333 13028 kobuta 3 4118638 I must say, I was excited to see the menu, and now I'm not. Life's too short to spend my $$$ there, unless I hear otherwise. Thirty bucks for cheese risotto??? Tue Oct 21 10:13:57 -0700 2008 4118402 102066 almansa