My spouse and I dined at O Ya for dinner on a Saturday evening in mid-January 2017. O Ya is open for dinner only on Tuesdays through Saturdays (closed on Sundays and Mondays). You can reserve a table online using the Open Table reservation system, where you will be asked to supply credit card details (24-hour cancellation policy). If you wish to dine at the sushi counter, telephone the restaurant directly in order to note your request.
O Ya opened in June 2015 on the street level of the Murray
Hill’s Park South Hotel. (O Ya has its own separate entrance which require a
few steps down from the sidewalk, or you can access the restaurant from the
hotel lobby, which is more handicap-friendly and also offers access to the
restrooms.) You can sit in one of three areas: in the tiny front dining space
(with four pale wood booths), at tables positioned against the brick wall that
share a long padded red-tapestry banquette, or at the 16-seat sushi bar. We
requested seats at the sushi counter so that we could interact with the
talented chefs. (Additional staff prepare hot dishes in a semi-open kitchen at
the rear of the space.) Contemporary rock music set the tone for a fun meal in
a relaxed atmosphere.
O Ya is owned by
Nancy and Tim Cushman, whose flagship outlet of O Ya is located in Boston. The
restaurant offers modern Japanese cuisine (both cooked and raw) as a la carte
dishes and as part of omakase tasting menus (18 courses for $185 and 24 courses
for $245). Don’t expect traditional (edomae) sushi, but delight in something
eclectic and innovative.
Our 24-course menu follows. We requested a printed menu as
we progressed through our courses, and the restaurant was quick to comply, even
though it is not their usual practice.
1.
Kumamoto oyster (ponzu, watermelon pearls, cucumber
mignonette)
2.
Hamachi (banana pepper)
3.
King salmon tataki (tomato confit, onion aioli, smoked
salt)
4.
Hokkaido Uni (Black River osetra caviar)
5.
Warm eel (Thai basil, kabayaki [eel preparation], Kyoto
sansho [pepper])
6.
Housemade fingerling potato chip (perigord truffle)
7.
Saba (ginger, scallion, cured kelp)
8.
Wild spot prawn (garlic butter, yuzu tobiko, preserved
Meyer lemon)
9.
Warm chive omelette (chicken egg, dashi sauce, wagyu
schmaltz)
10.
Fried Kumamoto oyster (yuzu kosho aioli, squid ink
bubbles)
11.
Bluefin otoro (fresh wasabi, green onion, nasturtium)
12.
Foie gras spoon (miso, preserved meyer lemon)
13.
Cherrystone clam (wagyu chili oil, fennel)
14.
Shima aji and Hokkaido sea urchin (aji [spicy
tomato/pepper sauce] Amarillo vinaigrette, nigella [black onion seed])
15.
Madai (white soy, lemon oil, myoga [ginger])
16.
Bali scallop (coco dressing, lobster oil)
17.
Kanpachi (Vietnamese mignonette, fried shallots, Thai
basil)
18.
Tuna Tataki (smoky pickled onion, perigord truffle)
19.
Sip (torigara [chicken soup], mitsuba [hornwort herb], and
yuzu zest)
20.
Lobster beurre (ponzu butter, bonito flake, perigord
truffle)
21.
Grilled shitake and hedgehog mushroom (rosemary garlic
oil, sesame froth)
22.
Seared Wagyu as Kagoshima petit strip loin (potato confit,
sea salt)
23.
Foie gras (balsamic chocolate Kabayaki, Claudio corallo
raisin cocoa pulp, sip of aged sake)
24.
Apple sorbet (ginger soda, tarragon)
25.
Chai sponge cake (brown butter crumble, miso ice cream,
Asian pear)
We enjoyed a phenomenal 24-course omakase tasting menu
dinner at O Ya. Worth every penny!
