Oya? Okay.

Hello food readers! I know, it’s been a while. Again, it’s not that I haven’t gone a-dining lately, but do you really want IHOP reviews? I think not.

Have no fear! I have actual real-life dining events to report on!

Friday night the Boyfriend and I were invited to dinner with some friends. To be honest, I wasn’t that keen on the idea since the restaurant looked a bit frou frou (read the review of Farrah Olivia for a refresher on that concept). However, the Boyfriend wanted to be social and I knew it would be a fun group, so we went.

Oya has a very cool atmosphere, although it was so crowded at the bar that it was impossible to really have a look around the reception area. It wasn’t until we were leaving that I noticed a couple of fun out of the way areas for people waiting for tables or just boozing. Once we were lead into the dining room I noticed what has to be one of Oya’s most interesting decorative features: the large window to the kitchens is surrounded by (fake) red roses several feet in each direction. The window itself is hidden behind a water fall. Almost the entire restaurant is white, so the effect of the red roses was very striking, very cool. In several other locations screens were made out of hanging chains- almost like a bead curtain but more industrial.

Unfortunately, the interior designers for Oya felt the need to press on with the unusual, rather than stopping while they were ahead. The white table was covered not with cloth or paper, but was in fact covered entirely in what I think was pleather. In places the pleather was scuffed and marked, making it seem a little cheap. After a while it became sticky and unpleasant to touch as well. Also, pleather is a terribly non-absorbent substance, but more on that in a minute.

The next mis-step for the restaurant’s designers was the choice of glassware. Water was served in very skinny, very tall opaque glasses that looked more like candle holders than actual drinking glasses. Cocktails were served in bottom-heavy glasses which had unstable, rounded bottoms. Our first casualty of the evening was a cocktail; once nudged onto its rounded base, that glass didn’t stand a chance. Pour liquid over a smooth surface like pleather and guess what- it goes everywhere. We learned that lesson again half an hour later when one of the servers knocked a water glass while attempting to deliver a plate. A third glass also slipped, but was caught before any damage was done.

Enough about the décor- what about the food??

Oya offers a prix fixe three- course menu at $35 ($30 during the week) in addition to their regular menu. I’m always up for a culinary adventure, so I went with the prix fixe (although there were a few items that looked magnificent on the regular menu).

I started with Goat Cheese Timbale served with caramelized apples in a walnut vinaigrette. I love goat cheese, but wasn’t exactly sure what a “timbale” was. The caramelized apples and walnut vinaigrette should have tipped me off that this was more of a sweet than savory dish. I’ve never had goat cheese quite like this. It was whipped smooth and reminded me very strongly of cheesecake. The apples were delicious and the walnut vinaigrette had a nice kick to it. It was a decent serving size, but I still felt like I wanted more time to explore the complexity of this intriguing little dish.

For my entrée I went with their Hangar Steak served with gratin potatoes, grilled tomatoes and a red wine sauce. I ordered my steak medium-rare, but it came with a few just plain old rare spots. Those spots were hard for me simply because I still somewhat getting used to eating meat (former vegetarian). However, the flavor of the steak overwhelmed my trepidation enough that I didn’t leave a single bite. The red wine sauce was very tasty although there was not enough of it on the plate. The gratin potatoes were also very good- nice and cheesy but not over the top. I didn’t love the tomatoes. To me they just seemed out of place, but maybe that’s just me. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of cooked tomatoes.

Dessert. Why oh why do I always choose the wrong dessert? This time it was the Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate consisting of chocolate mousse with a hazelnut biscuit and strawberries. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this dish (although I couldn’t tell you where the promised hazelnut biscuit was, because I never saw nor tasted it). The mousse was smooth and rich, covered in a thin chocolate ganache. The strawberries were fresh and flavorful. Ho hum. However, the Boyfriend (who always gets the right dessert) ordered the Banana Bread Pudding with rum raisin ice cream, caramel sauce and coconut. It was perfect. Simply perfect. Ah well; at least he shares.

There was a lot of sushi on the table and I am told it was very good. I don’t eat fish so we will all have to trust those sushi-eaters. I did sample Mel’s Duck Crepes with hoisin scallion sauce, which was to die for.

I would be willing to go back to Oya just for another shot at the crepes and bread pudding. In fact, if I had guests in town I would take them to Oya to show off the cool décor; but I would make absolutely certain to warn any one wishing to dine there in the future to watch out for those drinking glasses. And maybe wear a raincoat.