THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED o ya

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED o ya Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: O ya comes to New York with a pedigree that bespeaks years of omakase creativity and experimentation. Nobu Matsuhisa-trained Tim Cushman, together with wife and saké expert Nancy Cushman, have duplicated the Boston restaurant in Murray Hill in a sleek, brick-walled room lined with a 14-seat sushi bar and an array of small tables. Located adjacent to the Park South Hotel, o ya feels welcoming and cozy.

About the food: The meals of choice are the omakase, an 18-dish or grand 24-dish feast offering beautifully presented and innovatively imagined bites of fish, vegetables and meat in a steady stream of tiny plates. This is the reason you’ve come to this place, to put yourself in the hands of sushi masters who have sourced ingredients from the best around the world, creating a fusion of flavors, all for a price that’s seriously hefty. À la carte selections are offered if you’re minding your budget --- something that’s difficult to do here --- with choices of sashimi, noodles, nigiri, vegetables and Japanese Wagyu. The menu is distinctively o ya: on a given night you might enjoy hamachi with banana pepper foam, Kumamoto oyster with “watermelon pearls,” truffle-scented uni nigiri set on sea salt, tea-brined pork fried ribs (a surprising non-fish star of the evening), foie gras with a balsamic chocolate kabayaki (this could really double as dessert) or grilled kushiyaki strip loin, silkily set in a delicate maple soy sauce. Advise the server of any dislikes and the courses will be customized accordingly.

About the drinks & desserts: A saké pairing is suggested and Japanese whiskeys add a smooth finish. Wine lovers have a rich selection to choose from as well. For dessert, you may find mochi donuts with matcha milk jam.