There's sushi and then there's Uni

June 1, 4:08 PMBoston Food Mom ExaminerLeah Klein

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Boston Food Mom Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

This is some rockin' food.  (Uni Sashimi Bar at Clio)

Divine Summer Date Night

 I have always been a fan of the boutique hotel.  There is something elegant, exclusive yet approachable, and unique about staying in a boutique hotel.  Once our Youth Hostel days had passed us by and way before kids my boyfriend and I went to Paris and stayed at a boutique hotel and had such a great and memorable experience.  The hotel was so hip and chic.  The space was tiny yet perfect, and it was a place one wouldn't even think of going with children unless, perhaps you took over the entire hotel.  Time seems to stop in such a setting.  You are surrounded by aesthetic and sensory perfection and for a moment you are carefree. 

It seems like three lifetimes ago that we were so hip and free, however dinner at Uni Sashimi Bar, in the Eliot Hotel brought memories flooding back.  Yes, it may be another three lifetimes before we head out the door without a babysitter in house, a list on the counter, and a week of planning for a night out, but one need not go far or travel in time to capture those moments of a former or perhaps future self.  

Uni is the sashimi bar at Clio.  You pull up in front of the Eliot Hotel (ignoring the crumbs and toys strewn across the back of the car) and hand your keys and $15 to the valet.  There are times when I am not willing to pay for parking so I head to a restaurant outside of Boston other times I decide having someone take my car and park it for me is completely worth it.  There will be no driving around block after block (Let's face it Boston doesn't have blocks anyway).  There will be no parking ticket because I didn't read the street sight correctly, and there will be no maneuvering of children in and out of car seats.  Luxury comes in many forms.

You walk into the elegant, soulful, historic hotel and just to the right of the lobby is a hip little pocket of a place.  There is a gorgeous display of shells on one corner of the bar, and the seats at the sashimi bar are quickly being claimed for the evening.  There are 21 seats, a quiet buzz in the room and an atmosphere that reminds me of having a late afternoon apéritif at a Brasserie in Paris.  Even when it comes to the food, though Asian and French foods don't usually reflect one another, there is something about the careful layering of flavours and textures as well as the attention to detail for each perfect bite that Chef Chris Chung and Chef Ken Oringer create that reflects the classic and perfected sauces, garnishes and "necessary fussiness" of a precisely executed French classic.  

Sake two me with a beautiful Tuna Tataki in the background
served with foie gras, aji Amarillo, and pears.

We began our evening with a sweet and slightly refreshing apéritif, Petite Verveine, made with lemon verbena, lime juice, simple syrup and lemon bitters.  After a little chit chat, we sat down to peruse the menu and take in the scene.  

We were then served a Kikusui Junmai Ginjo Sake from Niigata.  The light blue, squat little bottles were unassuming and serene.  The Sake had a mild flavour.  I am not a Sake connoisseur, but I am enjoying tasting it and learning more about the subtleties.  The Uni menu boasts three house sakes one of which is sparkling, four fragrant sakes, five light and smooth sakes, two rich sakes, two aged sakes, two traditional sakes, and three seasonal sakes, for a total of 21 (no joke) different sakes.  Each sake is listed with a clear description of the flavours, a city or state of origin, and the serving size. Prices range from $6 per glass to $175 for 720 ml bottles.  Our second sake, was my favourite and it was the Tozai Junmai from Kyoto.  

Caution:  Hot rock and incredibly delicious food on top.

As I read through the list of plate after plate of incredible sashimi creations, I saw a lot of bold flavours that made me a bit unsure of what I was about to taste.  I love the crisp freshness, and cleanliness of sashimi on the palate and want to be able to taste that when the freshest possible fish melts in my mouth.  The dishes had pickled ramps, jalapeno, cumin, cilantro, a creamy ginger vinaigrette, and fennel.  I couldn't see how those flavours would work.  Was I ever wrong!  Who was I to doubt Chef Chris Chung of West Coast fame where top celebrities and sports divos and divas paid up to $500 a head for a taste of Chungs incredible food.  Lucky for us, Chef Chung has returned to our fair coast and teamed up with the culinary genius and experience that Chef Ken Oringer has to offer.

Tairagai & Uni with xo sauce, uni and ginger.

First to the table, was the Tairagai & Uni.  This pen shell clam was served with xo sauce, uni and ginger.  This was followed by Aka Mutsu with garlic ponzu, seabeans and pickled ramps.  The fine chop of pickled ramps was just enough for a shocking green accent in colour and an essence of allium in taste.  This was followed by an indulgent Spicy Tuna Tataki with foie gras, aji Amarillo, pears, cumin and cilantro.  The foie gras was lacquered and layered with the tuna.  It made a perfect sweet and salty bite with the foie gras still warm and the tuna cool in the center.  Here again, the cumin and cilantro played minor roles highlighting the stars of the dish:  foie gras and tuna tataki.  The simple pickled radish left me daydreaming of an Uni condiments, sauces, and pickles stand at any of the local farmer's markets (a mom can dream can't she?).  Next, came a Hamachi with a creamy ginger vinaigrette, pickled rhubarb and seagrapes.  This dish was so clean with a slightly creamy dressing made creamy without any heavy mayonnaise or cream but rather a sea-derived agar.  The Spicy Lobster Salad was perfectly cooked and the green papaya, and mango served with it was divine.  The Chutoro with the candied fennel melted in my mouth and the fennel (not a favourite flavour of mine) just added a slight crunch and subtle, sweet earthiness to the dish. 

Strawberry Fields (from the iPhone).  A bite is worth a million
words.

The last two dishes served were real show stoppers.  The Soft Shell Crab Tempura was perfectly crisp served with yuzu yoghurt, picked cucumber, and a pinch of black olive crumbs.  After being spoiled with so many sea gems, we were presented with a huge rock radiating heat and on top was Wagyu beef sizzling with a spicy Napa cabbage salad.  The sights, sounds, and scent of this dish created a buzz around the table until silence fell as we all found ourselves focused on our rocks deftly getting those last little specks of meat off with our chopsticks in hand and sake imbibed.

Then came dessert.  After a meal like this dessert is an afterthought or at most a finishing touch, until you have your first bite.  The Strawberry fields was a beautiful plate of strawberries that lay in a cocoa soil, sprinkled with a rose dew, and served with a quenelle of creamy coconut sorbet.  This one I really can't describe.  In fact to do any of these dishes justice, I highly recommend pulling out your calendar and penciling in a date to escape just the two of you.

Yes, mom and dad, the next time you are up we will squeeze in an outing to Uni.

Itadakimasu. ttyl your bff (Boston Family Foodie)