Oya

Oya - Photo from DC City Blog

For my second DC Restaurant Week meal, I ventured to Oya Restaurant and Bar to catch up with a couple of friends I studied abroad with (we have shared food moments all over Europe). At first sight, Oya definitely looked REALLY cool! The restaurant furniture and accessories are mostly white, glammed up with waterfalls, chandeliers, you get the picture. Our table was ready immediately, and hot mini rolls were on our table in a matter of minutes. 

I was really torn whether or not to go with the restaurant week menu. It had so many good options, but I mostly wanted to try their sushi and short ribs, after seeing so many good reviews about both online. However, I keep my promises and we promised you restaurant week reviews. So back to the restaurant week menu...

Typhoon Roll

We order a bottle of sparkling wine to accompany our meal. I ordered the Typhoon Roll (pictured above) to incorporate some sushi in the meal. It had shrimp tempura on the inside, topped with a spicy crab salad. My friends both ordered the Spicy Crunchy Shrimp (pictured below), which also turned out to be a roll with baby shrimp, tempura flakes, and spicy aioli. Their roll was wrapped in something other than seaweed, none of us could figure it out. Both rolls were pretty good, although I think my was the better of the two.

Spicy Crunchy Shrimp

For my entree, I was super torn between the scallops and ordering another sushi roll. I settled on the Scallops, trying to get the biggest bang for my buck (they are typically $25). These were pretty good, although not worth their regular price. The scallops were served with pad thai noodles, shiitake mushrooms, and bean sprouts, all drizzled with a sesame soy glaze. Overall, I enjoyed this dish, but the chef could have been a little more generous with the glaze.

Scallops with Pad Thai Noodles, Shiitake, Bean Sprouts, and Sesame Soy Glaze

Alex opted for the Grilled Beef Sirloin served with coriander pepper, ginger carrots, and fingerling potatoes. To be honest, she was pretty disappointed in the dish. On the outside, it looked really good. After diving into the sirloin, Alex quickly realized it was too fatty and difficult to eat.

Beef Sirloin, Coriander Pepper, Ginger Carrots, and Fingerling Potatoes

One of the perks to this dessert menu was that it offered dessert wines as a choice. Personally, I'm not too into ports and the like, so I chose the Bittersweet Molten Chocolate Cake (pictured below) served with vanilla ice cream and Mandarin Orange anglaise. My dessert was great, but it never oozed like a typical "molten" cake. However, Liz got the Horton Vineyards ‘Xoco’ Chocolate Dessert Wine, Orange County, Virginia. IT WAS SO GOOD and tasted just like chocolate milk. Alex got the Banana Bread Pudding with rum raisin ice cream, caramel sauce, and coconut. Definitely a great choice.

Bittersweet Molten Chocolate Cake

This is a really cool place to go for the ambiance and chatting with girlfriends. I'd rate the food as a 7, nothing spectacular, but everything (besides the sirloin) were tasty. Our server was polite and responsive. The only real kicker is that it turns out their dinner prix fixe menu, which is almost identical to their restaurant week menu, is offered everyday for $29. I wouldn't pay full price for any of their "big plates," but it is a good place for sushi and their prix fixe deals.

Banana Bread Pudding