Uni – Carrots 'N' Cake

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 06:59 PM

Uni

Uni is a restaurant that I’ve always heard great things about, but I never had a chance to try it out myself. When I received an invitation to meet Uni’s new chef, I knew that I had to jump at the chance!

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Trendy and chic, Uni has become a hot spot in Boston for inventive Japanese fusion cuisine. Tucked deep inside the Eliot Hotel in fashionable Back Bay, Uni features a full menu of exotic Far East dishes and an extensive sake list that is unique for restaurants in Boston, MA. The coziness of the 21-seat, modern-style dining room provides for an intimate and pleasurable dining experience.

WHO: Chris Chung

WHAT: Spectacular Seasonal Sushi and Sashimi

WHEN: Thursday, May 21 @ 6 PM

WHERE: Uni is located within The Eliot Hotel, 370A Commonwealth Avenue, Boston

WHY: Chung’s private, A-List celebrity clients in LA and Boston pay top dollar for his pescine creations. At this very exclusive dinner party, you’ll taste it all for free!

Twelve “press” people were invited to meet the new chef and enjoy dinner at Uni. I was honored to be among an all-star cast, including freelance food writers, editors, and critics, an upscale Bed & Breakfast owner, columnists from a couple of well-known publications as well as another food blogger. With this group of food enthusiasts, the conversation never waned during our 3.5 hour-long meal.

The evening started with a round of cocktails: Apéritif Petite Verveine infused Christiana vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, and lemon bitters. It was the perfect summer cocktail– light, sweet, and cool.

Chef Chris Chung worked diligently all night long preparing our 10 course meal. He prepared a special tasting menu for the group, which started with light dishes (clean, crisp, and citrus-y flavors), then moved onto heavier dishes (beef, fatty fish, and cream sauces), and finished with a sweet, yet refreshing, dessert.

While we sipped our cocktails and waited for everyone to arrive, the table enjoyed some edamame with sea salt. 

First on the tasting menu was Tairagai & Uni (Penshell Clam) with xo sauce, uni, and ginger, served on a Penshell Clam. The Uni sort of tasted like scallop, but a little sweeter.

I loved the presentation on the Penshell Clam. Fancy.

I don’t typically like sake, but I enjoyed the Kikusui Junmai Ginjo (Niigata) that was served. It had a full flavor with aromas of tropical fruit with hints of spices.Aka Mutsu with garlic ponzu, seabeans, and pickled ramps

The dominate flavor in this dish was easily the garlic, which melded nicely with the thinly sliced Aka Mutsu– it practically melted in my mouth!
Isaki (Threeline Grunt) with spicy guava, jalapeño, and blood orangeThe spicy guava and jalapeño were nice compliments to the sweet, clean blood orange flavor. 

Spicy Tuna Tataki with foie gras, aji Amarillo, pears, and cumin cilantro

I loved this course! There were so many interesting flavors and textures intermingling in my mouth at once! I love that! The taste combination of cumin + foie gras was especially superb!
Hamachi with creamy vinaigrette, pickled rhubarb, and seagrapes

The combination of ingredients gave this dish a kick of grapefruit flavor.

Spicy Lobster Salad with green papaya, mango, lime, and chili

This colorful dish was a crowd-pleaser! The chili added a zing of spiciness while the green papaya and mango provided a light sweetness. I loved all that was going on in this dish! More sake!

The Tozai Junmai (Kyoto) was soft, light, and smooth with delicate aromas of grape and herbal notes.Chutoro with anchovy cream, jalapeno daikon cloud, and candied fennel

This dish was probably my favorite of the evening. The different flavors kept my taste-buds guessing, and the candied fennel, jalapeño, and creamy anchovy sauce were particularly outstanding with the fatty Chuturo.

Soft Shell Crab Tempura with yuzu yogurt, pickled cucumber, and black olive

This one was fun to eat! 

Wagyu (beef) on the Rock with spicy napa cabbage salad

The presentation of this dish was impressive– I’ve never seen anything like it! The thinly sliced Wagyu beef was cooked over the hot rock, which was served to our table steaming and sizzling!

(This is a shot of the rock after we finished eating the beef.)

Check out the video below to see the Wagyu on the Rock in “action.” The video also includes a brief introduction of Chef Chris Chung.

And now onto dessert!

Strawberry Fields with coconut sorbet, cocoa soil, and rose dew

The “rose dew” was little bits of tapioca dripped onto the fresh strawberries. The cocoa soil reminded me of finely ground instant coffee, but, of course, much sweeter and chocolaty. This dessert was heaven! 

Dinner concluded with a piece of Milk Chocolate Infused with Lime. It was a refreshing way to finish the meal.

What an amazing evening! I’ve never eaten food with such bold, creative flavor combinations and such beautiful presentation. In fact, my eyes lit up each time a new dish was brought to the table for us to try. I was throughly impressed with my entire dining experience and it is one I will never forget.

Thanks, again, for the invitation, Chris! I had a wonderful time!

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