Posted on Thursday 24 August 2006
Oya
777 9th Street NW, Washington, DC
http://www.oyadc.com
One could say that Oya is one of the growing ranks of NEW Washington restaurant – one that is long on design and easy on the eyes but a place where the food is just mediocre. The restaurant itself is very well done and is evoking of a trendy bar in Reykjavik or Helsinki with it’s almost all white interior, chains hung from the ceilings, and waiters dressed in dark colors. The atmosphere is nice and pleasant, you walk in and you are engulfed by trendy-ness, and all of it before you even order anything. It is once you sit down and begin to dine when the shortcomings of Oya come into sight. First of all the service was incredibly slow. After having ordered several courses, we were at times waiting for 15-20 minutes between dishes. This wait coupled with the small portions and a tinge of hunger did not equal dining bliss. The menu is pretty well populated with a selection of sushi, chicken dishes and even an amount of vegetarian options. We were pleasantly surprised with their sushi options and while they were pricey at 9-12 dollars a pop were definitely delivered in the most generous portions available at Oya. The main dishes again like the restaurant were topnotch in presentation yet lacking in actual flavor. Most entrée’s when tasted were a little on the bland side and incapable of matching the level of presentation.
Another disturbing thing was that Oya seems to be a little stingy with their beverage selection. The cocktail list was limited and the complementing list of beers was capped at 4 kinds of bottles – Sam Adams, Heineken, Amstel Light, and Sapporo. Not wanting to be a snob here, but a restaurant with a bar and 15 dollar drinks should at least have ONE beer on tap, and if they don’t they should at least make an effort to stock more bottled beverages.
If you’re looking for a place to wear that Paul Smith blazer recently bought off eBay, check out Oya. The food is average, the service is average but it all comes in a nice package. Food Washington wouldn’t go back. But you can – and let us know how it was in the comments.
Price: $$$ (25ish = entree)
