Boston, MA, Sept. 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, September 12, 2019 (MEXICO CITY) -- o ya, the acclaimed contemporary Japanese restaurant from husband and wife team James Beard Award-Winning Chef Tim Cushman and restaurateur Nancy Cushman, is opening today, Thursday, September 12, 2019 in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City, helmed by restaurateur collaborator, Javier Romo. Javier is a seasoned restaurateur who has opened 14 restaurants in Mexico City since 2009. Cushman Concepts restaurant group includes o ya restaurant in Boston and New York City, Hojoko Japanese Tavern (Boston), Covina and Roof at Park South (New York City), Ms. Cluck’s Deluxe Chicken & Dumplings (Boston), gogo ya Crispy Nori Sushi Tacos & Bento Bowls (Boston) and the soon to open “bianca” a new neighborhood restaurant in The Street Chestnut Hill (Boston).
Reservations for o ya Mexico City can be made on OpenTable. Link Here
“After discovering o ya on a trip to Boston, I fell in love with the restaurant. The contemporary Japanese menu with unique ingredients and flavors and perfect presentation combined with attention to detail made it my favorite. After also visiting the location in New York, I felt it was an excellent option that would stand out in the culinary landscape of Mexico City and for that reason, we decided to bring it here and share with everybody the great experience that o ya is. I am very happy and excited for this opening. I'm sure it will be the favorite of many.” - Javier Romo
o ya is a contemporary Japanese izakaya restaurant hatched from years of extensive travel and work in Japan and all over the world. As the proprietors of o ya, Chef Tim and Nancy were, and continue to be, blown away by the hospitality of Japan and the freshness, quality, and variety of Japanese food and sake.
o ya combines traditional Japanese ingredients and preparations with ingredients from other cultures and cuisines from around the world. o ya Mexico City’s menu incorporates elements from The Cushman’s travels including local ingredients & fish, while demonstrating Tim’s distinct innovative culinary style that gained him critical acclaim at both o ya locations in the United States. (The New York Times 2008 #1 restaurant in the country, James Beard Award Best Chef Northeast 2012, Absolute Best Sushi in New York City 2019 by New York Magazine’s Grubstreet, Top 100 in Opinionated about Dining 2019, James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Semifinalists 2018 & 2019).
“The inspiration for o ya is rooted in a deep respect and passion for Japanese food and culture. Each dish at o ya honors a traditional preparation and incorporates unique flavor compositions that elevate the traditional dish into an international perspective. I like to think about each dish like a piece of music, each component being an important note in a chord. The unique flavor combinations at o ya are drawn from many cultures around the world and often feature extremely bold flavors. This is why I am a super fan of Mexican culture, cuisine and indigenous ingredients. Strong, delicious and unique flavors are always our priority.” - Chef Tim Cushman
o ya Mexico City’s menu will include an extensive a la carte menu, an omakase Chef’s Tasting Menu, a Grand Tasting Menu and a carefully curated beverage menu, including premium sake, wine, beer, tequila, shochu and tea. There will also be distinctive menu items that use seasonal fish and ingredients unique to Mexico City. For example, Baby Elote Nigiri with charred baby corn, togarashi, fried corn silk and sake butter.
“We are very excited to offer an extensive premium sake list at o ya as well. Sake is gaining popularity in small pockets of the U.S., but it is such an undiscovered, delicious and versatile beverage with Japanese food... and even beyond Japanese food! I often enjoy a great junmai ginjo with Mexican food and herbs like cilantro. I also have a soft spot for sake because Tim introduced me to it on one of our first dates over 20 years ago. It’s been a passion, and now part of my profession. I hope that more people will have a chance to explore it and enjoy it through o ya and I am thrilled that it is being brewed in Mexico by Sake Nami which we will definitely have on our menu.“ -Nancy Cushman, Co-Owner & Advanced Sake Professional
o ya Mexico City’s design, helmed by Kristian Arciniega Kunz and team at Grupo Arks, is crafted after Tim and Nancy’s vision of a warm, inviting reflection of the other two locations while maintaining the charm of the historical building and using local woods and materials to construct the restaurant. The front dining area will be a four-season trellis adjacent to the cocktail bar. Chef Tim and Nancy and the local team, have also been working with local artisans to create plateware for the restaurants.
o ya Mexico City will be open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday from 1:30pm to 11:00pm
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RESTAURANT INFORMATION
Address:
Anatole France 70
Col. Polanco
Del. Alvaro Obregon
CP 11540
Cd. Mexico
Website: https://www.o-ya.restaurant/
Instagram: @oya_mx
Cuisine: Contemporary Japanese
Menu: A La Carte, Omakase Chef’s Tasting Menu, Grand Tasting Menu
Beverage List: Sake, Wine, Beer, Whisky, Shochu, Mezcal, Spirits, Cocktails, Tea, Coffee
Credit Cards Accepted: Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover
Dress Code: Whatever the guest feels comfortable wearing
Seats: 16 guests at the chef’s counter & 32 guests at tables
Chef Tim & Nancy Cushman, Co-Owners
Boston:
o ya, Hojoko Boston, Ms. Cluck’s Deluxe Chicken & Dumplings, gogo ta Crispy Nori Sushi Tacos & Bento Bowls
New York:
o ya, Covina & Roof at Park South
Mexico City:
o ya
Nancy Cushman Bio
Nancy Cushman is co-founder and co-owner of the highly acclaimed Cushman Concepts restaurant group that includes o ya (Boston/New York), Hojoko Japanese Tavern (Boston), Covina and Roof at Park South (New York). Nancy is also a certified Advanced Sake Professional and created the sake program at o ya. Her passion for sake was first sparked over 20 years ago on one of her first dates with now husband and partner in Cushman Concepts, Chef Tim Cushman. In February 2018 & 2019, o ya Boston was named a Semifinalist for the James Beard Awards for Outstanding Restaurant. Prior to restaurants, Nancy worked for over a decade in Account Management for Fortune 500 clients at major advertising agencies, including Leo Burnett, Arnold Worldwide and Hill Holliday.
Nancy is also on the Board of Advisors for the Restaurant Investment Group, a pioneering group which assists up and coming chef restaurateurs access investment capital and navigate pitfalls of opening a new business. Additionally, she is an active Senior Fellow at Food Sol, Babson College’s Food Entrepreneurship program at The Lewis Institute. In 2016, The Japan Society of Boston recognized Nancy with their Distinguished Professional and Cultural Achievement Award for her work at o ya and contributions to the community.
Chef Tim Cushman Bio
Chef Tim Cushman has been cooking and consulting for over 30 years. Currently, Tim is
Chef & Co-Proprietor of o ya in Boston and in New York City, Roof at Park South and
Covina at the Park South Hotel in New York City and Hojoko Japanese Tavern in
Boston. But his artistic journey began with music and then transitioned to food. Tim
earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz and Classical Guitar from Berklee College of Music
in 1980. Upon graduation, he left Boston to pursue a musical career in Los Angeles,
where he lived for seven years. While working music gigs, he also began working in
kitchens. The correlation of music and food is consistent in Chef Tim’s career. In the
early 80’s, Tim was part of the pioneering food movement in California, working with
talented chefs like Michael Roberts of Trumps and Roy Yamaguchi of 385 North.
In 1987, Tim continued to gain invaluable experience by moving to Chicago and taking a
position as Corporate Chef for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. For seven years, he
worked directly with mentor and restaurant legend, President and CEO, Rich Melman, to
create menus for new concepts and reinvent existing menus for concepts, including
Maggiano’s, Shaw’s Crabhouse, Ed Debevic’s in the U.S. and Japan, Ambria, Café Baba
Reeba and others.
Tim’s first trip to Japan was in 1988 when he helped open a Lettuce Entertain You
concept in Osaka. He staged at several restaurants in Japan where his knowledge and
appreciation for Japanese cuisine took further root. In 1989, he returned to the U.S. to
help create Hat Dance, a modern Mexican restaurant. At Hat Dance, Tim created the first
hybrid sashimi bar blending the aesthetics and flavors of Japan with the flavors of
Mexico, Peru and Korea. This became the prototype for what was to eventually become
o ya.
In 1994, Tim launched a restaurant consulting business, Ideas in Taste, which he still
owns. As the consulting chef, he developed menus, trained chefs and wait staff, helped
manage restaurant openings and provided guidance on conceptual and kitchen design at
restaurants around the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Today, Tim spends his time mentoring the creative process at all of his concepts, but still
takes the time to practice playing music. He believes in the correlation between food and
music and develops dishes with great harmonies.
Alyssa DiPasquale o ya 5088264290 alyssa@cushmanconcepts.com
