Uni, Umami and Art

The deCordova Biennial was a festival of exciting and creative artists. Each of the featured artists offered a diverse selection of mediums, from quilting, to wood, animation to beautiful prints. True, my sister-in-law is one of the co-curators of the exhibit, but trust me-it is that good.  The reality is that the deCordova is a great place to  visit anytime.  And after you are inspired at the deCordova, stop at another Lincoln gem: AKA Bistro. I wrote about AKA when it first opened almost 2 years ago. I was optimistic about the combination of Chef Chung (who had created one of my most memorable meals at the Uni Sushi Bar) and Christian Touche.  This time my mother loved her salad from the French side of the menu, while I strayed over to the Japanese side. Three dishes from Chef Chung and I was as smitten, if not more so, than in my previous visit.  Each plate was artful in its design and taste. The Suzuki consisted of hybrid striped bass, mango kosho, umeboshi, red shiso seasoning.  Chef Chung also suggested trying the delicate kampachi or amberjack.  Finally, the Chef was generous enough to send out one other treat: fresh uni (sea urchin) sitting on homemade tofu and topped with a wonderful sauce.  The deCordova and AKA are a perfect duo and easily worth a trip to Lincoln.