A Culinary Star Shines Bright Just West Of Boston

Chris Chung came to the food world's attention in 2005, when Ken Oringer tapped him to run a tiny sashimi bar within his flagship CLIO restaurant in Boston. An immediate hit, no one had seen raw fish creations so innovative, so stunning, so flavor-punched. Flash forward six years.

Today, Chung co-owns AKA Bistro, one of the most unique restaurants to open here in years (ah'-kah is Japanese for RED). Quietly and without fanfare, this modest master has taken the suburbs by storm, offering sashimi never seen outside the city until now.

Chef Chung's No Boundaries menu on Monday nights amazes intrepid diners with a bounty of culinary treats based on what arrived at the kitchen's back door that day.

Samples from recent Monday menus ($45 p.p.) might include:

* Kumamoto oyster with yamamomo-jalapeno granite & caviar

* Butterfish Sashimi with champagne shingo pears & sesame natto

* Takoyaki Taco with charred baby octopus, spicy avocado cream & linguica powder

* BBQ Frog's Legs with Meyer lemon confit, pickled enoki mushrooms, radishes

* Pork Duet: Crispy Spare Rib Torchon and slow-cooked pork belly with black trumpet mushrooms and miso Brussels sprouts

Reservations are requested for No Boundaries, served 5:50 to 9:30 PM every Monday.


LOCAVORE ALERT:

BORN AND GRASS-FED IN LINCOLN,
A BASSET FARM COW, OWNED BY TWO LINCOLN CHEFS,
WILL BE COOKED FOR THE PLEASURE OF LINCOLN CONNOISSEURS


Chris Chung of AKA Bistro, and his chef de cuisine Damien Brockway, will present beef from Lincoln's Bassett Farm on Sunday, January 22nd at 7:00 PM. The multi-course menu costs $74 per person.

At press time, the restaurant is almost sold out for this one-time event, which include dishes like Beef Consomme' with marrow raviolini and black truffles, and yaki-style shaved beef tongue with charred leeks and lemon "bubbles."

AKA BISTRO
145 Lincoln Road Lincoln, MA
781-259-9920
www.akabistrolincoln.com