AKA Bistro: Open March 30

I am excited as AKA Bistro opens on March 30 this week. I previously gave my readers an inside look at this upcoming restaurant in Lincoln. It is a collaboration of Christian Touche, the GM who assisted in opening Ken Oringer’s Clio Restaurant in Boston, as well as managed it for 12 years, and Chef Chris Chung from Uni. The new restaurant will feature Japanese sashimi and traditional Provençal fare.

You can now make reservations on Open Table. Please also note that they will be open for Sunday Easter Brunch on April 4, though they won't normally be open for regulr Sunday brunch for a few more months. I hope to check out the restaurant soon.

Check out their Menus:

Provençal Fare:

Appetizers
Sélection de fromages et sa garniture (Cheese selection and traditional garnish) $16
Os a la moelle, fleur de sel, pain de campagne grillé (Bone Marrow, sea salt and toasted country bread) $9
Cuisses de grenouille, purée de brocoli, sauce aillé (Frog legs, broccoli purée & garlic sauce) $12
Tartelette Provençale, Salade de Roquette (Black olive tomato confit tart, Baby Arugula Salad($10)
Terrine de foie gras au naturel, gelée de Sauterne pain grillé (Foie gras terrine Sauterne gelée, Toasted Bread) $18
Escalope de foie gras poelée, pain d’épices (Seared foie gras, Danish Bread) $18
Escargots a la Bourguignone (Snails with herbs and garlic butter) ½ dz $9 1 dz $15

Salad & Soup
Salade d’asperges, Vinaigrette Truffée (Asparagus salad, Truffle Vinaigrette) $10
Poireaux Vinaigrette (Leeks with vinaigrette) $7
Soupe au Pistou (A traditional vegetable soup with pesto) $9
Soupe de Poissons, Croutons et Rouille (Fish soup, Croutons and garlic sauce) $12
Salade d'artichauts Violet en Bariqoule (Salad of Baby Artichokes in white wine sauce) $10
Salade Nicoise et son thon confit (Salad nicoise with slow cooked tuna) $12
Salade de Mesclun (Mixed Salad) $6
Frisée aux lardons et oeuf poché (Curly Endive Salad with bacon and poached egg) $11

Sides
Potato puree 6
French fries 6
Rice pilaf 6
Ratatouille Provençale 6
Fricassée of wild mushrooms 6
Sauté spinach 6
Sauté Green Beans 6

Specialties
Brandade de Cabillaud Frais, vinaigrette au Citron (Fresh Cod Puree with lemon vinaigrette) $11
Assiette de charcuterie (Plate of cured and cold meats) $12
Terrine de Campagne (Country style pate and condiments, cornichons et petits onions) $12
Parmentier de pieds de cochon (Pork feet with potato puree) $12
Aile de raie Grenobloise (Skate with brown butter, capers and lemon) $23
Confit de canard et pommes « Sarladaises » (Duck leg confit with sliced potato cooked in duck fat) $21
Salade « Périgourdine » (Traditionnal Duck Salad, with Walnuts, Duck Breast Ham and Foie Gras Terrine on a toast) $14

Entrees
Chipirons à la Basquaise (Squid Basque style with garlic, parsley and red pepper) $23
Moules Frites (Mussels Steamed in white wine served with french fries) $19
Homard avec celeri rave et bisque de homard (Sautéed Lobster with celery root and lobster bisque) $29
Filet de Cabillaud- haricots blancs, tomates cerise confites, Huile de chorizo (Cod fillet, lima beans, cherry tomato confit, and chorizo oil) $24
Steak frites 8oz (Angus) Beurre Maitre d’Hotel $26
Magret de canard- jus d’olives vertes (Seared duck breast with green olive juice) $25
Navarin d’ agneau Printanier (Spring Lamb stew) $23
Boeuf carottes (Beef and carrot stew) $24
Steak Tartare, frites (6oz) $19
Coq au vin (Chicken cooked in wine) $19
Blanquette de veau (Veal stew) $26

Menu du jour $34
--Appetizer choice
La salade de Saint Jacques «style daube » (Scallop salad “daube style”)
or
Tartelette à la Provençale, Salade de Roquette (Black olive tomato confit tart, Baby Aragula Salad)
--Entrée choice
Cote de Porc grillée, Fusillini au Jambon de Bayonne (Grilled Pork Chop, Country Ham Fusillini pasta)
or
Moules à la tomate (Mussels in a tomato sauce)
--Dessert choice
Crème Brulee
or
Chocolate mousse

Sashimi Menu

Omakase (Chef Chung’s Arrangement)--The freshest and most original dishes in season.
They can prepare your dinner at $70, $85, $100, $115 & $130
Miso soup, with scallions & hijiki seaweed $5
Seaweed salad with five types of seaweeds, scallions & bonito flakes $7
Shishito (Japanese peppers) with kabayaki glaze & sesame seeds $6
Yaki yasai, Sauté seasonal vegetables with kabayaki glaze $8
Edamame (Hot or Cold) with fleur de sel $4
Hawaiian Poke (Yellow fin tuna) with sweet onions, ginger & pickled mung beans $13
Spicy lobster salad with green papaya, mango, lime & chilies $16
Hamachi sashimi with creamy ginger vinaigrette, rhubarb & sea grape $13
Kindai toro (Special featured low mercury tuna belly) with miso mignonette, pickled mustard seeds & caviar $23
Bronzini (Mediterranean sea bass) with hot sesame oil, pickled burdock root, Jalapeno & Cilantro $11
Spicy tuna tataki (Yellow fin tuna) with foie gras, cumin cilantro, Aji Amarillo & pear $19
Rock shrimp tempura with XO sauce aioli, fry shallots & prosciutto dust $12
Kobe steak teriyaki (3oz) with yaki yasai (Japanese style sauté vegetables) $19
Tako (Japanese Octopus) with hot oil, ginger & cilantro $14
Scottish salmon sashimi with Hakka soy bean vinaigrette & cilantro $13
Tairagai & Uni (Japanese Pan shell clam) with XO sauce, garlic ponzu & myoga $19
Kumomoto Oyster with candied yuzu kosho & ponzu $4
Kinmedai (Japanese pink sea bream) with shiro ponzu, wolfberries & shiso $19
Uni sashimi (Sea Urchin) with yuzu foam & miso powder $14
Sashimi Combination Platter-Traditional or “innovative interpretation” of exotic fish $45, $85, $115, $150 & up

They will also be carrying a good variety of Sake!

Junmai Daiginjo
Niigita Kubota Manju "Ten Thousand Dreams"
Fukushima Ken Fukushima
Akita Akita Komachi Yuki No Bosha "Cabin in the snow"

Junmai Ginjo
Ibaraki Sato no homare "Pride of village"
Niigata Hakkaisan "Eight peaks"
Ibaraki Watari bune "Ferry Boat"
Yuki no Bosha "Cabin in the snow"

Honjoso
Hyogo Hakushika yamadanishiki
Hyogo Itami Onigoroshi "Ogre Tamer"

Nigori
Niigata Kubota Senju "A Thousand dreams"

Namazake
Okayama Ohtouka
Hakushika Tokusen Hyogo