MÄS was a tiny tasting bar by Chef Josh Dorcak serving Cascadian cuisine.  Started in 2017, it was in the basement of a bakery but it secured a more permanent home the next year.  Dorcak was a finalist for the 2023 James Beard Best Chef Pacific Northwest award and the restaurant was named on the New York Times “favorite 50 restaurants” in 2022.  It’s a hidden sort of entry, in an alley behind the busier streets of downtown Ashland.  The tasting menu only is served at a half dozen counter seats and a small room with tables for a total capacity of 18.  The night we were there only 4 of us were at the counter for the earlier seating of the night and Dorcak was not there but the other two chefs, Chef de Cuisine Andy Peterson and Sous Chef Jeffrey Kimura,  and Sommelier Joseph Shaughnessy provided a wonderful evening of tastes and wines for about 2 and a half hours.  Pairings are offered and also available as non-alcoholic.  If you’re in Portland, it’s about 5 hours to drive here but it’s worth the drive.  Next door is Dorcak’s a la carte and drink slightly larger place, Nama.

Set-Up

 

Food

The tasting started with Dashi tea with burnt onion butter, kombu and smoked duck.  It was a nice opening.

 

Trout Roe with Japanese beer, creme cru and shiro kombu were in a delicate shelled cup. There was a bit of spice in this lovely bite filled with trout eggs and that crisp exterior.

 

Smoked eel with crepe, chive blossom and shio koji cream were presented in a “cigar”.  The thin pastry shell contained whipped smoked eel with a savory cream and anori powder on the ends.  The wonderful light shell was delicious with the smoky creamy interior.

 

Dry aged lamb tartare was mixed with egg yolk and mustard then topped with a quail egg and chive blossoms in a tartlet shell.  The tender lamb was good and nicely seasoned.  Another bite with lots of flavor and texture.

 

Mt. Lassen trout crudo was mixed with Akazu jelly, turnip, frill mustard and roe in a sorrel sauce. Some fried garlic rings and crispy green garlic added the texture to this one while some rice vinegar sharpened the flavors.  Uni made up a glaze on the fish that along with the roe gave it a lovely color.  Tons of textures and flavors in this great dish.

 

Hokkaido scallop was with grilled sugar snap peas, foie gras, porcini, goat milk and truffle.  The fabulous scallop was seared on one side and plated with layers of candy cap mushroom, kombu kelp, ponzu gel and wasabi.  Parts were salty alone but nice when mixed together.  Quite good.

 

Chawanmushi was made with grilled pea custard and topped with squid, asparagus and razor clams.  The Japanese squid was quickly grilled and the razor clam sliced then all mixed with radish and chive oil and served in a locally made pottery bowl.   It was a good mix.

 

California halibut was killed in the Japanese style.  It was topped with pork jowl, Ikura, mussel, salmon roe and oxidized wine.  A vin blanc sauce was mixed with creme fraiche, asparagus brine and pickled magnolia blossom.  A lot of preparation went into this small dish but it was for the best as it turned out great.   The grilled pork was as good as the wonderful halibut.

 

Aged lamb was served with grilled morel, Kampot pepper and summer sausage.  The Anderson Ranch lamb was sous vide before being grilled.  The sticky sauce was made with chicken feet and lamb bones with sherry vinegar and butter added after reducing.  Some grilled chives were also in the mix.  The meat was tender and tasty and again the sauce on the salty side but perfect when eaten with the meat.

 

Ice cream with Soba tea was topped with fig leaf cream anglaise and caramelized milk on top of crumbles.  It was not overly sweet but a fine finish to a great meal.