MÄS

Is Ashland, Oregon’s Tasting Menu Destination MÄS Worth It? | Eater Portland

"Tucked down an alley at 141 Will Dodge Way in Ashland, I found MÄS to be a tiny, intensely focused tasting‑menu restaurant that elevates so‑called “Cascadian cuisine” into meticulous, imaginative dishes rather than rustic, wood‑fired fare. Menus run $85 for lunch and $195 for dinner (plus a 20 percent service charge, taxes, and fees), with drink pairings from $45 to $150. Meals begin with a savory tea of Pacific kombu, kelp, nori and wakame paired with clarified butter, and progress through snacks like croustade with whipped creme crue and beet tartlets with dehydrated mussels to unforgettable composed courses — think foie gras balanced on scallops in a pool of coffee dashi; gougères stuffed with silken cheddar and Dungeness crowned with shaved truffle; trout cured with cherry blossoms in a whey and lacto‑fermented sakura blossom sauce; chawanmushi variations; and a tidal‑pool plate with truffle and shiitake gel, gingery sea lettuces, oysters poached in their shells and purple sea urchin (seasonally swapping for things like braised fava leaves with caviar and spring vegetable snap pea broth). Desserts are equally precise and playful, with ice creams such as candycap mushroom or woodruff. Started as a pop‑up in the basement of Mix Bakeshop by chef Josh Dorcak after inspiration from nano‑restaurants in Tokyo, MÄS has grown into one of Oregon’s most talked‑about kitchens — earning a spot on the New York Times’ 50 best restaurants in America list and a James Beard finalist nod — yet the room remains intimate and unpretentious; the small, warm team is down‑to‑earth and eager to explain each component. I think it’s easily worth the drive, and reservations are made through Tock." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden