MÄS, the Japanese-inspired kitchen with a Spanish name, is unassumingly located in an alley in downtown Ashland. Chef-owner Josh Dorcak, a son of San Jose, is crafting imaginative 10-course prix-fixe menus never before seen in the region. Ingredient—and technique—driven, the food is light and nourishing, if not a little heady; Dorcek clearly enjoys challenging himself and diners with imaginative cookery.
Our favorites dishes on the recent menu include the tomato dashi with olive oil, a full-bodied broth that starts the culinary journey; kale chips adhered to a rock with grilled-mussel emulsion and sprinkled with dried-mussel powder—a mid-menu snack, if you will; and the pickled berries with raw goat's milk foam—a sweet-tart end note.