A First Taste of Blue Toba
We’ve only lived in Ashland for a little over two years, and we still have a long list of restaurants and other local hot spots we want to try. Blue Toba has been on that list for a while, and a few weeks ago, we finally decided to stop in, arriving just in time for happy hour. Blue Toba is known locally for fresh, interesting food and beautiful presentation, but it’s not exactly inexpensive, so we figured happy hour would be a good way to get a taste of the menu without committing to a full dinner. It turned out to be a really fun outing.
Blue Toba sits right on Main Street, across from the Varsity Theatre. It began as a food cart, grew into a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and eventually moved into its current space after being featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
The current restaurant has a bar area and a separate dining room, with happy hour offered in the bar Thursday through Saturday from 4:30 to 5:30. I actually like that it’s a true one-hour happy hour rather than one of those “happy hour” menus that somehow lasts half the day. The bar is bright and comfortable, with an old brick wall along one side that gives the space some character.
We started with the Sate’ Ayam, or chicken satay, which Rick declared the best chicken satay he’d ever had. We liked it enough that we ordered a second plate. Our server also suggested the Bakwan Jagung, Indonesian corn fritters, and we were glad she did. It’s one of those dishes we might not have chosen on our own, and it ended up being another favorite. I always appreciate a server who takes the time to make a suggestion that turns out to be worth trying.
Then there was my cocktail. I ordered a Tipsy Toba, which arrived a gorgeous indigo blue. Our server explained that it’s infused with butterfly pea flower, which gives the drink its deep blue color. Then the lemon juice goes in, and the acidity changes it from blue to a bright violet. I’m a sucker for a little food-and-drink magic, so watching the color change right there at the table was pretty delightful.
We really enjoyed our first visit to Blue Toba, and happy hour gave us just enough of a taste to make us curious about the rest of the menu. We’re looking forward to going back and trying the full dining experience.
If you’re staying with us and looking for something a little different from the usual Ashland dinner, Blue Toba is one we’d be happy to point you toward. And if you happen to make it there for happy hour, Rick says to order the chicken satay.
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