Cristina celebrated her birthday last Friday and a bunch of us headed to OM, the new Indian contemporary restaurant downtown, to celebrate.
Shortly after I got there, I chatted with Chef/Culineer Raghavan Iyer a little bit and we bonded in our vegetarianism. I asked him what the best snacks were on the menu and he recommended I get the Mumbai Crackers (crackers with mango, potato, red onion topped with two chutneys) and the Patiala Cakes (potato crisps stuffed with fresh mint, chiles, red onion with tamarind-date sauce and mint-cilantro chutney). But here's the tragic part: I had no appetite that night so I ended up not ordering any food. I did have a couple bites of the Palak Paneer Parantha, a grilled flatbread stuffed with spinach and fresh cheese and spiced with crushed chiles and, I believe, mango powder. It was cold by the time I got around to it, so fresh from the grill would've been better, but it had a pleasantly high spice level and I'd definitely try it again. (Actually, I would totally take some of that right now.)
Tell you what I did try, though: the cocktails. The Agni was a crowd favorite, so much so that I had to order a second one 5 minutes after I got the first one because two other people wouldn't stop sampling it. Fresh muddled limes and dried chiles are shaken with Grey Goose Citron and strained into a martini glass (my least favorite drinking vehicle, but folks seem to like it). A fresh Thai chile floats on top of the drink and the result is simple and delicious. Spicy enough to knock you back a little, with the heat balanced out by the tang of the lime and a dash of simple syrup.
I also tried The Slumdog, a spiked up lemonade with Grey Goose Citron, ginger, lime and fresh cilantro. Points for being served in a lowball on the rocks, but I was having issues with the tiny pieces of cilantro. The bits kept sticking to my lip gloss and were sort of messing with my game. My advice to the OM bar is to invest in some cute, short drinking straws or maybe just shake the drink with a couple whole sprigs of cilantro, strain them out, then garnish with a fresh, unbruised one.
Prices are completely reasonable. If you judged OM solely on its fancy looks, you wouldn't guess that select cocktails are just $2 during happy hour (4:30-6:30 pm daily), specialty cocktails are $7-8, small plates start at $6 and entrees start at $14. (Valet parking is a whopping $10 but hey, it was raining, I was wearing heels and I had a birthday gift in one hand and a silk handbag in the other.)
I'd take a small tweak in the restaurant's temperature (up just 2 degrees would be perfect) but otherwise I was totally comfortable in the upstairs bar and lounge. The elevated seating overlooks the corner of 1st Avenue and 4th Street so, if you feel the need to tune out your friends for a minute, you can gaze outside and watch the people go by. OM's lounge was built for mingling; our group moved effortlessly through the room, changing seats and visiting with other tables. I highly recommend the space for small events.
Overall, OM really isn't that large, certainly not as huge as r. Norman's or Bellanotte, and Randy Norman went the subdued route with his latest venture. The decor has its share of glamour (the grand staircase to the dining room encircles a giant, illuminated, crystal spiral chandelier that drops down to a reflecting pool below) but the space is almost cozy, with warm woods, soft metal finishes and muted lavender, teal and yellow gold touches throughout. The style in which OM was decorated actually reminds me of some parts in my apartment; namely the bedroom and my own dining room.
The staff consists of a bunch of rockstars. Our wait assistant (whose name is on the tip of my tongue because he worked at Azia for years), server (Jesse), manager (Kari), Randy and even Raghavan took the time to stop and make sure we were having a great time.
Love OM. Can't wait to actually eat there. I think I may do that soon, as they're currently offering a 4-course, $30 tasting menu every Sunday.
Comments