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OM

by Bruce Huisinga March 1 2010

The Scene
OM is situated in the former Nate’s clothing space on the corner of the clubby First Avenue and Fourth Street.  It is a two-level space with a comfy bar and gossamer-draped lounge overlooking First Avenue’s rubbish-spiked ice flows.  A dramatic circular stairway with a starry, golden chandelier lead the way to the lower-level’s formal dining area.  The clubby atmosphere is no doubt the elegant touch of Randy Norman – formerly of R. Norman and Seven.

I like to sit at the bar – no surprise says my wife – and enjoy the efficient, fun and friendly service of Ben Anderson, there since OM’s opening.  He is the guy who beguiled us to come in the first week OM was open before it was discovered as a destination.  Ben makes an evening of sharing small plates effortless and entertaining.

 

The Food
Honestly, though I have heard somewhat critical feedback from a few friends who have dined here, I have only had really delicious Indian food at OM – dishes I continue to come back for because I have never had them as delightfully prepared.  I haven’t tried everything on the menu, but more about that later.
Things I love:  the Kashmiri lamb, the fresh mint and potato tartlets, the Goan pork tenderloin, and the tandoori chicken kebobs.  The insidiously delicious green chili and potato naan is a must with your order, but especially when you get the tandoori kebobs.  Their sauce (cream, ginger and garlic marinade with a cashew raisin sauce) is lick-the-last-drop-with-your-finger good and you really need the naan to soak up the last drops and avoid the etiquette patrol.

A single, and singular, disappointment:  I found the salmon over-cooked but really haven’t decided if that is a cultural choice and not simply a kitchen oversight – well, I didn’t leave a morsel on the plate, so it clearly was still marvelous.

Dishes I will try (I mean it, I’ll move on from the lamb, really I will) include the East Indian shrimp with mango, tandoori Cornish game hen, and cardamom filet mignon.  Oh they all sound so good.  I also always promise myself that I’ll have the soups, cardamom Thai chili or mulligatawny – and I will, next time. 
How about this for that imagined time in the future when it is warm and sunny – a salad of red chili shrimp with roasted chilis, coriander and shallots on baby greens with a ginger raisin vinaigrette?  Perfect.

Share a side – perfectly prepared saffron basmati rice or braised okra (yes, really, okra!) with tomatoes and red chili-spinach yogurt with lentil wafers. 

The Shizz
Remember that I will move on from the lamb sometime in the future?  Well this is lamb I’m addicted to:  fenugreek lamb chops on the small plate menu.  They are perfectly grilled with ginger, fennel, cardamom and garlic and served with a delicious fenugreek-cream sauce.  I dare you not to pick them up and gnaw away every morsel from the bone.  Then order more.  Two is just not enough.  Delicious indeed.
The specialty cocktail, the Agni, is a wake-up-your-senses mix of citrus and spice in which a chili is muddled with a lime, shaken with vodka and ice, and poured ice cold into a martini glass with a verdant serrano chili.  Gorgeous, hot, sweet, and perfect for a below-zero Saturday night.

The Unexpected
OM means the absolute, ultimate state of peace.  I don’t know if you will find it here, but what I can tell you is if you are lucky enough to have Raghavan Iyer – the “culinary engineer” of OM and award-winning cookbook author, sit down with you and chat – you table’s state of nirvana will rise by a whole lot.  He is an accomplished chef and all-around amazing person with charm to spare.  He leads food-centric tours of his native India (one is leaving next week) and the thought of joining a tour has my head in the clouds dreaming of being on one now. 

Happy Hour(s)
The ridiculous happy hour – not to be missed is every day from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. with $2.00 drinks – I am not kidding!
Hours

OM is open daily – Sunday to Thursday 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. and Friday to Saturday 4:30 to 11:30 p.m.  There is a four course tasting menu on Sunday for (wait, I have to look this up) $30.00 (I looked, $30.00!). 

For me, OM means to enjoy, relish, savor, and feel enveloped in the lovely comfort of the delightful staff and delicious food of a welcome Indian restaurant in the Minneapolis warehouse district.


http://www.omminneapolis.com/directions-hours.html

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