OM

A coworker (who is new to Minneapolis) and myself had made plans to go to dinner this week. I had suggested OM, an Indian inspired restaurant who's goal is, and I quote, "to bring a modern approach to Indian cuisine." I had been wanting to check this place out since it opened a few months back, and here was my opportunity!

As our dinner date approached, I started to get a little nervous. The reviews I kept reading on OM were mixed, and I began to think I may have picked the wrong place to showcase to my coworker what a great foodie city Minneapolis is. "Why didn't I pick someplace that was tried and true?" I thought. It was too late now, the day had come...needless to say, my expecations were low.

When I pulled up to the valet, they told me it was $10, but I had heard rumors that if you order dinner, valet is only $5. I was a little perturbed that I had to ask the valet about this deal as he didn't offer up any of that inside information before I handed my keys over. His answer to my inquiry was that I need to pay the full $10 up front, then, they take $5 off your bill in the restaurant.

As you enter the restaurant, you basically walk right into the bar area. We were seated upstairs across from the bar as they use this area for dinner during the week. Apparently, they only use the basement level for dinner on the weekends when they are most busy. I can attest that the upstairs really is beautiful. I was half tempted to ask if I could peek downstairs, just to see exactly what Rick Nelson from the StarTrib didn't like about it.

Once seated, our waiter came and told us the specials for the evening and walked us through the menu. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the food, and although we weren't technically sitting at the bar, he gave us the happy hour special of $2 glasses of house wine. $2??? I've never heard of a better deal! The wine was good, not the best I've ever had, but the fact that it was only $2 more than made up for any lack in taste.

As for dinner, we decided to split the sampler platter (not advertised on the menu) of 5 of the starters - Coconut Shrimp, Lamb Chops, Pataila Cakes, Mumbai Crackers, and Fresh Mint & Potato Tartlets. We also split what they called the Legume of the Moment and two orders of Naan. Finally, we each ordered a bowl of the Cardamom Thai Chile soup.

The sampler platter was great. It allowed us to try several things - all of which I suprisingly enjoyed. The shrimp had been tossed in coconut and was served chilled over a thick, yogurt-like coconut based sauce. It wasn't overly sweet as the roasted chiles and onions in the sauce gave the dish some nice savory notes. The lamb was a little dry but had a nice flavor. It had been rubbed with classic middle-eastern spices and was served with some sort cream sauce, which I thought was a bit bland. The Pataila Cake was my favorite on the platter. It was a thick fried potato cake served with a fruit chutney. The spices in the cake were mellow and balanced. It almost reminded me of an Indian version of falafal. I enjoyed the Mumbai Crackers and Fresh Mint & Potato Tartlets, but they kind of tasted same to me. Both has slightly sweet notes when you first bit into them, and then ended with a spicy, unexpected slap in your mouth.

The Legume of the Moment was by far my favorite item we ordered. It was a yogurt- based sauce mixed with green chiles, spices and kidney beans that we used as dip/spread for the naan. Yum! Again, very mellow, fragrant, classic middle eastern spices. So good....The "naan" was good too. I say "naan" because it's thicker and greasier than any naan I've ever had. We had two different kinds, and honestly I can't remember the difference. They both tasted the same to me - not much flavor at all. In both versions, I could see the herbs they had added to the bread, but I coudn't taste them. What I really enjoyed about it was the texture...thick and chewy...but, I think that calling it naan is misleading. Either way, it was a great vehicle for our dip - the real star!

Finally, the soup was a cream based soup with pureed red peppers, cashews, chiles and spices. It was rich, and again, very flavorful.

I really enjoyed my dinner and overall experience at OM. The food is good, the servers were knowledgeable and the water glasses were always kept full. Besides that, if you go during happy hour and split several small plates, you can get alot of bang for your buck.

Additonal Details:
1. Website: http://www.omminneapolis.com/