Feels Like OM
April 6, 2007
From the moment you walk through the door, OM Restaurant, located in Harvard Square next to competing high-ticket hangouts Upstairs on the Square and Grendel’s Den, is an exercise in contrasts. An enormous painting of a flaming, many-armed deity reigns over the lounge, which is filled with angular, ultra-modern tables and chairs. A lovely stone wall and soothing waterfall face off against three plasma screens pumping something that looks suspiciously like an iTunes visualization. Dim, reddish bulbs and LED candles create a smoky atmosphere, while women wearing tight, all-black outfits take your coat and serve drinks and snacks while you wait for your table (which, if you haven’t made a reservation well in advance, you will certainly have to do). Right from the start, OM is alternately soothing and piquant, foreign and familiar.
Upstairs, the dining room is more of the same (that is to say, more of the different): a medley of ambiguously Asian sculptures and paintings (created by the owner’s father, as it turns out) together with chic American furniture and lots more LED candles. The tables are close together and business is booming, but the service is responsive and brisk without being pushy.
The food at OM, like the décor, emphasizes contrast. The restaurant’s menu specializes in surprising pairings (or trios) of strong—and strongly different—flavors and textures. Take, for example, the namesake General Om’s Tofu ($22) which combines spicy fried tofu with candy-sweet purple rice and wholesome steamed baby bok choy. Each component of the plate was perfectly prepared, and could have stood on its own—but taken together, the three of them made something even better, with the sweet and absorbent rice taking away some of the burn of the spicy tofu, and the bok choy adding a refreshing natural texture.
The “duet of pork” ($28) probably had the greatest variety of flavors, textures, and even cuts of meat on one plate. A grilled pork loin, perfectly tender, was accompanied by sorrel and intensely spicy, almost chemical-tasting apples, next to a braised pork belly joined by sweet and sour cabbage, fried potatoes, and Chinese hot mustard.
The corn soup was also unique, combining a dense, hearty corn base with the delicate flavors of basil foam and cilantro, as well as a few pieces of savory smoked seafood, and finishing with a spicy kick.
Other items on the menu were more singular, opting for perfection of a single flavor rather than an interesting medley. Notable in this category was the mushroom soup, perhaps the strongest dish of the evening. It was served in a tiny bowl about the size of an espresso cup, but by the way it tasted, it might have been condensed from a sack of mushrooms the size of a small SUV, with a trunkful of garlic thrown in for good measure. Each dainty sip (a miniature spoon was also provided) was a delight.
Desserts include the obligatory crème brûlée, a fabulous pound cake with blueberries and brown sugar ice cream, and a rice pudding with fruit and caramel rice crispies. There was also a gorgonzola cheesecake, which I wasn’t quite brave enough to try.
Drinks are mixed at the lounge downstairs, which bustles with Harvard Square’s young and well-heeled. Like other aspects of OM, the drinks are sometimes hokey: the menu bills them as “aromatherapy cocktails,” and includes a legend indicating which emotions each oil is supposed to stimulate (ginger for clarity of vision, mint for intuition, bergamot for heightened awareness, and so on). But this hype doesn’t detract from the quality—nor from the strength, about which the menu also lists a special warning. We enjoyed a punishing vodka martini (spritzed with jasmine, for sensuality; $12) and an excellent mojito ($11).
Diners looking for something slightly less pricey can opt for the prix fixe menu, which includes two courses and a dessert for $39, or $49 with wine. During our visit the prix fixe menu was a special (and discounted) selection for Restaurant Week, but they also have recurring special meals like Asian BBQ Night; call ahead to find out what the prix fixe options will be during your visit.
In menu and in décor, OM is a blend of disparate elements, sometimes delightful and sometimes puzzling, but always exciting. If you can foot the somewhat steep bill, give OM a try for a wild ride of a fine dining experience that you’ll talk about for the rest of the week.
OM is located at 92 Winthrop Street in Harvard Square. Call 617.576.2800 or visit omrestaurant.com for more information and an updated menu.