Dining: A new mantra at Om
Raghavan Iyer is finally putting his degree in hotel and restaurant management to use. The cookbook author, cooking teacher and caterer has partnered with Randy Norman (formerly of the Capital Grille and r.Norman's) to open OM Restaurant, and their ambitious collaboration is unlike any other Indian restaurant in the Twin Cities. Trust me, this isn't your basic mom-and-pop curry house.
Iyer's cooking emphasizes complex spice combinations, fresh ingredients and looky presentation. The party planner in him offers small platters of one- and two-bite appetizers such as phyllo cups filled with mint- and ginger-kissed potatoes and peas, garlic-marinated roasted chicken with a cashew-raisin sauce, and crispy potato cakes filled with chiles and onion and finished with a cilantro chutney. Naans, hot from the tandoor, as well as thin lentil cakes and chickpea flour crêpes straight off the grill, are served in paper cones with a side of slow-burn pickled mangoes.
Iyer and chef de cuisine James Sierra keep their menu approachable for experiment-averse Minnesotans by marrying Indian flavors with traditional American staples (walleye with cumin and coriander, plush salmon seared with turmeric and poached in coconut milk, lamb rubbed with black cardamom), and for vegetarians he offers a pot-pie style casserole and saffron-scented paneer served with a golden raisin-red chile sauce. Entree prices average $21, most starters and sides fall in the $6 to $12 range, and the don't-miss breads are $3 and $4.
The two-story space ("Is it more Chino Latino or Porter & Frye?" debated my friends, referencing successful and not-so-successful examples of the genre) starts with a jewel-toned street-level lounge. A dramatic helix-shaped chandelier and an entrance-making staircase direct diners down to a rather vast dining room done up in shades of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger; the darkness -- truly, the lighting is dimmer than the Guthrie's public spaces -- is pierced by several well-placed clerestory windows. Upstairs, the bar shakes up all manner of showy cocktails (get the cilantro-kissed "Slumdog") as well as 17 by-the-glass wine options.
