Inventiveness and Flair at Om Nom
Om Nom as part of The Adelphi in Flinders Lane has gathered a reputation for inventiveness and flair, with a regularly changing themed menu and killer desserts. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to sample The Kitchen Collective menu as well as a dessert degustation from the Queen of Desserts Christy Tania, Head Chef.
Om Nom delivers on excellent Express Lunch choices for $49, and they periodically change the menu to feature various themes. The World Loves Melbourne has enjoyed our visits to Indonesia and the Indonesian fare of the current menu was compelling. The Kitchen Collective featured dishes inspired by famous Indonesian chef Arnold Poernomo of Masterchef Indonesia.
The Seafood Gulai was a fabulous start with Slow poached snapper, scampi, white clams, Indonesian gulai curry broth. The seafood was outstanding and it was the flavour packed curry broth that made the dish. Om Nom always excel on presentation and the dish looked a million dollars. A sense of theatre was introduced as the wait staff poured the sauce over the seafood in front of me.
The World Loves Melbourne rarely passes up on a duck dish, and the Duck breast with urap, celeraic puree, broccolini, snow peas, sambal matah highlighted the quality of the duck with perfect accompaniments. Sambal matah is archetypal of Indonesian cuisine and a wonderful kind of chilli salsa to complement the duck. The duck itself was wonderful and pink with slight crisp on the skin.
Also to be savoured was the crunchy zesty Urap salad with Kangkong, green beans, chilli, coconut.
Om Nom had excelled in the starters and mains, but its the desserts where it can claim supremacy in the city of Melbourne. Christy Tania is simply one of the best dessert chefs around, and her stint on Masterchef was hugely popular. Having worked in Paris as a pastry chef she knows her way around a kitchen. What sets her apart is not only technique but also every element of her inventive desserts has a story behind it, many from her life in Indonesia.
The Basil Garden should be in the NGV as such a pretty dessert, with dark chocolate, vanilla, olive oil, honey, basil, lime, white chocolate and meringue. But its the balance and combination of flavours that pulls you in. I love how the dessert brings you into a world of rich dark chocolate of varying textures then sends you into the lightness and fresh zest of lime...
Om Nom is part of The Adelphi and boasts a boutique service and modern fit out, with much gold and jet black.
Featured on Masterchef the Mango Alfonso is a chart topper with Choux pastry, shiso, coconut, kalamansi, lemongrass ginger and caramelised white chocolate. I love the 22 carat gold on top. The technique in this is crazy, with a host of different elements. And it all comes together in a cacophony of flavour and texture.
So good I had to take extra pics...
The Mont Blanc dessert is a clever dish - wouldn't mind this at my office desk. Meringue, dark chocolate, chestnut, vanilla, blackberry, feuilletine.
And finally the Rasberry Field - yes Rasberry Field forever... Again, this should be in the NGV with incredible presentation. The elements are Rasberry, lychee, meringue, rosewater. By now I was in dessert overdrive and a dessert wine was the perfect match.
Spectacular...
Om Nom is an exciting culinary destination in Melbourne with a huge impact when it comes to desserts. Christy and team are working wonders and we are keen to see what they will present into the future...