OMA, a newly-appointed one Michelin star restaurant in London that offers a menu inspired by the cuisine of Greece and the Levant region, is one of those restaurants that isn't really fine dining. But, it gets mentioned in this sub (though not in review form; I done checked through that thing people use every now and again called a search bar), and has similarities to other Michelin-starred restaurants that put out more homely fare than haute cuisine, such as St JOHN, Mountain, and Brat. In all fairness then to OMA – as well as to the Michelin system of awarding accolades – it seems only just to consider its merits, both as a Greek-inspired restaurant in its own right, as well as in the context of the guide.
OMA, situated in Borough Market above sister restaurant Agora (which sports an omnipresent line out the door), opened around this time last year. With Jorge Paredes (formerly of Sabor) at the helm, along with owner David Carter (Smokestak, manteca), OMA is a slightly more relaxed space than the bustling Agora, but no less busy, as mezze, crudo and clay pots fly out from the kitchen at a brisk pace. This expeditiousness is a virtue and of particular note at OMA; you won't be waiting long for your food. However, it would be incorrect to suggest that this isn't by design, as the mezze typically are presented at the start of the meal, meaning that if you order larger plates at the same time, then the kitchen has a head start (given that most of the components of the mezze have already been prepared). It's an effective magic trick, a show of smoke and mirrors, albeit a welcome one.
To start the meal, we had one of each of the mezze on offer (listed below, along with the other dishes). Of particular note were the tahini (glad that they didn't call this a hummus, as it seemed to essentially be a thickened tahini), the labneh (the salt cod was nicely subtle, just enough to flavour the labneh without dominating), and the taramasalata, all of which were apt spins on the classics. The ajvar (sweet bell peppers and aubergine) had a piquant quality that complemented the other mezze, though it was not standout in its own right. The babaghanoush, meanwhile, was devoid of flavour. Served with the mezze was the tuna ceviche, which had bursts of citrus (from the marinade) and umami. Of the bread, the laffa was fluffy, warmed through and blackened by the charcoal grill, while the açma verde (a circular bread stuffed with parsley and wild garlic), was soft and a pleasure to tear, if not so enjoyable to eat as the laffa.
Of the three larger plates, there was no clear winner. It turns out that a deconstructed spanokopita is a mess of butter and feta cheese (who would have guessed), with the spinach floating around in there somewhere, probably forlorn at the fact that it wasn't parcelled up nicely in some filo pastry. While it shoots for decadent, what it really equates to is a homogeneous arterial hit without any real nuance; it's butter all the way down.
The charred lamb belly was wonderfully tender and fell apart under the knife. However, the garnish was gratuitious, and the hummus that acted as a bed for the lamb was a fairly absent supporting cast member.
Finally, the oxtail giouvetsi. The pasta was cooked to a delicious softness, with each mouthful containing a mix of the shredded oxtail with endless cream. Despite the soft luxuriousness of the dish and a pleasantly silky mouthfeel, again it struggled with any real depth of flavour. Cream was the beginning and the end, with the oxtail only hinted at. Bringing fork to nose and inhaling deeply, one got the scent of nothing much at all.
Greek food, and food of the Levant region, is so very good (especially when made by a yiayia); pastitsio, gyros, keftedes, dolmades, hummus, moussaka, taramasalata, tzatziki, fake moutzendra me spanaki, spetsofai – all wonderful dishes. OMA, while making some commendable versions of some of the classics, is not transcendent. Quite frankly, I don't think it does enough to warrant a star. Greek cuisine is big on robust flavours. In addition, I feel that for restaurants like these, where the dishes can be replicated at home without too much manual labour (apart from hummus, because to hell with de-shelling chickpeas to ensure a smooth consistency), the flavours need to be in firm attendance. Other than the mezze (which are good, but not necessarily much better than you can find at other, less lauded restaurants), flavour seems to have left the building, gone to the nearby Bierkeller, got leathered, and then returned unable to perform.
Dishes:
Breads:
1. Wildfarmed laffa
2. Açma verde
Mezze:
1. Salt cod xo, labneh
2. Ajvar, mizithra, hazelnuts
3. Tahini, hot honey, crispy chickpea
4. Tarama, pickled cucumber, carob rusk
5. Babaghanoush, tahini, jerusalem artichoke crisps
Crudo:
1. Tuna ceviche, avocado, tamari
Larger Plates:
1. Spanakopita gratin, malawach
2. Charred lamb belly, hummus, shallot + mint salata
3. Oxtail giouvetsi, bone marrow, beef fat pangrattato
by MaaDFoXX