Brunch at Om

What do you think of when you hear the word Om?

I think of yoga. Meditation. A serene place where I can relax.

But now, when I hear the word Om, I think of eggs. And brunch.

I was invited to a Boston Brunchers event last Saturday at Om Restaurant where I ate one of the best brunches I've had in a long time.

But before I get to our brunch, let me give you a little background on how I feel about Om Restaurant first. When Om opened a couple of years ago, I thought it would be a calm, organic, granola type of place, maybe even vegan. I live very close to it and I was excited to check it out. I was shocked when I learned that it was actually a fancy restaurant that turned into a neighborhood hotspot at night, complete with thumping music and a club-like atmosphere. It was definitely NOT a namaste kind of place.

I dined there a couple of times but the food just never blew me away. The drinks, however, were a different story. Lychee martini? Yes please. So I always considered Om to be a nightlife kind of place, and don’t really think of it in terms of culinary excellence. However when Patricia Yeo recently took over as Executive Chef, I was curious about how the food will improve. After all, I really liked the food at Ginger Park (her former restaurant in the South End). I was very happy when I found out that I will be able to try their brunch, courtesy of Boston Brunchers.

In the bright morning weekend light, it looked very different from the happenin' bar it turns into late at night

Gone were the party-goers, the plunging necklines and tight dresses, and the house/hiphop music. Instead, there was an aura of calm that morning. People talked in normal tones, and there was plenty of open space (no grinding involved here). All was serene and relaxed.

it looked like a place aptly called Om

I checked out the Brunch Menu beforehand and was very pleased to see that they offer a brunch special, which was $15 for any menu item, with a mimosa, bloody mary, or cocktail. (Is the Boston brunch scene turning into New York?) My whole meal was complimentary but I think that is a great deal. Especially because you can try this:

the lychee bellini: pure lychee puree and prosecco

I love lychees – I grew up eating them in the Philippines – and the bellini was an even better version of the lychee martini I always get at Om (hmmm I wonder if I can order a bellini at night too…) Have you ever had a lychee? It is a small round fruit, about one a half to two inches, and it has a sweet, almost flowery flavor. I always thought of it as an Asian fruit, but I learned from Renee of EatLiveBlog that it is also common in South Africa. Now I am seeing it more and more in the US, and it is being cultivated in different parts of the world. It is delicious and I urge you to try it if you can find some. I particularly love it chilled.

I usually go for eggs during brunch, but if you put a plate of french toast or pancakes in front of me, I rarely say no. And that’s what Om did, before we even placed our orders They gave us a couple of plates for our table to share:

soft pillowy french toast...

... stuffed with chocolate and bananas

and lemon buttermilk pancakes...

... with maple syrup and orange honey butter

I ordered the Duck Confit Hash (two eggs any style and spicy chili sauce)

let's take a closer look, shall we?

Soft potatoes and carrots, duck confit that wasn’t overly salty, topped with creamy scrambled eggs, and a hot, hot, hot chili sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It was very, very good. So good, in fact, that I am planning my next visit to Om already so I can order the exact same thing.

The Om brunch was such a pleasant surprise for me since I didn’t really like the food there before. And our ten-person table was so satisfied with our orders.  Om is going on my “list of places I recommend for brunch” – it would be perfect to start a relaxing weekend with, because it really is pretty serene during the day and of course because of the fantastic food. I would definitely try the brunch again, maybe after a morning run or even a yoga session! And conveniently for me, it is located just across the street from my yoga studio, which means I can come here after I practice my own om…

Is there a restaurant that you didn’t like before but you now can’t wait to go visit again?

Tagged as: bellini, Boston Brunchers, brunch, duck, eggs, Harvard Square, mimosa, Om