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Otom (was: Moto 2.0?)

Otom (was: Moto 2.0?)
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  • Otom (was: Moto 2.0?)

    - August 30th, 2007, 10:43 pm
    - August 30th, 2007, 10:43 pm Post #1 - August 30th, 2007, 10:43 pm
    Thank you for all of the very fine camera work, GreenFish! I agree with your assessments as well; there was remarkable consensus among the seven of us from varied perspectives and parts of the cityscape.

    Here are happy_stomach's comments for easy in-line reading:

    It was a very enjoyable evening indeed. Thank you to all you who came out (including Louisa Chu and sister who stopped at our table to say hello) and the entire Otom team. Kathryn Simpson also deserves special thanks for making my role as organizer very easy.

    My food highlights were similar to others'... The bean salad was excellent. I thought the contrast of textures between the beans and the rice noodles worked especially well. Beer battered vegetables are a comfort food I often forget about. Thanks to Chef Nash for reminding me that vegetables deep fried are quite yummy. My favorite appetizer of the evening was the salmon ceviche on wontons. The quality of fish was superb, and I liked the trompe l'oeil effect that Kennyz pointed out of the salmon somewhat resembling off-season tomatoes. The wontons could have been less salty.

    In terms of entrees...I loved the macaroni and cheese. I know we're not supposed to make comparisons to moto, but I think I actually liked otom's version better than the extremely pleasing dehydrated quail version I had back in May as part of my GTM. I especially liked the rosemary with the cheese and the panko crust. I liked the tofu, and I could have eaten my own pot pie. The ribs, I thought, were dry and too sweet for my liking. In the fourth course, my favorites were the lamb shank (and I normally pass on this animal part) and the short rib ravioli, which in my book is a solid rival to Schwa's quail yolk version.

    The desserts were forgettable except the strawberry shortcake. I loved the dense richness of the cake--very different from the tasteless, twinkie-yellow sponge that I think of when I think shortcake. The apple cobbler tasted funny to me. I don't know if I was just unfamiliar with the kind of apples that were used, but the taste was unusual and not in an especially enjoyable way.

    I'm glad we were able to sample a range of dishes. Now I'll know what to order if I go back. Thanks again to my dining companions!



    Late in the evening, Mr. GreenFish asked how we on the board rate cuisines both within and across categories, an excellent and important question. Using the example of vegetarian cuisine, would the best vegetarian restaurant compare favorably with the best pork BBQ joint? Do we suggest that there is comparable overall experience in store between a middle-of-the-road falafel stand and an average Chinatown restaurant? We responded that the best we can do is to describe our experiences subjectively and qualitatively, and allow the reader to form his or her own strategy for attacking a particular menu. There is no absolute scale, and it is hard to fit most restaurants neatly in any particular category.

    You'll get better service, decor, smells coming from the kitchen, silverware, and table environment at Emperor's Choice than at LTH, but the cuisine at the latter is far superior (if you pretend you're G Wiv's best friend). And Penang's rambling, hit-or-miss menu doesn't really fit into Chinatown-type places, as Sunshine doesn't in sushi joints. At the pinnacle of the thin-crust pizza houses, you're not going to get the same treatment as the zenith of the French bistro game. They'll both be GNRs at the end of the day, the beauty of this forum.

    I'm reminded of Ebert's defense of his star system - giving Halloween four stars because it's the best Dead Teenager movie ever, but Godfather Part II three stars because for him it isn't the end-all of gangster movies. It's hard enough to compare across things that neatly fit into categories before dealing with those that straddle them.

    So, what can I say about OTOM? It wants to be comfort food, but informed by an international ingredient and preparation style list, and served with Everest-like care in a hard-lofty Fulton Market room. A trio of miniature hamburgers, with precious, pretty toppings like quail eggs, served with simple ketchup and mustard and room temperature shoestring potatoes, on a white tablecloth with hefty silver service, while the diner is pampered by a continuous, elegant bread service with two kinds of butter and three kinds of artisanal loaves (of which the pumpernickel-onion was among the best bread I've had anywhere).

    When I eat mac and cheese at Kuma's or Wishbone, pot roast at the Depot, or beef pot pie at the Duke of Perth, I can't say that I am really missing a master sommelier at hand, constantly refilled spring water, or the knowledge that there are at least three people working for the restaurant that are constantly and genuinely focused on my happiness at at a given moment. If you're going to take away the pubby or corner diner ambience, the bare tables, and the condiment bottles, and replace them with white tablecloths, objets d'art, and a perfectly controlled lighting, climate, and (conversation-friendly techno) sound, you're subjecting your 'comfort food' to a new context and scrutiny, effectively putting it on an altar.

    Miraculously, I think Daryl Nash makes it work, because everything tastes good. I did feel comforted, and not just by the erudite and delightful company.

    Even where dishes miss - an unmixed, almost deconstructed cobb salad, an overfirm swordfish, the fussy hamburger trio - the ingredient quality is top-notch, and a playful imagination is on display. We had the opportunity to enjoy our meat and potatoes with halved gooseberries, roasted rutabaga, jicama-hot pepper slaw, freeze-dried peas, oyster mushrooms, and other richly flavorful accoutrements, and all of the pairings seemed to make sense. I concur that the beef short rib ravioli is worthy of just about any menu in the city. I was amazed that the tofu was completely vegetarian, as the squash and shallots tasted like they had been lovingly roasted in about two quarts of rendered bacon and duck fat. While I never thought I would miss a parmesan-rosemary-panko crust on my macaroni, I just might next time I dig in at Cullen's.

    In a space next to Moto and sharing the letters of its name, Otom neither self-consciously turns Moto on its head nor fully embraces molecular gastronomy (with a very few freeze-dried exceptions); this is perhaps one current disappointment. One expects either the anti-Moto or the post-Moto, and Otom is neither. GAF suggested to our gracious hosts that if they worked more in tandem, one could lead to the other (dinner at one, sweets at the other, depending on the time and creativity tolerance you had on a given night). But it seems clear that Otom is headed in a different direction, with a small measure of inspiration from Moto but not working to shatter or to embrace its paradigm, a partnership in geography and name alone.

    As it stands, the prices are reasonable for an after-work snack - a particularly awesome one, if you go with the salmon ceviche and mac and cheese - and you can linger over a fine glass of wine or a Maudite (bravo on the beer list) in a low-pressure but still high-class atmosphere. I would not go back for a full tasting of the menu again, but I will be back for select items and good vibes. And I'll be an apologist for the young pastry chef and her banana-pops, which I found delicious, with just the right balance of salt and sweet.

    Many, many thanks to happy_stomach for organizing, for Chef for the personal greetings and for welcoming constructive dialogue, and to Kathryn and the staff for the remarkably caring attention, worth a return trip in itself.
    Last edited by Santander on September 3rd, 2007, 10:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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