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Otom (was: Moto 2.0?)

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

    - August 31st, 2007, 3:31 am
    - August 31st, 2007, 3:31 am Post #1 - August 31st, 2007, 3:31 am
    I arrived at the Otom LTH event an hour early, and did not make it known at that time that I was part of the group. I note this because one may otherwise wonder whether the welcoming vibe and attentive service we experienced are a regular part of the Otom experience. I can confidently say that they are. I sat alone at the bar for an hour, and Kirk, the General Manager, introduced himself and engaged me in a down-to-earth discussion about the wine list (interesting and quite reasonably priced, btw.). Meong (sp?), the bartender, shared his restaurant and bar favorites in the city, and generously let me taste whatever I wanted before deciding to order. Alone at the bar, reading a book and sipping a glass of wine, I already looked forward to my next Otom visit.

    For the most part, my take on the food echos what's already been said. Dishes that worked well worked really well, and there were a few misses. The short rib ravioli was rich and sublime, but the swordfish suffered from too long on top of the heat. The lamb shank was a perfect rendition of a classic dish, but the sirloin was a bit tough, and the potatoes that reached my plate were undercooked. The tofu was a beautiful balance of flavors and textures, whereas the spinach salad was overwhelmed by smokiness - the flavor of other ingredients such as the beets and the spinach itself completely lost. The mini burgers just didn't work for us, but the braised beef pot pie was terrific. I think there is a theme here: Otom does braised dishes extremely well.

    I often dislike the texture of salmon ceviche, finding that the acid hardens the luxurious fattiness of the fish. Otom's rendition completely turned me around. I think it may have been closer to sashimi than ceviche, with the fish left in the marinade for just a short time rather than allowed to "cook" in it.

    For certain dishes, I think we all bring biases from childhood memories or other sources about how they're supposed to taste. Ribs may be a good example. I absolutely loved the vinegary smokiness and slightly chewy texture, but I know others prefer a more succulent, falling-off-the bone style. For me, something called strawberry shortcake should be made with actual shortcake rather than the dense, wet, almost flourless substance with which Otom serves it. Others loved it Otom's way: de gustibus non est disputandum.

    I look forward to going back to Otom, especially on cool fall and cold winter days. Thoughts of Otom's friendly, welcoming staff and comforting braised meat dishes are already warming me up.

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