Rataj-Berard
Mirchi bajji is like a marriage between chile relleno and bruschetta.
I’m not usually one for excessive and potentially undignified displays of emotion, but a recent meal at OM Indian Fusion literally brought me to tears of spicy joy.
I was about two bites into my appetizer, mirchi bajji (a green chile dipped in chickpea batter and fried, then stuffed with seasoned onions, tomatoes and cilantro), when it started to burn. As a dedicated heat-seeker who sometimes has to convince servers at Asian restaurants that yes, I can indeed handle “extra spicy,” it was a sign of good things to come.
“I can’t wait for my mouth to feel like this for the next three courses,” said my date, whose eyes were also watering.
OM, which opened in June on Madison’s east side, fills a gaping void in the neighborhood, which had previously been somewhat of an Indian food desert. And it does so spectacularly, offering the traditional lunch buffet as well as an expansive array of south Indian, Indo-Chinese and tandoori specialties, plus plenty of curries, rice dishes and, surprisingly, Italian-inspired pastas.
I moved to Madison too late to remember much of OM’s predecessors: Since 1999 the space housed a depressing Chinese buffet, and for 35 years before that it was Shakey’s Pizza Parlor. But my date, a lifelong Madisonian, couldn’t stop talking about what a fantastic job OM co-owners Nancy and Sumanth Viswanathan did transforming the space. The restaurant (which is spotless, by the way) is dominated by a gleaming bar that looks into a bright, open kitchen. It’s fun to watch chef Dilli Shankar hard at work.
On my first visit for lunch a few weeks ago, OM was still working with a makeshift buffet setup (a bunch of chafing dishes on a long table), but since then its “grand buffet” has arrived, providing a more elegant display (and the all-important sneeze guard). Some might argue that it’s tough to differentiate among the dozen or so Indian buffets in town, but I found OM to be well above average in quality.
The buffet is dominated by meatless dishes, but they’re so good you almost don’t miss it. My favorite dish was an outstanding chili cauliflower, zippy and perfectly cooked. Navratan khorma with vegetables and tender paneer in cream sauce hit that all-important sweet spot of indulgent, but not too rich. The classic British dish chicken tikka masala was predictably solid. A dark brown goat curry was satisfyingly salty, but watch out for those bones. Hyderabadi chicken biryani was moist with bright lemon notes.
There are several different types of rices and breads on the buffet (and even an amazing Indian version of mashed potatoes), but the best part about OM is the freshly made dosas, which are brought right out to your table. Like perfect little crepes, the delicate flatbread comes out golden brown and slightly crisp, perfect for ripping apart and scooping up everything on your plate. Forks are overrated, anyway.
Speaking of forks, the place settings at OM are really fun: big silver platters instead of plates (flip one over and look for the tiny OM logo!), and the forks and knives are made in India and China, respectively (a cute nod to the fusion concept?). But the drinking cups are too small, especially when the food is this spicy. Luckily, the service is exceptionally attentive.
Many dishes can be made less spicy upon request, but my server warned me that my order of mirchi ka salaan, a Hyderabadi dish with curried chillis cooked in peanut sauce, could not be toned down because of the peppers. Bring it on, I said. It turned out to be more of a slow burn, balanced nicely by the sweetness of the peanuts.
I particularly enjoyed a dish called chicken 65, which is no longer on the menu but can be found as an appetizer, chicken triple 5. I know this because I ordered both and had a laugh when two nearly identical dishes appeared. But it was no problem, because I wanted seconds on the big chunks of crispy chicken tossed in yogurt sauce with curry and mint. You can’t tell from the description, but it’s basically an Indian spicy boneless wing.
Like so many other things at OM, it was a pleasant surprise.
OM Indian Fusion
3579 E. Washington Ave.; 608-467-2110; omindianfusioncuisine.com
11:30 am-10 pm Mon.-Sat., 11:30 am-9 pm Sun.; buffet runs 11:30 am-2:30 pm.;
Snacks (chai and chaat) only, 2:30-5 pm; $4-$19
