OMAH's at Hawthorn***

Omah's Hawthorn

338-342 Burwood Road 
Hawthorn VIC 3122 
Australia 
T: 03 9818 7777 E: hawthorn@omahs.com
W: http://www.omahs.com/hawthorn/about.html 
Opening hours:  from 12pm till late 7 days a week. 



The website explains that OMAH'S mean grandmother in the Malay language in Malaysia and it serves authentic Malay/ Peranakan food. Truth be told, I have never heard of them and this is the first time I dine was last week and how wonderful it was. Some of my friends asked me whey is there not a place where one can fine dine Malay food. Well, I can say this is the closest but it has also a mix of South East Asian Chinese/ Singaporean and Indian food  as well. This place is HALAL too, so it gets even better!


Last Sunday, we went to the Hawthorn Branch of Omah's for Deb's Birthday dinner. This is their second branch that started from Port Melbourne. I say having 2 branches means you are doing well and so they are, as the joint was packed with people in big groups and of course majority are there for their famous Crabs mains. We were there for the same thing. Debs pre-ordered  2 crabs and we decided to cook them in Salted Eggs and Chilli Crab ala Singapore style. Instead of expecting Mantou bread with our crabs, as it is more Malaysian based, we got Roti chanai or better known as prata in Singapore instead. That does not compromise the meal, I say! :) The crabs cost about $40 each and are of medium size. 

The Salted eggs sauce crab was not as salty and extravagant like the ones in Singapore where the egg yolk is turned into slushy gravy and the crab kinda soaked in it. Over here, it is more like the eggs was matted with oatmeal and deep fried. Hence the taste is subtle and quite delightful. 

The Chilli crab on the other had was not so hot and spicy but tasted like Assam Pedas with strong lemon grass flavour.  

We also ordered mixed entree platter ($12.90), gado-gado($14.90), buttered prawns($24.90) and also ginger flower duck ($22.90). 
The platter consisted of a selection of Loh Bak, Chicken Satay, Curry Puff, Spring Roll and Silken Tofu. 

Gado-Gado- Malaysian salad of steamed seasonal vegetables, tofu and egg served with peanut sauce. was more of their own style which is totally different from what I grow up with but still good. 

Buttered Prawns -Australian wild prawns coated in golden egg fluff flavoured with curry leaves and spring onion were amazing with strings of yolk that is skillfully prepared in hot oil- which non of us could master and 

Ginger Flower Duck- Half a deboned duck pan fried to served with a piquant sauce of chilli, bunga kantan (ginger flower) and a dash of lemon juice was the extension of Peranakan style food. The ginger flower paste was like a cross between Sambal Balado  and Chicken Rice Chilli. very interesting flavour. 


Overall service was excellent, ambience was beautifully South East Asian with the walls decorated by asian artists' work on sale for anyone but starts at a whooping $4000!!! AS it was Deb's Borthday, we brought a cake and there was no surcharge! They even put candles and gave us plates and cutleries to eat  it. WOW. I say. :)


UPSIDE
1) Beautiful food
2) Meal sharing concept
3) Beautiful Interior
4) Very Friendly staff- good with kids and toddlers
5) No surcharge for bringing in cakes during Birthdays! 
6) HALAL!***

DOWNSIDE
1) Parking, have to park near the train station during busy times
Rate:
Price- medium- high
Food- 3.8/5
Service- 5/5
Ambiance- Contemporary/Funky/Asian-Chic Melbourne
Accessibility- 5/5