Delicious morsels cooked over charcoal

restaurant

28 Jul

Written By Antony

DOMINION ROAD DIARIES - OMNI

By Anna King Shahab

Dominion Rd is lucky to have Omni – in a nutshell, it’s one of those un-showy but over-delivering neighbourhood eateries that diners love returning to over and over.

Owners John Yip (head chef) and Jamie Yeun (front of house) are pretty much always present, along with two more in the kitchen (chef Jack and a kitchen hand) and one more on the floor. It’s an intimate operation, seating just 25, and made more intimate yet by the fact the kitchen is closer to being in the actual dining room than anywhere else I can think of in the whole city.

Cooked to order from the raw and natural state is the ethos here. With the kitchen being within arm’s reach of tables and the menu focusing on yakitori – tasty skewered morsels cooked over the grill – the right charcoal for the job is imperative. John imports directly from a kiln in Malaysia the white charcoal that he and Jack can crank up to soaring temperatures without producing lots of smoke. “It also doesn’t spark a lot and the smoky flavour it imparts is gentle”, says John. That’s very important, because the hero here is as much the gentle lick of charcoal heat as the the ingredient that’s being cooked; you want the natural flavour to shine.

The Japanese lean to the menu at Omni is thanks to time John spent working as a chef there, as well as at the famous yakitori joint Yardbird in Hong Kong. Time in Denmark and Melbourne have also added to the creative pot. John describes Omni not as a Japanese restaurant per se, but one that “looks to a Japanese feel for direction.”

Jamie puts together the drinks list, and her close relationships with local and international winemakers mean there are always some small-run gems on offer.

As well as chicken morsels hot off the grill (chicken is the star of yakitori), don’t miss:

Eggplant tempura – John experimented over and over to get the tempura batter exactly as he wanted it. The gluten-free batter is super crisp, holding up to the sticky, Sichuan-influenced chilli sauce.

Sashimi – the selection always includes a white fish, which changes depending on the season and source and is served at the moment with white soy sauce, cultured cream, and makrut lime oil. Sometimes wild kingfish or yellowfin tuna make an appearance. John prefers wild fish to farmed, and the fish is generally aged for three days to improve its texture and flavour.

Beef tataki – seared sirloin from Pirie’s Butcher in Mt Eden, doused with a Chinese black bean vinaigrette and topped with fried shallots.

Prawn toast – a mousse made from prawns is carried on caraway sourdough from Fort Greene, topped with sesame seeds and grilled then garnished with yuzu kosho and chives – at the moment you can also opt to add fresh truffle from Canterbury, and you should!