I had another restaurant in mind for my second column. A much appreciated new arrival on the Montreal scene. However, I couldn’t help myself and went back to a little place called Omma twice in the same week, so we’ll be talking about this little Korean place this week.

Omma, which means mom in Korean, is one restaurant that’s true to its name. It has that ‘’homy’’ feel to it, with its cosy ambiance, dimmed lights and busy, yet charming, waiters.

On a little known corner of the Mile End, this Korean place offers culinary creations alongside typical Korean plates that are fresh, typical but above all tasty. On top of that, the talented chef Mi Kyum Kim uses no MSG whatsoever in all of her delicious concoctions.

For starters we went with the beef and onions « mandoo », a kind of excellent homemade dumplings. Please forget about the calorie count and go for the fried ones for extra deliciousness! We were also intrigued by the « dak nalge tigim », perfectly crispy fried chicken wings. Men will definitely enjoy this one.

On our second stop (6 days later) we opted to start the meal with traditional soups (almost all of them are available in a half portion or full meal). We decided to share the « Mandoo Gook » and « Yukaejang », both good but the latter was incredibly savoury with a perfect amount of heat.

For the main course, we went with the always reliable « Sam Bap Bulgogi », tasty marinated beef served sizzling hot. Our waiter explained how to assemble our meal with the help of lettuce leaves, sticky rice and their excellent homemade kimchi. We also tried the « Kimchi jigae », maybe the most underwhelming of all the dishes we tried. The broth and meat was a little bland compared to the other extremely savoury dishes we ordered. Nonetheless, if you can only order on thing opt for the addictive « Dol sot Bibimbap », a mix of grilled marinated vegetables, crispy rice, a raw egg and your pick of beef, chicken or octopus (Stick to the beef, octopus gets a little chewy) served in a piping hot clay bowl that’ll take care of cooking the egg and making your rice crispy.

The only, let’s say negative, thing was the proximity of the tables, obliging you to eavesdrop on your neighbours.

Price : Affordable ; About 6-12 $ for starters and between 15 and 30$ for the entrees.

Perfect for : A laid back romantic evening or with a small group of friends to share and try out different dishes !