Reviews Oohmami Pares House & Noodle Bar

Awesome!!!! Love the ambiance and the servers are super friendly. Music is bumping.

If you want accessible and interesting takes on traditional cuisine, Oohmami is a place to try. For Filipinos that grew up with the food, this is not your mom's cooking. This is a new take on classic dishes with quality ingredients.

Recently diners seem to be all about soups and noodle bowls, the house-named Oohmami bowl with the thick and chewy filipino noodles is worth a try. If you like strong garlicky broths this will hit the spot for you. The Oohpapi bowl is also worth trying which is slightly different than the house bowl with a beefier taste.

I prefer the rice bowls. Great meats on garlicky rice often topped with an egg. That's where I usually focus. Especially the Tipsy Tapsi, a great tender piece of rib eye grilled to perfection and marinated in an ale. I'd also get the sisig, a delicacy and favourite among Filipinos, the chopped fried pork is pretty satisfying.

For appetizers, you can't go wrong with the lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) or the Filipino tacos. Get the Sisig nachos if you like the pork dish. But for my money I love the siopao sliders. The rice dough is so soft and fluffy and topped with pork belly it's fantastic.

I'm in love with this restaurant and can't say enough about the place. After going so often I guess I can consider being friends with the owners, so I can't complain about service and they're very open to feedback I provide.

I'm definitely a fan of these guys. They're doing good things in this small, casual hangout spot.

Went here last night with my fiancé. We visited this spot when it was Gachi, and the owners of Oohmami have beautifully renovated the space by blowing out a wall and opening up the space to the kitchen. We shared the nachos, tipsy taps, the oohmami noodle bowl, and the coconut pudding dessert. Everything tasted great, great service, food came out quick, and good pricing on the food. We will definitely be coming back.

Oohmami delivers fine Filipino fusion fare

 Bill Kaufmann BY BILL KAUFMANN, CALGARY SUN

FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 04, 2016 02:20 PM MST

 
Oohmami Pares House and Noodle Bar 

2711 17 Ave. S.W. 587-352-0057 

There’s no abundance of Filipino eateries to represent Calgary’s third-largest minority population. 

But those running Oohmami, which opened last November in 17 Ave. S.W. strip mall, won’t admit to serving traditional fare from the Asian archipelago.

It’s modern Filipino, we were told, sold in a nifty little spot akin to a diner where patrons seated up at the counter become intimately acquainted with how their meal’s prepared. 

A pair of picnic tables make up a good portion of the seating. 

The rather brief menu is dotted with an icon of red lips sucking in noodles denoting dishes whose contents were cooked six to eight hours, and thus “once we are out, we are out.” 

We could only hope we hadn’t arrived at that non-sweet spot in time. 

We summoned a starter order of quikium, or pork cheeks and shrimp ($8) that offered us meat with a delightful crispiness and steeped in a slightly lumpy asado sauce with a tangy finish. 

Pickled daikon radish and shredded finished a dish we adored. 

A glimpse into Oohmami’s fusion side were the siopao sliders ($8.50) housed in steam buns with their characteristic dampness that, fortunately, didn’t translate into sogginess. 

These were stuffed with sweetly-marinated pork belly bolstered with more of those pickled root veggies and clinatro while sprinkled with what the menu describes as “fairy dust containing peanuts.” 

And fairies wear boots, too, but I can say with some certainty our hosts’ sliders were tasty indeed. 

Our orders arrived promptly in the hands of smiling server Jessica who seemed to enjoy her work. 

Among those dishes was Mizue’s High River wagyu brisket served as a soup marked on the menu by those noodle-sucking lips. 

Its beef - a nod to Japanese cuisine - was tossed into a lotong broth with garlic tones and thickened with nappa cabbage. 

This was a broth with an understated flavour, compared to pho or ramen but still flavourful enough and stocked with fried egg, shredded onions and noodles with that slightly doughy, freshly homemade texture. 

Hina’s barbecue chicken ihaw ($14.50) oozed deliciousness with its smoky sweetness accented with lemongrass shot through with a grilled tones. 

The devilishly juicy chicken was laid atop garlic rice and greens. 

The presentation of this dish and its companions was just as mouthwatering. 

My dish, the adobo ($13.50) was more traditional Filipino - and I’m not going to claim to be an expert in this cuisine. 

But I’m confident enough in deeming it delectable with its long-cooked chicken marinated in palm vinegar injecting a savoury tartness that seeped into its garlic rice. accompaniment. 

Tossed into the bowl was a fried egg and shredded onion that I mixed thoroughly into the rice and chicken. 

We ventured into uncharted dessert territory with the binbingka ($8). 

This was a small square of sponge-like cake infused with cheese and topped with a scoop of cheddar ice cream - a dairy ingredient concocted by our hosts. 

It’s probably the most savoury dessert we’d encountered, treated with salted-dried duck eggs (fairy dust, perhaps?). 

A few raspberries, blueberries and a raspberry coulis reminded us that this was, in fact, dessert. 

And we lapped it up. 
Oohmami's delectable vision of Filipino fusion had us wishing we had room to order more.

 

* * * * (out of five) 

Filipino fusion cuisine

PRICE: entrees around $14

LICENSED: yes

DRESS: casual

HOURS: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun., Mon., Wed., Thurs; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fri.; 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Sat.; closed Tues.

CREDIT CARDS: yes

WHEELCHAIRS: yes

Came here for lunch today and was pretty impressed with the place. Their use of space was much better than the previous restaurant, Gachi, and the atmosphere was very lively and friendly.

We thought it would be nice to try some philippino food for a change, as we hadn't really come across any others so far. After having lived in the Philippines for a while, I was feeling nostalgic and looking forward to some adventurous dishes, like crispy pork knees or vinegar cured fish, but unfortunately there was nothing too crazy on the menu. With that being said, the menu was very appetising, so we ordered a starter and two mains.

We had the siopao sliders to start, which were 3 mini pork belly burgers in a sweet gravy between steamed buns. They were sweet and chewy, and had a delicious flavour, but were a little smaller than I would have liked for the 8.50 price tag. Would happily eat them again though.

For the main course we had the tipsy tapsi and the wagyu brisket.

The tipsy tapsi was a marinated steak with rice, a fried egg and some salad. The marinade for the steak was sweet, and was reminiscent of the beef bulgogi taste in Korean cuisine. Really delicious. The egg was good with the rice, but overall this dish doesn't need much explaining. It was very tasty though, and quite light. I didn't feel like falling into a food coma immediately after, which is always a good thing.

The brisket was very tasty, and if you've had the brisket in Banker's hall, it's very similar to that, except the noodles are chewier, the broth is richer and there are small tempura'd onion rings. The noodles were absolutely fantastic, and the beef just melted in our mouths. No complaints and a good portion.

Overall, we were pleased with this meal, and didn't feel as if we'd paid too much. The mains were very tasty, and it was nice to try something new, although this didn't feel like genuine philippino food, but more of a general Asian fusion restaurant. Regardless of what we label it, it was really good food, and we'd happily eat here again. It's good to see Oohmami was able to follow in Gachi's footsteps, and there's still a good restaurant in that part of 17th.

Sonny and the crew at Oohmami were amazing hosts... The ambience is intimate and fun. A place where you can enjoy the company of good friends or that special someone. The food was inexplicable... but here goes!
Broth so deep you get lost in it, hand made noodles, a perfect egg, melt away waygu, fried onion and more... A ramen lovers most fondest memory.
The most tender flavorful braised aged High River beef... Even more tender and flavorful then the waygu... Matched perfectly with rice scallions and a deep rich meaty broth soup.
The piece de resistance was the most creative unique sweet savory dessert... Forget salted carawhat? Mac and who... This savoury cheesy cake (?) and cheddar ice cream will entice the most cruel dessert critic.
Forgive any half eaten pics :) So hard to resist!

It was Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods that predicted that Filipino cuisine would take the spotlight and become the next big hit of the food world. Since then, we have seen many talented and notable chefs such as Sheldon Simeon, Dale Talde, Miguel Trinidad, and Yana Gilbuena bring their own interpretations of this truly engaging and vastly influenced cuisine to North America. A very welcome arrival for something we as Filipinos have enjoyed all our lives with our family, friends and loved ones. 

It warms my heart to see that the Filipino hospitality, coupled with true passion and creativity is alive and well at Oohmami Pares House & Noodle Bar. Upon entering the cozy space, the place is alive with activity, conversation, and classic hip hop beats that bring a sense of nostalgia and familiarity to my being. Chefs and co-owners Saturnino (Sonny) and John greet everyone like family and treat you well. The chefs bar is the perfect spot to watch the action, people watch, or just shoot the breeze.

The menu is a selection of familiar Filipino dishes that have been given a light touch of modern flair and contemporary styling that re-interprets the cuisine, but keeping the flavours that make them distinctly Filipino. The ingredients are fresh and locally sourced, including the noodles for their signature mami bowls which are handmade. 

Speaking of the noodle bowls, the mami bowl is a hearty noodle bowl filled with a housemade broth, noodles, chicken, beef, pork, or wontons. You can think of it like a ramen of sorts, but with a style and flavour that is unique, most notably in the broth, which has a more subtle flavour profile than a ramen. It's a filling meal that is both satisfying and comforting.

If you are in the mood for snacks, the selection of appetizers at Oohmami is a spotlight of familiar dishes that are perfect for sharing. My favourite is the wings which I have had in both the adobo and the banana ketchup flavour. Another notable selection is the Sisig tacos, made from local pork, grilled and seasoned to perfection, and served on fresh corn tortillas, topped with fresh scallions, cilantro, pickles onions, and queso fresco. Delicious. 

Since I am a rice-aholic, I can't forget the wonderful things Sonny and John do to complement this Asian staple. The Tipsy Tapsy is a refreshing take on the classic tapsilog plate, "tap" from beef tapa (cured beef) and "silog" being a suffix that's applied to a Filipino breakfast plate with garlic fried rice and a fried egg. The steak is neither cured or cooked to oblivion, but rather given a deliciously savoury and slightly tart marinade, grilling til it's just done. It's tender, juicy, and a the best steak I've had in a while. 

The chicken inahaw is a grilled chicken rice bowl that is lightly flavoured with a summery tropic-esque lemongrass essence that is so beautifully incorporated in the meat that it's hard to just eat one bite and give back the fork if you happen to be sharing. Not to mention that the meat is so tender, that you can just eat it with a fork.

It is with a full stomach, a warm heart, and with new friends that wish the crew at Oohmami Pares House & Noodle Bar the best of luck in this truly amazing little restaurant. If you enjoy the vast selection of Asian food in this city, I strongly suggest that you come here and make some new friends of your own. Filipino hospitality is real, it's a wonderful thing, and you will love it.