Omah's Malaysian Restaurant

Ph: (03) 9676 9918; 136 Rouse St, PORT MELBOURNE 3207 www.omahs.com

Indonesian/Malaysian, $
Open 7 days, noon to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to late; Licensed, BYO; AE DC MC V EFT

Mietta's Review
An expensive wooden fit-out that uses a forest of teak in the joinery, decorates this smart new Port Melbourne restaurant. It's as upmarket as the location demands. The food mixes Malay classics with other Asian dishes. Nicely done and designed for its well-healed audience. Prices are considerably higher than in simpler laminex Malay restaurants but lower than European restaurants of the same calibre.

Other published opinions

The Age Dani Valent, 12-6-2007 "Omah's is a three-year-old restaurant in a modern commercial development. First impressions are of sharp lines and muted tones: furniture and tiles are black, the floor is grey, waiters are in black T-shirts. For a brief psychotic moment, a diner in a red shirt looks as if she's on fire, such is the contrast. Slowly, softer details emerge. The timber ceiling is strung with bird cages, there's an aquarium, and an antique wooden ladder leans into one corner, serving as a coat rack. It's all supposed to evoke 1950s Malacca, where the rich folk would meet in town squares to show off their tropical birds, then retreat to a restaurant for yum cha while their birdcages swung overhead from hooks."

The Age Cheap Eats 2007 "Minimalist teahouse furnishings, teak tables and empty birdcages dangling from the roof create the contemporary setting for Omah's sophisticated food."

The Age Cheap Eats 2006 With muted lighting emanating from 18 birdcages suspended from the ceiling and chic modern decor, Omah's is a cut above your average cheap eat. Its menu is a well-considered mix of Malaysian hawker-style fare and Japanese- and Chinese-influenced dishes.

The Age Epicure Matt Preston 26/04/05 "Omah's is a contemporary Malaysian hive that has sprouted under one of Port Melbourne's new developments. The space is dominated by a bar fronted with shimmering black tessellation and is lit by 18 bulbs, each held captive in its own ornate birdcage. It's simple and quite chic."

The Age Cheap Eats 2005 "The teak-fitted restaurant whispers sophistication, and the kitchen delivers delicious dishes like duck sang choy bao and succulent chicken lohbak - though the crisp salt-and-pepper quail, with feisty chilli-ginger garnish, is the standout starter."