They say we are what we eat. I may look Filipino and a bit Chinese on the outside, but inside I think I’m truly Mexican or sometimes part Indian. I’m a big fan of Indian food and would rely on my usual go-to when I’m craving for some delicious food with untamed flavors. Just recently, I discovered OM Lifestyle and Café in Fox Square along Connecticut in Greenhills and brought my spiritual family / sisters in Christ there last Saturday.

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All three of these ladies I love are quite picky eaters. Nats doesn’t like coconut, milk, coconut-based creams and dishes, and very selective of Indian food. Rizza is very picky with food in general and is not inclined with beef and fatty dishes. If it’s not anywhere near above average and great, forget about it. Car is picky but not as hard to please. Imagine my anxiety and the pressure when I’m tasked, which in this group I don’t voluntarily do all the time, to pick the restaurant.

Walking into OM Lifestyle and Café, we are roused by the inviting smell of ginger and spices as well as the colorful and eclectic array of displays and items for sale. The first section is a lifestyle store that has racks of tunics and caftans, display cases and holders of jewelry, bangles, and stones, intricately designed kitchen wares, footwear, weaved bed covers and even furniture. It’s an elaborate hodgepodge of beautiful things you want to take home.

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I like the lavish intricate designs.  Love that small table.

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Also lovin’ this lamp.

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The second section fits out a small kitchen and a petite dining area that is as alluring as the shop portion. Unlike my favorite Indian restaurant that has numerous items on their menu, which makes me feel slightly dizzy wanting to order and try everything (but I end up with my usual), OM Lifestyle + Café’s menu is cherry-picked, simply presenting all time favorites and well-loved Indian food.

On the Table

Samosa P40 (per piece)

Savory patty stuffed with spiced potatoes

Samosa is a vegetarian dish similar to Spanish or our local empanada. Some samosas have a thick shell that can be a bit hard to bite while OM Lifestyle and Cafe’s version was soft, flaky and had a bit of chewiness allowing you to savor the curried potatoes, onions, peas and coriander. Their samosa is wrapped in buttery pastry and baked to crisp perfection.

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Mutton Rogan Josh P250

Special preparation of mutton from the Kashmir region

Mutton is meat of an old lamb versus young lamb meat, which we call lamb. Its meat has a stronger flavor that blends better with the spices of cloves, bay leaves, cardamom, dried and deseeded Kashmiri chilies and cinnamon. The mutton dish was aromatic and the braised meat chunks very tender and immersed in its red-brown gravy. The sauce teeming with flavors of browned shallots, yogurt, garlic, ginger can heighten the desire for rice… no matter how many times you’ve ended your relationship with it.

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