re: Do yourself a favor and try Omi on Essen

We went last night and enjoyed it, but I left with the feeling that with a little help from the staff it could have been a much better experience. Unless you speak Mandarin Chinese, the menu is difficult. Maybe this is no Occident, perhaps they just want to cater to the Asian population, there were several Chinese families there who all seemed to be enjoying themselves.

We ordered the steamed dumplings as an appetizer, 6 for $3.75, delicious and a pretty good bargain. We each ordered a small bowl of hot & sour soup, $2.50, small on the menu, large on the table. Frequently restaurants don't refresh the vinegar before serving and the soup is flat. This was excellent, both hot and sour.

Tempted by the name, we ordered Ants Climbing a Tree as one of the entrees. From the waitress's description I had no idea what to expect, and after devouring it I have no idea what I ate, but it was delicious. It seemed to be a gelatinous mass of thin sweet potato noodles, minced pork, ginger and garlic, in a sauce. Lots of flavor, a little difficult to eat, but I'd order in again in a heartbeat.

We also got the Omi Pork, $13.50. This was served in a small covered aluminum kettle, hotter than the surface of the sun. When it cooled down a bit, I'm not complaining, lukewarm food always ticks me off, the pot contained cubed pork and potatoes that had been roasted until the pork was falling apart, all redolent of 5 spices. This was very good also, the pork was a little fatty for my cardiologist, but I enjoyed the dish.

I always recommend passing up dessert in Asian restaurants, but my wife ordered some kind of cold petrified fruit when i wasn't paying attention. I'll skip it next time, sweets are not their forte.

Overall i really liked it, the prices were low to moderate, all of the dishes were excellent, I would love to bring an interpreter to get the full benefit of their skills.