Other Mama displays creative approach to seafood
People have told me they find Other Mama difficult to define, but I think it's simple enough: It's a restaurant that reflects an appreciation for raw seafood.
When I spoke by phone with chef and owner Dan Krohmer a couple of months ago, the Northern California native told me he'd grown up working in sushi restaurants but didn't like "the way that sushi is going, especially in Vegas now, with the all-you-can-eat stuff." And sure enough, Other Mama at no point evokes a sushi bar.
Krohmer also said he finds "cultural boundaries" unnecessary, and that shows in the menu and the specials. While the Big Eye Tuna Poke ($15) may seem straightforward enough, the dish of marinated raw fish was greatly enhanced by the addition of the far-from-conventional bits of not only cucumber and avocado but also roasted golden beets, all of them cut in small cubes the same size as the fish, for a consistency that also helped to highlight the differences in flavors and textures. The dish was finished with a surfeit of sesame seeds, as is traditional, and accompanied by a mound of crisp waffle-cut sweet potatoes, which isn't, but which added considerable crunch and a saltiness that bounced off the fish's briny nature.
But while the menu lists a variety of ceviche and sashimi and nigiri sushi (and a grilled steak, for beef-eaters who simply can't help themselves), not all of the seafood at Other Mama is raw, which we found appealing on a chilly evening. When we ordered a starter of Oysters Foie Rockefeller ($15), our server brightened and said it was one of the most popular dishes on the menu, and after tasting it I could understand why. This was somewhat conventional (though very nicely done) oysters Rockefeller, but each of the spinach-bedecked bivalves had been topped with a small square of foie gras, just enough to lend its characteristic richness and distinctively assertive flavor without overwhelming. The dish was perfectly balanced and very, very good, our only quibble that a few particles of rock salt had some how made their way into one of the oysters, adding an unwelcome bit of crunch.
Mussels ($17) were on the rather extensive specials list. When we asked how they were prepared, our server demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the menu in her explanation, and heartily recommended them. And indeed these were excellent (and make two great mussels dishes in a row for us), a huge pile of tiny tender mollusks served in a seasoned beer mixture. Bowls and spoons were brought to the table, in case we wanted to finish off the broth.
As you might have figured out by now, our server was pleasant and well-informed, but she wasn't quick on her feet. We ordered the oysters first, planning to linger over our beverages before settling on our entrees. But when she returned after the oysters were served and I ordered the poke, she quickly departed before we could order another dish, and we couldn't get her attention because she was serving other parties. It wasn't until a runner brought the poke that we were able to state that we also wanted the mussels; it seemed that by not ordering all at once, we threw off her rhythm.
So that's a little bit of a caveat, but overall we liked Other Mama. A new crop of younger chefs is rapidly tearing down the old boundaries between cuisines, and the creativity has led to some refreshing finds. And Other Mama's Krohmer is among them.
— Las Vegas Review-Journal restaurant reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Email Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at www.reviewjournal.com and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.
