Casa N.O.M. Bar y Restaurante has just arrived in Prahran, offering Latin-American foods among the cultural boutiques of Greville Street.
Nicholas and Thomas Welch are the talented brothers that brought us The White Oaks Saloon and The Silverlake Social. Both venues represent the Southern States and Southern California respectively.
But Casa N.O.M. is your chance to cross the border – your chance to immerse yourself in the feel and sounds of 1970s Latin America.
Their menu features traditional dishes inspired by the flavours of the Americas. For $19 you can receive generous servings of carne empanadas (Chilean pastry filled with beef, onion, capsicum spring onion and olives). It was certainly an instant favourite.
Though it might take most customers to South America – personally, the toasty crunch of the pastry took me back to my home country in the Philippines where empanadas are also part of the cuisine.
We also got to sink our teeth into the chorizo & chimichurri coripan – a traditional Argentinian sandwich made of a potato bun filled with chorizo, clove, oregano, smoked hot papri-ka parsley, seasoned with spices. The sweet potato, chorizo & sweet corn quesadillas was also my partner in crime’s (i.e. my partner for the review) favorite dish. For the sides we had the Elote loco – a Mexican-style street corn.
Most items on the menu have gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options.
The staff are attentive as they are knowledgeable of the food that they are serving. The Welch Brothers are often hands on with their locations in Greville Street. They want ensure that their customers leave with a smile on their face – and we certainly did.
Casa N.O.M puts an emphasis on the integrity of Mezcal – a Mexican distilled alcoholic beverage made from a type of agave. N.O.M. stands for Norma Oficial Mexicana (Official Mexican Standard).
It is the name of a series of official compulsory standards and regulations for the production of tequila and mescal in Mexico. All 100% agave tequilas and mezcals requires a N.O.M. identifiers on the bottles.
Casa N.O.M also showcases the amazing diversity of spirits from parts of Mexico, and Latin America. This includes tequila, rum, aguardiente, pisco and cachaça. They also have a list of craft beers, wines, cocktails – many of which are personally sourced and imported by the Welch brothers.
Our favorite cocktail was the Coco Pomelo Sour (coconut husk-infused pisco, ruby grapefruit, lime juice, bitters, gomme, foam). The restaurant also treated us with the Esplanade Mezcal Swizzle (Mezcal, amontillado sherry, lime juice, falernum, giner, mint and bitters.)
The brothers have created an immersive atmosphere with this venue. Latin music, dim and candle lit – perfect for dates. As the night matures, the bar-back comes alive with colourful lighting. The textured walls are also reminiscent of the exteriors of houses that you see in South America. The glass exterior can be opened up – turning this cozy venue into an open-space.
Enjoy the weekend with mates or just relax after a hard day at work with Casa N.O.M. It is the prime location for a date night or a function with office-mates, friends or family. Check out Casa N.O.M Bar y Restaurante next time you need to host a function.
