Visit Prahran’s new Casa N.O.M to try the sought-after cheesy arepas
There’s more to Latin American cuisine than standard Mexican fare at this new Prahran diner — and one bite of this cheesy Colombian snack will have you bidding adios to tacos.
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Don’t bother asking for tacos at new Latin American restaurant Casa N.O.M — they don’t make them.
But one mouthful of the Colombian staple arepas and you’ll say adios to tepid tacos.
The carne chilli arepas ($20) are two cheesy, white cornmeal puffs that look like plump hotcakes with a souffle texture, topped with a spicy beef mince and sweet pea guacamole.
They’re superb and the first of many tasty, south-of-the-US-border treats to follow.
Thomas and Nicholas Welch’s new venue is tucked away in Prahran’s Greville St neighbourhood, opposite their first venture, the southern American-inspired White Oaks Saloon.
A short skip down the road, you’ll find their beer-swilling, sports barsibling Silverlake Social.
For Casa N.O.M, which opened in June, the Welch brothers wanted to create an authentic Latin-American experience without gimmickry.
So no tacos. “They’ve been done quite heavily elsewhere,” Thomas says.
But there’s plenty of tequila, mescal and pisco to clink your glass to.
Casa N.O.M is a tequileria, and will soon boast an impressive 400-bottle back bar of agave based spirits, many sourced from small family producers in Latin America.
The brothers, who worked as liquor distributors in the US, geeked out on the bar’s name.
The Spanish name translates to House of Official Mexican Standard. Casa, meaning house, and N.O.M an acronym for Norma Oficial Mexicana. The N.O.M, or Official Mexican Standard, ensures the quality control of tequila and mescal products, so you know you’ll be getting the real deal when you start sipping at Casa N.O.M.
The same applies to the food on head chef Asum Poudel’s (ex-White Oaks) simple yet refined menu.
Start in Mexico with cheesy quesadillas, then onto the Spanish flavours of crisp empanadas and finish in Colombia with those pillowy arepas.
A stopover in Chile could see you try the choripan (a meat-filled, crusty hot dog bun).
This buttery roll is packed with salty, pan-seared chorizo sausage heaped with herby chimichurri sauce providing a flavourful, meaty treat that’ll take the edge off any stiff drink.
Many meals are vegetarian or vegan friendly, like the housemade banana and coconut ice cream ($12), which is a blitz of frozen fruit and coconut flesh, showered in dark chocolate
shavings. It’s rustic and delicious.
Even the cocktails are vegan, with frothed aquafaba (chickpea water) used instead of egg whites to make the fluffy pisco sourcrown.
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While at the bar, you could knock back rarer sotol and raicilla shots (agave-based spirits), or sip refreshing cocktails like the Tamarindo (legume-made liquor), from a long, contemporary list.
In the evenings, the 35-seater is a low-lit affair. A textured finished on the off-white walls and agave plant-coloured hues trick up the former Mag Nation store into a hip bar.
Much like Casa N.O.M’s vibe, service is warm and friendly.
The brothers’ bar is a place that will in time gather as much steam as its American-leaning sister venues.
But for now, enjoy the city’s best-kept Latin-American secret before word spreads.
CASA N.O.M
110 Greville St, Prahran
OPEN: Tue -Fri 4pm-late, Sat-Sun 12pm-late
GO-TO DISH: Carne chilli arepas