Going Om, Haji Lane
This week, we found a small inconspicuous bar in the middle of Haji Lane. My first impression while walking past the bar is getting overwhelmed with the seemingly overgrown plants all over the entrance of the shop. But turns out, these overgrown plants help keep an air of mystery and seclusion over and around the shop.
Truth be told, I have walked past Going Om countless times. Out of all the times, I have never stopped and look at what this bar has to offer. It always seems like you have to stop and deliberately look past all the plants to see the inside of the shop. The shop front is so small, and with all the plants, that just standing right in front of it feels like you are blocking the entire shop entrance. Unless I am deliberately looking for a drink, I do not think that I will want to disrupt the business in anyway. (Its just me 🤤)
Going Om feels like a convergence of the meaning of Om, with modern day drinking culture. In its menu, you can see hints of the Indian culture with words such as Chakra and Lassi, and also modern day cocktails with fruits and base spirits. It does feel like a place where people can get away from the hustle bustle of the city. Maybe there is just one unfortunate point; the chairs that were provided outside the bar were incredibly unstable.. maybe not so “Om” if the chair breaks while someone is sitting on it.
Drinks for the day! Although we ordered different drinks, but they both looked exactly the same. It looked so similar that the waiter who served us could not tell the difference himself, though he eventually did help us identify our drinks. I had the Green (Kiwi) Chakra on the left and Joanne Tan had Raphael on the right. We could also tell which one is our drink based on the taste!
My honest review is that the Green Chakra tasted pretty bad. The taste of alcohol is too overwhelming, while mixed with artificially flavoured and sweetened fruit “juices”. It feels like the kind of drinks that you get in clubs where the only thing that matters is the amount of alcohol you get. There was one good point about the drink though.. they served a generous amount of alcohol! (Good for those who are looking forward to getting intoxicated)
Joanne Tan: My review for the Raphael is neutral. At the point of time of drinking it, it was just like any other fruity cocktail, with the kiwi taste coming through most strongly. The alcohol taste was not as strong as the Kiwi Chakra so it was okay for me. But some time has passed since then and I think that the drink was quite forgettable.
Joanne Tan: One thing I did not like was that the drink was not cold enough and after sitting and chatting for some time, it got warm and not really so tasteful anymore. Maybe if we hadn’t been outdoors in the humid night air it would have helped, just a little.
At about 8pm, the live singing starts. The singing is great! Not so great if you are intending to talk because the music really gets in the way. But this is true for all bars that have live music! The moment the music starts, it gets really hard to hear what each other is saying.
That one Green Chakra did not feel like enough for me and I decided to buy another, Om-jito. It sounds like a local bar twist of the all time classic Mojito. Like the previous drinks, there was a generous amount of alcohol! It tasted okay, with the gist of a Mojito intact. Not so sure what was the twist, but it taste slightly on the sweet side rather than sour. I would say the Om-jito is not too bad, definitely more enjoyable than the Green Chakra.
Conclusion
A good place to hang out for groups of people (no more than 4) consisting of people looking for alcohol and not. They do serve non-alcoholic version of most drinks, even the cocktails! The drinks are generally cheaper considering each drink is $20 net, if you’re paying by cash. There is a service charge if you are paying by card. It is a quiet place to talk before the live music starts, and good music when the singer starts working.
We rate this place:
Drinks: 1 / 5
Ambience: 2.5 / 5
🔍 Hunted and reviewed with Joanne Tan
