After travelling the world researching different cuisines for his acclaimed restaurant Atlas Dining, chef Charlie Carrington has finally settled down.

He’s turned his casual eatery Colours by Atlas (just a few doors down from Atlas Dining) into Lomah – short for “land of milk and honey”, a biblical reference to the Promised Land of Jewish tradition. In short, it’s a casual, fresh, Israeli-inspired lunch spot.

“I've been [to Israel] twice now, and what excites me so much is the food is so vegetable-heavy – just fresh and healthy,” Carrington tells Broadsheet. “I learned so much about all the beautiful vegetables and different cooking methods they had, and I knew I had to bring it back here.”

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Colours by Atlas started by serving dishes from all over the world, and by the time a second venue opened in CBD food precinct Ella a few months ago, it was dishing up healthy vegan fare from the Mediterranean under the moniker Colours Bowls. But after a few different trials, Carrington’s ideas for his casual offering have crystalised and he has relaunched both Colours and Colours Bowls as Lomah.

“It's always tough to branch out when you’ve started with something big like Atlas Dining,” Carrington tells Broadsheet. “[Colours by Atlas] always had a focus on food from the Mediterranean, but it didn’t have the flavour and identity we wanted.”

At Lomah, as at Colours, the inspiration comes from Mediterranean cuisine and fresh vegetables, but now the focus is on the food and energy of Tel Aviv. Meals are served on a tray or in a pita, and meat and fish options are available too.

Each tray comes with Lomah’s signature hummus, a zucchini and cauliflower slaw, chickpea salad, tabbouli and tahini. Protein options include free-range chicken, shaved lamb from Gippsland and smoked river trout; plant-based options include oven-roasted eggplant and falafel. The pitas are stuffed with hummus, pickles, mixed vegetables and your choice of chicken, lamb, eggplant or falafel. The latter is prepared in-house with raw chickpeas and fresh vegetables. “I think they’re an absolute standout,” says Carrington.

And starting today, the Commercial Road shop will also serve breakfast options. Think shakshuka, roasted-cauliflower breakfast salad, zhoug (spicy green sauce) with scrambled eggs, and an Israeli breakfast board.

To drink there three wines from Airlie Bank (a pinot noir, pinot gris and sauvignon blanc), Furphy beer and kombucha.

The space has also had a makeover – in keeping with the new menu, the aesthetic reflects modern-day Tel Aviv, where art-deco architecture (think run-down exteriors and hip modern interiors) and greenery abound. The brick walls on either side are distressed with hints of white, there are more hanging plants and greenery, the globe light fixtures are custom-made, and seating is by Sydney-based furniture brand MCM House. And you can dine al fresco now, too.

Lomah
202 Commercial Road, Prahran

Hours
Tue to Sat 12pm–8pm

lomah.com.au

This article first appeared on Broadsheet on September 9, 2019. Menu items may have changed since publication.