It has been less than a month since Tomo Fine Dining opened in Marina Square but the restaurant has already grabbed the attention of top executives and the media. Owned and managed by Thomas Kok, this new outlet prides itself on serving only the freshest seafood flown straight from Japan. Specializing in sashimi, sushi and yakitori, Tomo Fine Dining dishes out Singaporeans’ favourites when it comes to Japanese cuisine.
The restaurant’s interior is segregated into 3 sections – the private rooms, the dining area, and the sushi bar. All are decorated in a modern Japanese style of dark brown furniture and marble flooring, creating clean linear patterns that are pleasing to the eye. The partitions separating the 3 sections, however, are a little cluttered with tall wooden blinds that make the innermost sections seem foreboding. There is also an al fresco area on a wooden deck. Overall the restaurant’s design is trendy but common, given this decade’s craze for earthly colours and fine polish. Nevertheless, it is nice that the place has a distinct Japanese identity, with red Japanese lanterns and classical Japanese music playing in the background.
Presentation and freshness of food are essential in Japanese cuisine, especially when it comes to sashimi. Tomo’s sashimi range ($30-$40 per pax for a 4 person serving) is presented neatly with lettuce and radish, adding aesthetic value to the superb sweetness of the fresh seafood. Choose from salmon, tuna, scallops, prawns and other types of seafood and dip them in the thick, spicy wasabe .
For more fish, try the Karei Karage, or flat fish or flounder (Market Price). The fish is slit such that the meat is almost detached from the bone. The fish is then deep-fried until crispy so that even the bones become crispy and edible. Like many other Japanese dishes, the fish is cooked plainly to emphasize its natural taste. The Karei Karage comes with a thin, sweet-sour sauce to add flavour to the fish. Also try the Aji Shioyaki, or Jack Horse Mackerel (Market Price), a nicely-grilled fish that is sweet and firm.
Tomo has a wide Food Grill Over Charcoal Fire selection, where you find the popular Yakitori, or grilled chicken thigh ($5). Other skewers include the Quail Egg ($4), a soft, slight-burnt skewer of high-quality Japanese eggs. The most tantalizing of the grilled variety in the Shineji Maki, or shineji mushrooms rolled with pork ($8), a juicy and salty grilled skewer.
It is difficult to resist trying the sushi at Japanese restaurants. At Tomo’s, try the House Maki ($20). Comprising steaming unagi, or eel, sitting atop rice rolls, this dish is warm, unlike most sushi. The unagi, which is salty and sweet, completes the rice and fresh vegetables in the dish.
Too dry? Sample, Tomo’s soups. The Shark’s Fin Chawamushi ($20) is by far your best bet. Elegantly presented with thick yellow gravy, this dish consists of chawamushi, or raw egg white custard, shark’s fin and prawns. Cold but extremely tasty, the dish is filling despite its small serving. For something warmer, try the Double Boiled Soup with Tuna Belly (price not listed), which comprises tuna belly, tofu and scallops. This soup, while made of high-quality ingredients, is too fishy for me.
The service here is aloof but very efficient. Food arrives promptly, green tea is topped up regularly and salad is brought to you before the meal. Posh and business-like, the staff is reliable but do not make you feel at home. However, regular customers are treated exceptionally, establishing a lasting and meaningful relationship between the staff and their patrons. So going back to Tomo’s is your ticket to greater hospitality!
I am not a fan of Japanese cuisine, but credit is deserved where it is due! The food here is authentic and high-quality, and it is evident that great effort goes into cooking and preparation. Clean, fresh and aesthetically-pleasing, the food outdoes the vibe and the service of the restaurant.
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