Tomo Izakaya - Singapore

One of our favourite place for Japanese. We especially love the tomo Caesar salad and the soba. The maki and temaki are pretty good. We enjoy the laid back atmosphere and the good service

I decided to stop by this place with my wife after work. During a return flight to Singapore on one of the famous budget airlines, I discovered an article that listed establishments to grab cheap beer in Singapore. Now, most of us know that Singapore is an incredibly expensive place to drink alcohol. That's a fact that many of us have to live with. Well, this article stated that Tomo Izakaya had $5 beers and cheap Japanese eats. It was pretty much a must visit after reading about $5 beers. Finding this place was easy. It's close to the Esplanade, and in a great part of town, close to the river with a great view of Marina Bay and the CBD. We took a seat and really enjoyed their décor and setting. We ordered a couple of $5 Japanese beers and few bites which included 1) bacon scallop skewers 2) cold soba noodles 3) sushi roll 4) Seafood salad 5) chicken karage. The only thing that stood out was the skewers. Everything else was not memorable. We'd probably return for the $5 beers, but we don't plan on grabbing more food here. 3 stars for the cheap beer and the attentive service.

Tomo Izakaya at Esplanade Mall is a hidden gem. The location makes for quiet dining sorta) with a slightly more sophisticated crowd and relaxing ambience. Gyu Tataki $13) is the beef version of sashimi. Lightly seared on the outside then marinated with lemon, vinegar and soy sauce after, it was served with pounded ginger and spring onions on top of the rare meat. Very big slices of beef which really worked our jaws. There is none of that bloodiness or heaviness of the red meat. Oishi. Skewers were next. Who could say no to BBQ bacon wrapped anything? The smokiness of the fatty pork flavored the succulent and sweet hotate chunks $10), giving each bite a burst of juices and flavors. Shitake Mentai Cheese $7) is a must order. The woody and juicy shitake goes perfectly with the crackling bacon and the mentaiko cream was simply the icing on the cake. The Tonkujyou Chirashi $36) is really the highlight of the meal. The special chirashi is worth every bit of that 36 bucks even though it's a small bowl. Tomo is very generous with the fresh sashimi. The fatty toro was creamy with fats and extremely well marbled. There was so much uni and salmon roe to go around that we had to finish all the vinegar rice which was delicious on its own too). One of the best chirashi bowls in town and reasonably priced. For reviews and more, visit my blog.

No hostess to seat people in crowded Clarke Quay. Watched several dozen people walk out due to lack of service. Finally got our order. At the end of meal I had to interrupt server and cook from arguing to pay the bill. He then tried to argue with me. Food was average, service was non-existent. Would never recommend.

I saw a picture of a grilled squid online and couldn't resist trying it on my recent trip to Singapore. The squid was tender and delicious, and the environment was authentic, relaxed, and perfect. My friend tried the tuna hand rolls and remarked to me that they were the best he'd ever had, and overall we had a great time. Tomo Izakaya is definitely a memorable experience, especially if you're interested in going outside your comfort zone and trying new food!