Japanese Omakase has always been one of my favourite dining experience because of the excitement of letting the chef decide the entire course of meal for me, and usually, the experience is sublime, and is better than the meals where I choose what I want to eat. In addition, it is a joy to watch the chef meticulously prepared the dishes with curated premium ingredients. Another reason is simply because I love to eat seafood.
So yes, I come to Tomidou with great expectations. And my expectations totally exceeded! Rooted in traditional Edomae sushi, Chef Akira Horikawa adds little extra touches or twists to elevate the food to develop unique complex flavours that amaze and delight me. All dishes here evoke that feelings of happiness and warm satisfaction. Definitely one of the best omakase I have.
With the hinoki wood counter, shelves decked with sakes, bonsai, different types of wood surfaces adorning the walls and furniture, the interior has the upmarket Zen vibe that fills one with a sense of calm. I actually love the subtle floral print on the smooth glossy metal finishes.
The service here is exceptional: professional, meticulous and warm. It’s perfection. Chef Horikawa also shakes things up with punchlines and his showmanship. I’m totally in love with this place. So is this restaurant a must-visit? A definite yes!
The beautiful platter of Botan Ebi, Uni and Hotaru Ika is like delightful gathering of the treasures of the sea. Briny sweet, springy raw botan ebi with its head grilled to crispy goodness is such a joy to savour. I’m so happy to have the rarer sweet, creamy Murasaki uni alongside with the umami packed Bafun uni. Hotaru ika is full of the essence of the ocean contained with the bouncy flesh. I love this platter so much.
I never know I can go “wow” when tucking in to sashimi, but that is what exactly happens when I pop Kinmedai and Amadai sashimi into my mouth. The aroma of lightly charred surface of the fish adds so much to the flavour while enhancing its sweetness that it is amazing.
Otsukuri of Hatsu Katsuo and Sakura Masu continues the wave of surprises and delight. The sweetness of the fishes is imbued with the rich smokiness of rice straw and perked up by the zest of sudachi and pungency of Okinawa shallots plus garlic. So exciting and oh-so-good.
Kani Doraku is a wonderful marriage of the garden and the sea. The crunchy, juicy, fresh, sweet vegetables from Japan add the extra earthy, floral dimension to the light oceanic umami of the chucks of crab meat. Another lovely dish.
Nodoguro Shioyaki surprises me by how good cooked fish can be. The flesh of Nodoguro is firm and smooth, going perfectly with the deep-fried potato and lotus. The intense earthy sweetness of these root vegetables elevates the taste of Nodoguro from very good to amazing. Bonito injects bits of savoury kick to the dish, making it even better.
Kani Shinjo is so amazing too. I was expecting the crab meat ball swimming in the bonito broth to have its most of its flavour seeped to the light yet unbelievably flavourful broth. But the first bite of the meat ball took me by surprise. Because it is packed with so much briny sweetness that it literally tastes sweet!
Chef Akira Horikawa preparing the shari right in front of the patrons
Being a good show man, Chef poses with the huge slab of tuna at my request.
Signature Sushi Chutoro features that lovely melt-in-your-mouth texture. An excellent sushi.
Sushi Aori Ika is king squid chopped up many times to yield that perfect easy to bite texture while retaining the unique creamy briny taste of squid. Best ika sushi.
Beautiful Sushi Akami Zuke is also good.
Sushi Torigai, a rarity in restaurants, is served with gusto as Chef Horikawa smacks a flat piece of torigai, a kind of Japanese cockle. and then voila, the torigai changes its shape! Visuals aside, I love its texture and taste too. It is so crunchily good!
Signature Sushi Otoro here is different from other otoro sushi. This is like otoro in served in millefeuille style, where three thin slices of otoro stacked on top of shari, aka sushi rice. So smooth, so melty, so sweet .. perfect!
Sushi Uni is decked with lots of uni, and Chef Horikawa makes it even more awesome by generously putting more uni on top 😍 in front of me. This is the best uni sushi. Sweet creamy umami overload, and pure happiness overload.
Sushi Awabi, yes abalone sushi, impresses too with a a mix of textures and falvours. The slight chewy texture and light salty, buttery taste of abalone goes so well with creaminess and sweetness of murasaki uni plus the fluffiness and touch of tangy sweetness of the shari. This is one very well-executed dish that exemplifies the unique characteristics of abalone.
Signature Sushi Unagi (Sous Chef Kenjirou Special) is unique in which the refreshing element of the sliced cucumber lifts up the intense smoky taste of unagi and its creamy texture. A delightful piece.
Gyoku is made from Japanese egg and shrimp paste. It is so fluffy and sweet. I love it even better when it is paired with the savoury elements of the shari.
Shijimi clams yields sweet, lovely, flavourful soup.
Cherry Blossom Pudding’s earthy taste juxtaposes so excellently with the refreshing Strawberry jelly. I love this dessert that packs layers of flavours and textures.
This awesome meal is rounded up with refreshing yet enchanting citrus dessert soaked in champagne and a traditional Japanese dessert of mochi dunked in red bean paste. The eclectic pairing of Eastern dessert meets Western dessert is interesting and works well.
Sake recommended by the staff, which is perfect for going with omakase.
Thoughts: One of a Kind, Amazing Experience
1 Nassim Road #01-01
