Overall not worth the wait and money pick somewhere else.
Slow and inconsiderate service, delay on food for 45 minutes, and expensive for the quality and atmosphere.
Food was yummy enough, but not special. Find another choice around West Seattle.
Nicole Bartolome
The food was prepared well—every bite full of flavor and clearly made with care. (Fried chicken, steam burgers, sweet potato)
Service, on the other hand, was inattentive, unfriendly, and while the ambience was fine, it didn’t quite match the level of the food. I will not be back, there is an abundance of excellent restaurants in Seattle, pick somewhere else.
Derrick Pyle
Great tasting menu nestled in White Center. Good first date spot. Asian fusion in a dark moody setting with cocktails yo pair if you're into that. Just generally a solid venture.
Kristen McTaggart
This was our fourth visit to TOMO and omg the food was amazing as always but last night was just out of this world. I love that each time we've been there are new menu items to try. We added on the baked potato bar to our meal with cheese and butter and bacon - and as simple as that sounds it was so extra and amazing. This was our first time sitting in front of the kitchen and IT WAS AMAZING. I loved watching the chefs work their magic during our whole meal. My jaw was literally dripping.
The service wasn't quiet the same last night compared to previous visits. My husband has an allium allergy and typically on other visits as each dish is set down we have received a run down of the dishes, and any modifications from the menu, and lastly if there are any dishes on my plate he can't eat (because of course we share food). I would typically give their service 5/5 or 6/5!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Rob Dunbabin
I had dined at Tomo a number of times in the past, and returned after about a year. Apart from the decor and a few signature cocktails, I wouldn’t recognize the place. Sadly, Tomo was failing in its effort to reinvent itself. The long blocks of comment-free five star review in the Google timeline are indicative of an effort to whitewash shortcomings.
Tomo opened to much anticipation as the approachable and eclectic invention of the former head-chef of Seattle’s iconic restaurant, Canlis. Like Canlis, Tomo formerly offered a four course tasting menu. However, the flavors used to be heavy with Japanese elements: umami flavors and soy being constant elements. Our recent dinner was more of an aped impersonation of “refined steakhouse.” Gone is the tasting menu. In its place is the much more “American” appetizer/ salad, main, and desert offering.
Having arrived 15 minutes early, we were offered to await our table at the bar and 5 minutes after our reservation we were offered our table. Neither of us were in a hurry, so I didn’t feel any inconvenience, but reading other reviews I wonder if the timing isn’t designed to wring more out of diners who from my view seemed disinclined to buy bottles of wine.
Walking to our table, I overheard a client complain to his dining partner about his steak being cold. Having been seated directly in front of the open kitchen, I could see why. Steaks were cooked in advance and stacked on a shelf that was 2 feet or so above the grill. When someone ordered a steak, I got to watch it be re-heated over the grill and plated with the side. Horrified by this crime against cow, my wife ordered the seared tuna and I the prime rib.
I was never asked how I wanted the prime rib: figuring that I was cooked to rare in the oven and got progressively more cooked as the night went on; I thought nothing of it. Later I saw another server specify the temperature for another table’s order. Well, I got to watch the chef pull a barely cooked roast out of the oven, slice a piece on a metal warming tray and place this in purgatory with the desiccating steaks, loitering 2 feet above the grill. What I got was a very thick version of the re-heated choice rib for sandwiches that you find on sale at a bar at grill, the day after prime rib night (Tomo listed it as from Klingman Family Farms, which is a pig farm label of an institutional food supplier). To my chagrin the table next to me got their’s medium rare, but they had a different server. I got a $145 dry and lean slab of meat.
Disappointed with my meal, I hoped that my wife would have done better by ordering seared tuna. As anyone who has made this dish knows, timing is essential. At home, my wife plates the dishes with sides and awaits me finishing the tuna. Tomo does it in reverse. The tuna was plated and awaited the cremation of my formerly very rare prime rib. It waited awhile: long enough that my meal was so dead that I only wanted two bites of that tough dry roast. As opposed to the warm on the outside cool on the inside that you would expect from seared tuna, my wife got seared tune lukewarm throughout.
I fault the ownership. The head chef was responsible for cooking 5 mains and plating the dishes: the result was everything was reheated to plate. Cooking numerous steaks to order requires an eye on the clock and one’s full attention: he didn’t have that luxury and the kitchen was too small to devote another chef to oversee that full task. While our waiter screwed up by not asking me how I wanted my allegedly grass fed “prime” rib, no one in the kitchen asked him what our table had ordered (I sat 3 feet away): it wasn’t until another tables order was placed until I realized that like the steaks, the “prime” rib was re-heated to order.
The appetizer, salad, side, and dessert were more in line with what you would expect for a meal for 2 costing north of $400. If you are curious, go to the bar for a drink or a
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Anne Fenton
Every visit to Tomo is special. It's chic and un-fussy. The dishes are thoughtful and inventively prepared. The bar program is excellent. Brady is a generous host, and that is reflected in the attentive service and chill vibe of the place. So happy to support this family-run, community-focused establishment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Crowl
The food was mid and overpriced
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
R
If you enjoy a $105 tough and overcooked steak accompanied by chilled beans (yeh- I know) capped off by a 22% money grubbing service charge, then Tomo is the place for you.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Janine Bostock
This we as the best meal I've had in a long time. We ordered the tasting menu on my birthday. Everything was cooked to perfection, delicious and creative. I've never eaten a more creative meal, every item was a delightful, delicious surprise. My only criticism was our condescending waiter and the rare duck. I love duck, but roast it until cooked, please!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jenny Zielke
Food was good. 2nd time there, the pace of the meal was very slow. Plates were dropped but not really explained. 2.5 hours for 5 courses. Just felt a bit off for the price point on the overall experience. The yellow tomatoe and tofu dish had soid flavors.
I’ve been lucky enough to go a few times and I’ve ordered a la cart and the full menu and both have been outstanding and creative.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sam Booth
This place feels like a parody of itself. I went to use the restroom and was greeted by a Sonos speaker playing whale sounds. The sink in there was designed by someone who simply doesn’t want you to know how to turn it on. I was sweating trying to figure out how to get a drop of water to come outta this thing so I didn’t have a soap glob in my hand all night. All the while the whales were laughing at me. We were first served some sort of cracker placed on a bunch of small rocks which seems dangerous but mostly laughable. Most of the dishes had one component that was pretty good and one that was bad and inundated with either salt of vinegar. The sungold tomatoes were fresh but I was underwhelmed. The Tama-Miso Squash was so salty I will be bloated for the rest of my days. We added the Grilled Bread and butter to our meal and it was really good but I mean that’s just toast with butter. The Albacore Katsu was really fresh but was overtaken by the vinegar salad that was the eggplant Hapanata. The pork collar with the fennel salad was the best thing of the night but when paired with the ginger relish made it all taste like a ginger bomb. In a weird turn of events the Kakigori tasted like slightly sweetened nothingness, which I guess was refreshing after many plates overwhelmed by one flavor. All in all we got a $500 tab for 3 people and that’s the moment we knew we had paid for the ~ambiance~ which consisted of tiny chairs, cool looking knives that couldn’t cut the food on our plate, and glassware with designs on them that came straight out of a 90’s nail salon. If you want to pay that kinda money to pee with the whales followed by the most confusing meal of your life, I’m happy for you. I personally won’t see you there.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Denise Tanaka
The ambiance is nice, with lights and modern clean vibes. But maybe they are a little bit too ambitious. The dishes looked beautiful but lacked any standout flavors, which was disappointing given the price. The Japanese influence was hard to detect, and everything was overly oily. Flavors were not delicate. Cocktail, you can skip, nice presentation but also lacking soul. Good place for ambiance.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Danaya Siripun
Had a great time at Tomo! Really wonderful service and nice ambiance inside.
Decided to order a la carte. Fun mix of flavors, such as bits of freshness to balance out heaviness of the meat. Definitely recommend the kakigori dessert - cherry and matcha was good pairing, perfect level of tart and not too sweet. Cocktails were also creative with Japanese influence.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andy Maier
In. Credible. Went there for anniversary. Very memorable
Overall not worth the wait and money pick somewhere else.
Slow and inconsiderate service, delay on food for 45 minutes, and expensive for the quality and atmosphere.
Food was yummy enough, but not special. Find another choice around West Seattle.
The food was prepared well—every bite full of flavor and clearly made with care. (Fried chicken, steam burgers, sweet potato)
Service, on the other hand, was inattentive, unfriendly, and while the ambience was fine, it didn’t quite match the level of the food. I will not be back, there is an abundance of excellent restaurants in Seattle, pick somewhere else.
Great tasting menu nestled in White Center. Good first date spot. Asian fusion in a dark moody setting with cocktails yo pair if you're into that. Just generally a solid venture.
This was our fourth visit to TOMO and omg the food was amazing as always but last night was just out of this world. I love that each time we've been there are new menu items to try. We added on the baked potato bar to our meal with cheese and butter and bacon - and as simple as that sounds it was so extra and amazing. This was our first time sitting in front of the kitchen and IT WAS AMAZING. I loved watching the chefs work their magic during our whole meal. My jaw was literally dripping.
The service wasn't quiet the same last night compared to previous visits. My husband has an allium allergy and typically on other visits as each dish is set down we have received a run down of the dishes, and any modifications from the menu, and lastly if there are any dishes on my plate he can't eat (because of course we share food). I would typically give their service 5/5 or 6/5!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
I had dined at Tomo a number of times in the past, and returned after about a year. Apart from the decor and a few signature cocktails, I wouldn’t recognize the place. Sadly, Tomo was failing in its effort to reinvent itself. The long blocks of comment-free five star review in the Google timeline are indicative of an effort to whitewash shortcomings.
Tomo opened to much anticipation as the approachable and eclectic invention of the former head-chef of Seattle’s iconic restaurant, Canlis. Like Canlis, Tomo formerly offered a four course tasting menu. However, the flavors used to be heavy with Japanese elements: umami flavors and soy being constant elements. Our recent dinner was more of an aped impersonation of “refined steakhouse.” Gone is the tasting menu. In its place is the much more “American” appetizer/ salad, main, and desert offering.
Having arrived 15 minutes early, we were offered to await our table at the bar and 5 minutes after our reservation we were offered our table. Neither of us were in a hurry, so I didn’t feel any inconvenience, but reading other reviews I wonder if the timing isn’t designed to wring more out of diners who from my view seemed disinclined to buy bottles of wine.
Walking to our table, I overheard a client complain to his dining partner about his steak being cold. Having been seated directly in front of the open kitchen, I could see why. Steaks were cooked in advance and stacked on a shelf that was 2 feet or so above the grill. When someone ordered a steak, I got to watch it be re-heated over the grill and plated with the side. Horrified by this crime against cow, my wife ordered the seared tuna and I the prime rib.
I was never asked how I wanted the prime rib: figuring that I was cooked to rare in the oven and got progressively more cooked as the night went on; I thought nothing of it. Later I saw another server specify the temperature for another table’s order. Well, I got to watch the chef pull a barely cooked roast out of the oven, slice a piece on a metal warming tray and place this in purgatory with the desiccating steaks, loitering 2 feet above the grill. What I got was a very thick version of the re-heated choice rib for sandwiches that you find on sale at a bar at grill, the day after prime rib night (Tomo listed it as from Klingman Family Farms, which is a pig farm label of an institutional food supplier). To my chagrin the table next to me got their’s medium rare, but they had a different server. I got a $145 dry and lean slab of meat.
Disappointed with my meal, I hoped that my wife would have done better by ordering seared tuna. As anyone who has made this dish knows, timing is essential. At home, my wife plates the dishes with sides and awaits me finishing the tuna. Tomo does it in reverse. The tuna was plated and awaited the cremation of my formerly very rare prime rib. It waited awhile: long enough that my meal was so dead that I only wanted two bites of that tough dry roast. As opposed to the warm on the outside cool on the inside that you would expect from seared tuna, my wife got seared tune lukewarm throughout.
I fault the ownership. The head chef was responsible for cooking 5 mains and plating the dishes: the result was everything was reheated to plate. Cooking numerous steaks to order requires an eye on the clock and one’s full attention: he didn’t have that luxury and the kitchen was too small to devote another chef to oversee that full task. While our waiter screwed up by not asking me how I wanted my allegedly grass fed “prime” rib, no one in the kitchen asked him what our table had ordered (I sat 3 feet away): it wasn’t until another tables order was placed until I realized that like the steaks, the “prime” rib was re-heated to order.
The appetizer, salad, side, and dessert were more in line with what you would expect for a meal for 2 costing north of $400. If you are curious, go to the bar for a drink or a
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Every visit to Tomo is special. It's chic and un-fussy. The dishes are thoughtful and inventively prepared. The bar program is excellent. Brady is a generous host, and that is reflected in the attentive service and chill vibe of the place. So happy to support this family-run, community-focused establishment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was mid and overpriced
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
If you enjoy a $105 tough and overcooked steak accompanied by chilled beans (yeh- I know) capped off by a 22% money grubbing service charge, then Tomo is the place for you.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
This we as the best meal I've had in a long time. We ordered the tasting menu on my birthday. Everything was cooked to perfection, delicious and creative. I've never eaten a more creative meal, every item was a delightful, delicious surprise. My only criticism was our condescending waiter and the rare duck. I love duck, but roast it until cooked, please!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Food was good. 2nd time there,
the pace of the meal was very slow. Plates were dropped but not really explained. 2.5 hours for 5 courses. Just felt a bit off for the price point on the overall experience. The yellow tomatoe and tofu dish had soid flavors.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Shave Ice
Restaurantji Recommends
I’ve been lucky enough to go a few times and I’ve ordered a la cart and the full menu and both have been outstanding and creative.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place feels like a parody of itself. I went to use the restroom and was greeted by a Sonos speaker playing whale sounds. The sink in there was designed by someone who simply doesn’t want you to know how to turn it on. I was sweating trying to figure out how to get a drop of water to come outta this thing so I didn’t have a soap glob in my hand all night. All the while the whales were laughing at me.
We were first served some sort of cracker placed on a bunch of small rocks which seems dangerous but mostly laughable. Most of the dishes had one component that was pretty good and one that was bad and inundated with either salt of vinegar. The sungold tomatoes were fresh but I was underwhelmed. The Tama-Miso Squash was so salty I will be bloated for the rest of my days. We added the Grilled Bread and butter to our meal and it was really good but I mean that’s just toast with butter. The Albacore Katsu was really fresh but was overtaken by the vinegar salad that was the eggplant Hapanata. The pork collar with the fennel salad was the best thing of the night but when paired with the ginger relish made it all taste like a ginger bomb. In a weird turn of events the Kakigori tasted like slightly sweetened nothingness, which I guess was refreshing after many plates overwhelmed by one flavor.
All in all we got a $500 tab for 3 people and that’s the moment we knew we had paid for the ~ambiance~ which consisted of tiny chairs, cool looking knives that couldn’t cut the food on our plate, and glassware with designs on them that came straight out of a 90’s nail salon.
If you want to pay that kinda money to pee with the whales followed by the most confusing meal of your life, I’m happy for you. I personally won’t see you there.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
The ambiance is nice, with lights and modern clean vibes. But maybe they are a little bit too ambitious.
The dishes looked beautiful but lacked any standout flavors, which was disappointing given the price. The Japanese influence was hard to detect, and everything was overly oily. Flavors were not delicate. Cocktail, you can skip, nice presentation but also lacking soul. Good place for ambiance.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Had a great time at Tomo! Really wonderful service and nice ambiance inside.
Decided to order a la carte. Fun mix of flavors, such as bits of freshness to balance out heaviness of the meat. Definitely recommend the kakigori dessert - cherry and matcha was good pairing, perfect level of tart and not too sweet. Cocktails were also creative with Japanese influence.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
In. Credible. Went there for anniversary. Very memorable
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...