Casual Japanese dining is comfort food. D and I were fans of the delicious unadon, takoyaki and complementary second helpings of rice and miso soup at Kimama Kitchen in Eating World Food Court until it closed down mid 2015. In mid 2016, though, Tomo’s opened up a short distance road in Dixon House Food Court.
Tomo’s is run by Japanese people, with a simple menu of staple comforts: donburi, curry rice, udon and fried chicken, with a few sushi rolls in the fridge and bento boxes on the counter – all for very reasonable prices. All meals come with miso soup, and the fork and spoon are the only cutlery available.
I love eel, and D and I make it a habit to visit our favourite unadon chain, Unatoto, every time we visit Japan. The delicious grilled smell of eel grilled over charcoal hits the spot every time. So, keen to satisfy my unadon stomach, this is the Unagi Don ($13.80).
In addition to the eel, each bowl comes with two slices of tamagoyaki, a spoon of pasta salad, a leaf of lettuce, and a slice of orange. The rice is weighed out for each bowl, which holds a unexpectedly large amount (the base of the bowl is almost as wide as the mouth). The eel was overcooked and tough, which is a first, with some parts even taking on a chewy texture. The sauce was sticky and sweet, as was the tamagoyaki, but the bowl lacked the charcoal grilled flavour from the eel to cut through the sweetness. I also wasn’t keen for the pasta salad, much preferring some seaweed for freshness. I wouldn’t return for this unadon.
N enjoyed her Chirashi Don ($13.80) with 3 pieces salmon, 1 piece of squid, 1 piece of octopus, 2 pieces of king fish, 1 piece of prawn, 2 pieces of tamagoyaki, and a dollop of cooked tuna. Along with the good selection of seafood, there was a clump of seaweed, a leaf of lettuce and a slice of orange.
T, as usual, goes for the Yakiniku Don with a generous serving of grilled beef. The beef is tender, although T would have preferred less sauce.
Tomo’s doesn’t quite live up to our (lofty) expectations, but there’s no doubt that it serves up decent and authentic casual Japanese fare.
Tomo’s is located at Dixon House Food Court, Little Hay St, Haymarket NSW 2000.