Amazing food, service and ambiance once inside. The street outside is fascinating. Great drinks and the wine pairing was top notch. read more

Tomo - Braised celeriac with peanut butter tahini. Insanely tasty. - New American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Went there recently and it got expensive and I received way less food. I think the quality has gone down recently read more

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I really REALLY wanted to give this place a higher rating, but I want to be completely honest with my review. The three star rating is not because the food isn't good. In fact, the food is very delicious. I just wish you could get a little more of it. I also felt that the cadence of the courses were timed with too much of a gap between them, leaving our party constantly hungry. Maybe that's the intent so we fully enjoy every course? But I would have preferred less time in between each dish so my level of hangriness wasn't as severe. To be fair, I'm not accustomed to fine dining experiences where the food portions are very minimal. But I did really enjoy every course. The ambiance was very nice and the space was even more impressive. Unfortunately, our party ended up at a late night spot to get a second dinner in order to feel remotely satiated. I can't say that I'll be returning but I really hope this feedback will help promote adjustments to their portions. read more

Parsnips have no business being this good Tasting menu was exhilarating, we ordered chewy noodles as an add on, it got competitive Baiju highball was a waterfall of flavors I've never had steak like that, hope to have it again Vibes on point read more

Really wanted to like this place but overall I was disappointed. We scored a patio reservation but ended up extremely uncomfortable with the sun in our eyes. My husband had to move to a different side of the table when it got worse. They told us they'd ordered curtains but that didn't help us. No offer to do anything to help so we just ate in discomfort. I expected more from a fine dining restarant. The food overall was interesting. A couple items were very good, others were ok. The desert kakigori was the best thing we ate by far. Highly recommended. I really enjoyed the wine pairings. Frankly they were really expensive but each one was excellent and interesting. The cost was extremely high for the food, service and how physically uncomfortable the restarant is. They add a service charge and the server mentioned twice that gratuity was not included... so it's a little unclear whether gratuity is really expected on top of the 20% service charge. It made for a stressful finish to dinner. read more

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Preface: this is not a rant, I'm trying to be honest, just in case fellow Yelpers not know what they're getting in for. I think Molly W. said it perfectly: 'I guess this place is too meta for my dumb-dumb palate.' The space is elevated, the service was warm and friendly, the bidet bathroom was fancy. But, I did not find the food delicious. Most of it felt like it was trying too hard to be interesting, and missing delicious. The kakigori tasted like a pasture, in a bad way. We left hungry. We went to Dick's afterwards which was a satisfying high brow/low brow experience, but after a tab of $500, feels like you should be nourished in body and spirit. Maybe this is just on me and I'm too plebian for kelp dust. I would say if your date is very interested in trying achingly hip food, you're in. But if your date likes to actually eat dinner, this might not be the ticket. read more

The Canlis of White Center - bartender at Loretta's After eating at Tomo we were still so hungry we went to Loretta's and the 6 of us ordered double smash burgers and fries. Tomo: Interior was nice, service was great, bathrooms were fancy, drinks for delicious. Food was fine, portions were small, time in between dishes was forever. 6 top arrived at 630, our dinner didn't end until 10-1030. The time inbtwn was really long. We never complained about it, we could have spoken up but we were enjoying ourselves as we were ordering a lot of drinks. The food was fine, nothing really stood out. The portions though were small. My feedback for the restaurant would be don't do a tasting menu, just give entree's. If the scallop or Pork were their own entree's I think I would have been satisfied. If you go to Tomo, have a snack before hand or go to Loretta's after. read more

Sadly Tomo turned out to be a disappointment. The night started out really well with some delicious drinks but the food was just alright. Even the famed kakigori shaved ice supplement was a let down. My biggest complaint, though, was the chewiness of the beef course. I knew it was a bad sign when we had trouble cutting the meat with the steak knives. Best part of the entire meal was our server, Yasmin. She was so friendly - delightful, really. I'm glad I tried a new restaurant, but we definitely won't be coming back. read more

The service was excellent and the building is gorgeous. The bathroom scene was an interesting choice - not a lot of places investing in fancy bidet toilets. Regarding the food, it was ok. The best part of the meal was the apricot/sesame dessert, while a few of the courses were just odd. I feel like a dumb American for wanting more food, but it was one of those dinners where you leave hungry. After spending about $600 for a group of 4 (3 out of 4 of us were drinking alcoholic beverages) you would hope you wouldn't need a supplemental pizza slice afterward. I guess this place is just too meta for my dumb-dumb palate. read more

An absolute gem! I've had their dinner tasting menu on two separate occasions. Always super blown away by all the dishes on the menu. Everything is super balanced, refreshing and playful. I love that while YOMO stays down to earth and connected to its community. Hard to get reservations but the bar area is first come first serve. read more

Cool spot with lots of potential, but super pricey even for "New Seattle" prices. $16 for a 3-4 bite chawanmushi is pretty insane. Yes, it was tasty and well prepared, but it's still less than one egg with some onion and shichimi on top. This is a larger amuse-bouche, not a $16 appetizer. Think the cheapest glass of wine was $13 too. I know this is an America problem, and not unique to this restaurant, but give me at least one $6-7 option. Wine can be good and interesting and not cost a fortune. I wanna drink when I'm out, but if each drink is more than the food, it's a turn-off. Dreaming someone will be willing take a little hit and open a place with Euro prices for drinks. Back to food. The porkchop looked promising, but was 75% fat. You could tell it was nice pork, but there were a few bites of meat and then huge chunks of fat that weren't even rendered enough to eat (if one wanted to). I like a nice fatty porkchop, but this was bordering on feeling hustled. Saw a picture of someone else's on Yelp that looked better, so maybe we just got unlucky, but you gotta look at that and ask if it's acceptable to serve someone. Hopefully someone noticed what was left on our plate. Some of the other smaller dishes were also tasty, but again super tiny and not very complicated. This also makes me feel old and is super subjective, but you gotta check the music a bit. There's a line between edgy and just inappropriate. I may wanna listen to Tyler the Creator at home, but not when eating a nice meal with my parents. Hearing both F words super loud over and over was a little aggressive for lunch. I know these are tough times for the restaurant industry, so definitely gonna give it another try in a couple months, but hard to claim you wanna be a neighborhood spot in White Center as it stands. This is all just my opinion though, so encourage people to check it out for themselves. As I mentioned, lots of potential. read more

A unique experience - recommend the "set menu" for the table. Wide range of items to enjoy including albacore and duck on the night we were there. Service was attentive. However, with a couple of drinks ($20! each) for our table of two and mandatory 22% gratuity our tab was nearly $375. Decent experience, but completely overpriced - in the neighborhood of a Bay Area Michelin star restaurant, and this is not in that realm. read more

Loved the interior, the music and high-tech bathrooms. Servers were very warm and inviting. Table setting and course presentation was sophisticated and elegant. Prices are way too high for what you get: over $150 a person on a 4-top. After dinner, I immediately left and went to Taco Bell because I was still hungry. Service was extremely slow and just plain odd at times. After flagging her down, my server took my drink order and walk off before anyone else had a chance to order another drink. Food came extremely slow, which is fine if you have drinks in between and are not starving. Our server had on some sort of workout pullover that just seemed odd against the elegant setting. I'll preface by saying I don't think my palate is refined enough for this type of food, but I didn't really enjoy any dish. The best for me was the meat course, but it had fatty pieces I had to discreetly remove from my mouth. We sat on patio overlooking what looked to be a dump / scrap yard of some sort. read more

We were really excited to come here, and we do have to admit the staff are all super welcoming, professional, and friendly. Plus, the cocktails are delicious so major kudos to the mixologist. However, the dishes were quite plain (if I recall correctly, there were 3 potato-based dishes with hardly anything else). The pork belly dish was quite literally 99% fat. I know pork belly is super fatty, but this was next level... there was one bite's worth of meat in the middle of several inches of fat all around. For this price point, there are far more options around Seattle with more varied tasting menus and higher-quality ingredients. I think this place does have lots of potential with some improvements to the menu! read more

Tomo is a great upscale addition to White Center! We were able to squeeze in at the bar about a month ago after putting our name on the list and waiting for a couple hours (we waited next door at Beer Star). The food was AMAZING! The bartender was also fantastic- ended up having a long conversation about rum and he whipped up a few beverages that he thought we would like that were not on the menu which was really fun! We also tried about 90% of the bar menu (both cocktails and food) and were not disappointed. While the food is definitely 5 stars, the portions are very small! However, worth the wait and worth the experience. read more

Very well executed. Beautiful Japanese inspired space. Unique flavor combinations. Kakigori dessert is a must. I want to start off by saying this restaurant is absolutely beautiful and has a wonderful ambience. The food is truly unique with Asian influenced flare. My favorite dishes of the night was the squash prepared 3 different ways sitting in a creamy delicious cream. It was balanced perfectly and truly something I've never experienced before. The other star of the show was the albacore tuna. I can't stop thinking about this dish. It had a light crispy outside with some Szechuan paste on top. Absolutely incredible and melt in your mouth. The main desert was also everything I could of dreamed of just the right about of sweetness with some fruit on top of a tart, balanced with some nuttiness of the white sesame. We also decided to add on the Kakigori for a second dessert and it was like nothing I've ever had. I love bingsu and Kakigori but typically think of them as very sweet. This was a mix of sweet and savory. The shaved ice was sorrel flavored so had a very earthy grass forward flavor, there was compressed grapes mixed in that would give it this incredible zingy tanginess mixed with a delicate cream on top and hazelnut drizzle. Absolutely divine! The only negative I have to add is the Pork collar was inedible for me. I literally took a few bites and had to spit it out because it was all huge chunks of fat. I think it's partially how it was cooked because it was so pink that it made it very very chewy. Disappointed that I couldn't eat the main course. It would be nice to have 2 different main course options besides the vegetarian.. maybe a fish and a meat. I did leave kinda hungry since the other dishes were very small. However, I would definitely come back to try it again and suggest it to anyone to try! read more

Tomo - New American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The former chef of Canlis did it again. Great food, and amazing ambience. We thoroughly enjoyed the ambience. Do note that the portion sizes are on the smaller side so some people may be hungry even after ordering the additional dessert. read more

I truly enjoyed my experience at Tomo. The flavors were unique, adventurous, and delicious. Tomo creates such amazing vegetable dishes. My favorite was the rutabaga main course. I wish I knew how to recreate this at home! My only complaint was the dessert but that is mainly a preference, I'm not a big fan of liquor and it was too much whiskey in the cake for me and although I loved the flavors of the kakkigori, it was a bit too cold to eat it. Everything else was amazing. read more

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I give the restaurant a 2.5. I had high expectations as I am a fan of Canlis and had heard great things about Chef Brady and his restaurant. We booked a table for the patio and appreciated that they emailed us a day before letting us know that due to the hot weather the patio would be very warm, and would we prefer to sit at the bar. We opted for the bar and AC. The bar stools were not very sturdy, nor comfortable....not a great place to sit for a meal. The restaurant décor had a nice vibe, but nothing special., pretty basic. We ordered a couple of their specialty cocktails, which were very good. We started with the salad which was barely dressed and slim on the garnishments, mostly greens. Unimpressed. Next we had the carpaccio. It was small, but interesting, nice unique flavors, good presentation. I liked this dish. Then we had the pork ribs, which were luke warm, as well as over cooked. I did not feel like they were cooked to order, as they came quickly after the salad. 5 minutes after setting the pork ribs down, they brought the halibut. This is one of my biggest pet peeves at a restaurant...overlapping courses. When we ordered, we were clear that we wanted these plates as courses, and not at the same time. At this point, I was beyond unimpressed by the food, and this was the deal-breaker for me. I find it so disappointing when courses are brought in overlap. For this very high price and level of restaurant, this should not happen and be easily managed by the kitchen, as well as server. This is a very expensive restaurant, in which they add on 22% service tip. The Halibut collar was $40, it was also luke warm and did not have much meat. The presentation of the food was very nice, it was pretty to look at, but the food itself did not meet expectations...for reasons noted. I have to wonder if Brady was out of the kitchen, as other reviews led me to believe it should have been a much better experience. I'm disappointed, I had high hopes for a great restaurant in my neighborhood. This is not it. I won't be back, nor will I recommend it....I'll go back to Canlis instead. read more

The good: - everything was masterfully executed. Each dish was delicious, with a variety of interesting textures and unique flavors. I especially loved the pork collar and dessert course. - the interior is sleek and stylish - the staff is friendly and attentive The bad: - it just wasn't enough food. I'll preface this by saying that I'm very familiar with tasting menus, and am actually a fan of smaller dishes. I'm also not a big eater, so for me to complain about there not being enough food is saying something. For the portion sizes given, there really should be 7 courses, not 5. Either that or a more substantial main course. I get that they're trying to keep their price point reasonable, but I shouldn't be leaving a restaurant hungry. - we saw our amuse bouche an hour after being seated. Our first course came 30 minutes after that. Again, I'm by no means in a hurry but that's too long of a wait after being seated. I really am excited about this place opening in white center and hope that they'll iron out the kinks. read more

Wife and I ate here for our anniversary last night. Experience ended up being a mixed bag and we really were hoping to like it. (+) food - flavors and textures really spot on. The beef tartare tostada was my favorite thing I've eaten all year. Katsu sablefish also a highlight. (-) ambience - minimalist design was nice but acoustics not great - tough to hear each other at the bar. (-) service - fine but doesn't justify the cost - especially sitting at the bar. Paying the same $300 for a meal and having to sit in somewhat uncomfortable seats and be served by a busy bartender was a downer. Felt like paying for 1st class seat but experiencing an economy seat instead. In addition, it took way too long in between courses for food to arrive which really should not happen in a fixed menu setting. (-) value - we left spending $320 for the two of us and had to subsequently go eat another partial meal. Portions way too small for price. read more

Tomo - New American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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What an experience! We celebrated our anniversary here during the winter menu and let's just say our tastebuds were very happy. The care of the staff is superb and the ambiance is calming. If you can get a reservation it is so worth it! read more

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Book it. Book the reservation. For the reviews saying they left still hungry, well... if you're used to dining at these types of places then usually you're aware of the portion sizes and not upset about it. I found nothing wrong with them and I actually left just full enough. We weren't stuffed and waddling out of there but I definitely felt like I ate plenty. The flavor bombs in these plates was unbelievable. I was blown away at every bite and every course that came out. I truly did not want any of it to end. They know what they're doing there and I feel like it's worth the hype. read more

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Dinner was delicious, though somewhat slight portions. Unfortunately i will not return because of the very loud music and the refusal to turn it down when i asked. The least they could do is offer earplugs, since one is trapped by their prepayment requirements. Instead i was informed "This is a LOUD restaurant." Like i should have known that before i booked it? Another annoyance is their offer of "surcharge" items, like bread, or a spare dessert. With a fixed-price and changing menu, shouldn't it be possible for the restaurant to plan costs in advance and incorporate these items when appropriate? It just seems like unnecessary nickel-and-diming, and contrary to a spirit of hospitality. Self-defeating. Many of the staff were nice. Too bad this seems to be a "visit-once-and never-again" place. read more

The hottest new place in Seattle! It took us two months to get a reservation and the meal had to be paid up front. This is not a cheap meal, and depending on your annual salary, it's not even really affordable but it IS a really lovely experience and the food was delicious. It was great to experience this spot and the vast flavors, complex textures, and spot on service. I have celiac and it was easily accommodated. The hype is worth it, if you can get a reservation. We sat right in front of the kitchen and watched all the magic happen. Would love to come back in a year and try a different tasting menu. read more

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Wow. Consider me blown away. This intimate and very difficult to get seats at dinner spot in my home neighborhood of White Center is in contention for one of the best restaurants in the whole of Seattle. And best toilet experience (whale sounds, heated bidet - it's the lap of luxury baby!) Every dish told a story, using humble ingredients in wowing ways. Our favorites were the squash, scallops, and the pork collar - which basically answered the question, "What if pork was A5 wagyu?" One of the best preparations of pork I've ever had. The service was great, the space is both intimate and well-considered from top to bottom, the food was remarkable. Can't wait to go back and - with their microseasonal menus - try whatever they dish up next. read more

Wonderful! Loved the food, drinks, and service. It has been awhile since I dined there but the courses included sablefish. Delicious. Great gin martinis as well. While I didn't have wine, others in my party did and knowing a bit about wine, the selections were interesting and of good quality. read more

Tasty. Reminds me of Ko --- no signage. Super hip. Dark. Cocktails were fun. I really like a dirty martini with chartreuse and a float of thyme infused olive oil. read more

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Good food bit our drinks were not well balanced. And the bartender was giving suuper creepy vibes

22% fee at the end of an already expensive me. Get real lmao. Idk how restaraunts think they can get away with poor food quality/service for the price then get away with this. read more

TLDR at the end for long post. I was appalled by how disappointed I was from the 5 course prefix at Tomo. I was so excited to try this place after hearing about the numerous accolades and Michelin-star winning chefs at Tomo, but it seems to me that it was all just a marketing tactic to increase hype. For $250 this was the most laughably pretentious and uninspired set of courses I've come across at a "fine dining" restaurant (if you could even call it that). To start, the ambience wasn't what I expected -- I've seen photos of the interior and thought it might have a subdued, refined vibe but turned out to be more of a casual live bar setting. Service was mediocre -- just typically "okay" service you'd find at any diner or fast food joint. The servers did not ask how the food was or come to check on us during courses. Wait time between courses was mind numbingly long - we actually set a timer between courses and we waited 40 min after finishing a tiny raw meat taco to be served with basically buttered asparagus (third pic). To add insult to injury, there was an optional "supplemental" dessert that we could add at the end for an extra $20. With the measly portions and lazy preparation of ingredients, the supplemental dessert should've been part of the main course set for the ridiculous price it already has. I recommend saving your money and time elsewhere -- places like Archipelago or Autumn were much more worthy experiences. Also, I understand fine dining isn't meant to make anyone necessarily full after multi courses, but I've always felt full to a satisfactory amount at even places like Canlis, Kashiba, Ascend, or Archipelago - and have had much better pacing and service. Taste wise, there was nothing mind-blowing or even exceptional or unique - flavors felt boring and "safe." One last thing is the boring and lazy plating of all of the courses -- where is the artistic and creative plating or the beautifully inspired preparation? Nowhere to be found. TLDR; extremely overhyped and overpriced for 5 courses of tiny (even to someone who doesn't eat a lot) and uninspired, boring dishes without any creative flair in a very loud, casual bar atmosphere with mediocre service. Plus at least 30 min wait time between courses. read more

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We had a fantastic meal at Tomo last night. Wonderful service, inventive menu, and the sommelier did a great job with the wine pairing. The chef is world class! read more

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So happy that this restaurant opened in white center! When you walk in, it feels like an oasis. Nothing against white center as this almost forgotten part of seattle is not someplace you'd drive to as a destination. The string of fires, break-Ins have probably scared off most businesses. So Tomo is an oasis and makes white center a destination for foodies! The food was creative and was packed with interesting flavor! I have been a huge fan of Canlis but sadly my last visit there was underwhelming. What Brady Williams have created here has a lot of potential. The cocktails were soooo good. I had one too many Tenures! My favorite of the courses was the pork collar! Yum! The ambiance has a hip and classy vibe. The staff were all so kind! Definitely try this place out! Reservations go fast though! Can't wait to go back. read more

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Cool place with indoor / outdoor seating, and a tasting menu. Have some pretty unique dishes and desserts.

We finally made it to Tomo. We sat at the bar for the set menu, had the wine pairing, ordered both the additional special dessert and the fortified dessert wine, and even ordered as extra the dishes from the A La Carte menu we wouldn't otherwise have had. We're glad we tried this restaurant and would recommend to others to go and form their own opinion. However, as we drove away, we both reflected that we likely wouldn't be back. It wasn't that the location is out of the way, that the lighting is dark enough that it hinders your view of your dish, that the music is loud, that the expectations are crazy high for a restaurant many have been speaking about for some time now. We found each to be an issue yet we thought we'd account for them evaluating our evening, especially with a set menu at $86 (before extras, drink, tip, and taxes). Nor was it service. Sitting at the bar, we had a great time. Service was solid. Discreet yet more approachable than we'd have expected of a formal restaurant working to establish itself and the restaurant accommodated our food aversions. Yea, it's true, each dish is a small portion. We remedied that with the extras from the A La Carte menu but also thought that, maybe, a light dinner isn't a bad thing. However, the wine pours weren't adjusted. Drink each glass and it's a lot of wine for the amount of food. Eventually, that'll bias your judgement. What ultimately did Tomo in for us was its food. The best course we ate was the salt & pepper lamb dumpling from the A La Carte menu, followed by the fried clams and geoduck also from the A La Carte menu. In 3rd place was the set menu's main dessert. Others call it uninspired or flat in their reviews. We don't disagree. The chawanmushi had too much vinegar. The beets looked great with the yogurt form but were nothing more than beets. The squash vegetarian entree was... well ... squash. Tomo is in the price range where you expect the food to Wow you. Sure, there are more expensive places. But, the price, the setting, the drinks, the service, and the plating all scream that the restaurant should be noteworthy. We'd like it to be but, meanwhile, we'll wish the best to the chef and the staff and hope that one day Tomo rises to the expectations, that one day we'll come back and have at least one bite that makes us think: "wow, we're glad we came." read more

The food was amazing, but I was overwhelmed by the health and safety issues. We faced the kitchen and 3 out of 5 workers had their mask under their chin the entire two hours. I saw the woman who was at the grill/working with the meat only have her mask on for a few seconds twice the entire time we faced them. We also never saw them wash their hands the whole time we were there after touching their face, touching the food and eating it, touching their phones. Without gloves and without washing hands, I'm not sure how this place won't be a superspreader of anything. As someone who has worked in food service, I was so distracted by this, it really took away from the experience of the amazing flavors. Our server was wonderful and everyone in the front of house had their masks on. I hope they reconsider adhering to the health and safety protocols in the kitchen. read more

The space itself it beautiful and the ambiance was delightful. We were seated near the door which is left open for about 30 minutes during the period of arrival. We asked if the door could be closed, but were told it could not. It made for pretty cold place to sit for those 30 minutes. The drinks were great. The service was great as well. None of us really cared for the food at all, which is part of the reason for the one-star review. Nothing really impressed any of the four of us and, like many other commenters, our portions were tiny and took a very long time in between courses. Two of us had pork which came out seared on the outside and completely raw in the middle, which is the other reason for the one-star review. What baffled me is that the pork was sliced when it came out and the chef could definitely see how undercooked it was. We had to send the pork back and, even after asking that it be cooked well, it came out very pink. I think it's pretty risky and irresponsible to knowingly serve raw pork, especially after you have been asked to cook it well. People can get very sick from eating raw pork, even if it's sourced from an organic, holistic farm. I think they definitely need to mention this on their website and menu. I would've never made reservations if it was clear that their pork is served very rare. The sorrel dessert was not good. All four of us agreed that we wouldn't be back and are not likely to try Canlis now. read more

Horrible service - especially Madison who was not helpful at all in our reservation or management process. Would not recommend to anyone!

I was told about this place from my wife's sister and husband who gave it a strong recommend. Unfortunately getting a reservation was difficult and I had to put myself on a waiting list for specific days and times I wanted, hoping someone would cancel and I'd be given the opportunity to book. Well, that occurred and i was able to book a reservation. We of course purchased the 5-course prix fix menu and informed them ahead of time about my wife's vegetarian preference. The food was great; each course tasty but if you are hungry, then I'd advise eating something prior to coming here. I've eaten at many upscale restaurants like Alinea in Chicago that had a prix fix menu with what seemed like countless courses but with a heftier price tag that filled me up half way through all the courses. I believe that it is the spacing of each course that has something to do with filling you up OR maybe for some people, pissing you off. And the latter was how I started to feel about the course spacing at TOMO'S. Dont get me wrong, I love that I get what I pay for and i think the $86 per person price tag for TOMO's 5-courses was worth it, but other places that I've eaten prix fix menus at did not take 2hrs to get through 5 courses. Unrelated to the food that I wanted to complain about was the wooden chair I sat on which hurts your ass after sitting on it for 2hrs. Wish they could replace those with cushioned chairs. Anyways, the food was tasty albeit presented too slow between courses, BUT I would definitely come back...even after knowing and complaining about these imperfections. I'm not perfect so I'll do my best to keep a more open mind. Ciao!! read more

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Super unhelpful and uncommunicative staff. Had some extenuating circumstances that we gave them notice of as soon as we could and they were very difficult to get in touch with and extremely unhelpful / unsympathetic. Based on these interactions would not be interested in dining here in the future read more