KOMA - 1st Feb 2020
You would probably have seen pictures of this restaurant pop up on your Facebook and/or Instagram feeds by now and chances are, you wonder if it looks as good as it does in real life.
Well, trust me, it probably looks better in real life. KOMA, the relatively new concept by MBS and Tao Group Hospitality, looks more like a Hollywood movie set than a restaurant.
The grand entrance is a 20-metre walkway that takes its inspiration from the seemingly infinite row of Torii gates of Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine. At the end of the entrance is an imposing two-and-a-half-metre-tall bronze Japanese bell which on the opposite side overlooks a footbridge and a reflecting pool. Big lanterns and clever illumination make this in my opinion the most beautiful restaurant in Singapore. Now, will the food match the décor?
We started with their signature salmon pillow.
Slivers of salmon sashimi and thin, round, charred jalapeno peppers lay atop delicate pastry shells that resemble the shape of a pillow. The size encourages the diner to pop a whole piece in his or her mouth, and what starts out as crisp quickly turns into a smooth and creamy sensation that comes with an explosive taste of smoky guacamole filling and ending with some heat from the guacamole.
The Wagyu beef gyoza which resembled a Chinese ingot had a large stuffing of Wagyu below the thin skin. Unfortunately the version here is not pan-fried till it has a crisp skin on one side.
For sushi, we ordered the Koma roll and spicy tuna maki. The Koma roll consists of king crab with shiso leaf first wrapped with rice and subsequently with A5 Japanese Wagyu beef, with some Hokkaido uni to top it off. It was pure indulgence in a bite though I would prefer if the beef was torched to bring out the flavour of the meat more.
The spicy tuna maki had a nice crunch from the puffed rice with some heat from the chilli that complemented the mango puree.
We ordered asparagus, shiitake and jumbo prawn skewers from the Robata Grill section. They all were well-cooked with a nice char and smokiness.
My friend from Australia wanted to try the Hobayaki snow-aged Nigata Wagyu ribeye. I have never tried it as well and was curious to try. Snow-ageing is meant to give the beef a crispier texture and sweeter flavour, however I did not feel like this beef was better than the usual Japanese Wagyu. In fact for $1500/kg ($180 for 120g), I was expecting much more from the beef.
We finished our meal with an order of Wafu carbonara that was served with uni and an onsen egg. I mixed the egg and uni into the sauce which became nice and thick, coating each strand of udon and giving it a delicious sweet creaminess. I have to add that we ordered some cocktails with the meal which were really strong and at $22, I felt it was reasonably priced.
KOMA is a stage designed for an indulgence of the senses. Every part of me was delighted except the food which just fell short of wowing me. If they can get that part right, this could be one of the best places to impress your guest or loved one.
~ Andre Huber
Executive Director
