Restaurant Review: Izakaya Tomo
IZAKAYA TOMO 3739 99th Street | izakayatomo.net Instagram: @izakayatomo | Twitter: @IzakayaTomo780 Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew & The Turnbull Siblings
Izakaya Tomo was the very first izakaya to open in Edmonton and I consider them a part of the food renaissance that happened in the city in the early 2010s. It was a time when Edmonton started to experience new things in our cuisine and everyone was very excited about the concept of an izakaya coming to town. Since then, Izakaya Tomo has truly paved the way - you can probably find upwards of ten izakayas in the city today. So what's an izakaya? It's an informal affair where you order drinks alongside small dishes of food. A Japanese pub, essentially. It's all about eating, drinking and being merry - Japanese style. The atmosphere is meant to be boisterous and even a bit rowdy. EDify Magazine named Izakaya Tomo as Best Sushi 2022 and the Edmonton Journal voted them as Favourite Ramen Restaurant 2022. (I find the latter accolade curious because they don't have ramen on the menu. Did they used to? They do have udon... But that's not ramen.) You'll find the restaurant in the Strathcona Industrial Park, which is admittedly a bit of a strange location. Maybe it's the train yard directly across the street? However, parking is easy and the signage is very clear. Inside, you are met with an unexpectedly beautiful space. The staff will acknowledge your entrance (and exit) by shouting a welcoming greeting at you which sets the tone for your visit immediately. The style of the restaurant is quintessentially Japanese, with beautiful dark wood, dim lighting, bench seating, and sake bottles adorning the shelves. If you want to be transported to Japan without leaving Edmonton, this is a surefire way to do it. All of the menus at Izakaya Tomo are extensive - drinks included. You'll see the Japanese beers that you know and love (Sapporo, Asahi), tons of sake (both hot and cold), and you know that they've got Ramune as well. It had to be the Sake Caesar ($10.00) for me, which seemed like a fun fusion of east meets west.
Delivering sake in a big way, this drink accomplished what I wanted it to do. Salty and savoury, I enjoyed the spicy kick and notes of Asian flavours that turn this classic Canadian cocktail into a new version of itself. The food menu is lengthy and everything is served tapas-style with the intention that a group of people will order many dishes with everyone sampling all of the different flavours. We did just that and our helpful and attentive server began to produce each dish in no particular order. A menu like this might come off as overwhelming but I recommend trying at least one plate from each section of the menu, if possible. From the Appetizer list, I was excited to order my favourite dish, the Aburi Saba ($8.00).
Mackerel is one of my very favourite fish to eat and this was such a delicately beautiful version of it. Tender pieces of almost-raw saba lay on the plate, each infused with a light smokiness from the torch. Mackerel has a very distinct flavour that is quite bold. If you're a fan of it like I am, you will love this ideal preparation. Next up was the Sashimi part of the menu and we wanted to go all-in with as much fresh raw fish that we could get. The Assorted 5 Kinds Sashimi ($45.00) was the answer.
The plating and servingware at Izakaya Tomo is gorgeous and I kept noting this fact with each new dish. The sashimi offering included; tuna, salmon, octopus, squid, and scallop. Each piece was expertly sliced and generous in size. The freshness was evident and each bite melted in my mouth. Izakaya Tomo blends their own soy sauce that is less salty and milder in flavour compared to what you might be accustomed to. The soy sauce enhances the natural taste of the ingredients and I really noticed this application when dipping the sashimi pieces into the sauce. From the Sushi section I had to take the opportunity to order Bluefin Tuna ($5.00 each), the most sought-after (and most expensive) fish in the world. One of these fish can sell for millions of dollars!
Our server asked if we wanted fatty or lean pieces of maguro and we selected "fatty" knowing that this is where you'll find the best, distinctive medium-full flavour. Known for its melt-in-your-mouth firm texture and deep red colouring, bluefin is known for having the darkest and fattiest flesh of all the tuna varieties. You can expect a meaty texture and a characteristically rich and full flavour. Served atop their soft sushi rice, this was a treat! You can't miss the Tomo Original Rolls and this is where I found my favourite dish of the meal. The Lobster Roll ($29.00).
The presentation of this roll says it all! I've never eaten anything quite like this before and I was impressed by the perfect execution of this dish. The crispy, saucy lobster tempura on top was tender on the inside and not overcooked. The roll underneath packed more sweet lobster within, capitalizing on the task at hand. The honey garlic aioli with tobiko on top was luxurious. I loved every decadent bite. The addition of the lobster tail on the plate added a striking esthetic touch. The most expensive of the rolls, I found it to be worth every penny. The Sakura Roll also sounds amazing and I would certainly love to try it next time! From the Ippin section of the menu you'll find a lot of the usual suspects; from karaage to takoyaki. I wanted to try the Prawn Spring Roll ($9.00) because I'd heard good things.
There was cheese in this?? I have to say that the cheese seemed to get pretty lost, however the prawn was very evident and successfully turned this humble spring roll into something more elevated. Crispy and easy to eat, I liked the idea and unique ingredients behind this dish a lot. Certainly better and more interesting than the spring rolls that I've had elsewhere, I still wanted even more from this plate. The Udon Noodle Soup section of the menu features Japan's most famous noodle next to the type used in ramen. I liked the idea of Curry Udon ($14.00) because Japanese curry is incredible.
This soup was a delight but was overshadowed by some of the other dishes in my opinion. The delicate broth was flavourful and perfectly captured the uniquely savoury aromatics of Japanese curry. The tender and chewy noodles were cooked just right and I especially enjoyed the fried tofu for some added texture. This soup would be a great lunch all on its own but with so many other plates on the go, I found it slightly challenging to wrap my head around a soup. Lastly was Dessert and I was very excited to try the Crispy Honey Bread ($8.00).
Our server suggested that we could change the flavour of the ice cream, however I wanted to try the dessert as intended and kept vanilla. WOW! I loved this! The sticks of honey bread arrived artfully stacked like a little log cabin. Each one was delightfully light, crispy, and sweet. So satisfying to eat! The ice cream was perfect because it didn't take away from the honey bread experience - it enhanced it. I would compare this dessert to something like french toast except so much better! Izakaya Tomo is a journey of textures, flavours, and experiences. Their commitment to elevated ingredients and beautiful freshness is obvious at every point in the meal. There is so much to try and you couldn't possibly do it all in one visit. I am trilled to see that this restaurant continues to thrive over a decade later! There may be other izakaya options on the scene these days but the OG remains a force.
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