Friday 15 November 2019

Tomo Ramen Bar, Damansara Uptown


Testament to how much I love ramen, I wasted no time in visiting this week-old Tomo Ramen Bar in my neighborhood. I run errands all the time (and sometimes I main ular, I'm the boss so it is OK) and I do my rounds, surveying the ins and outs of Damansara Uptown heh...heh...


The shops along this row (in fact Good Pick Noodles is also located here) have a short survival rate from what I have observed over the years.

Frisson Cafe has called it a day and so has Kahuna Poke and Nara Kitchen & Co. In fact there used to be another Japanese restaurant, Wakon, which I did not even get a chance to visit. HK Cart Noodles used to be located somewhere along this row too. 

I usually eat early and arrived at the restaurant way before 12:00 pm. Seeing that I was alone and tables were set for four or more, I was seated at the bar.



I have been to restaurants where they do not mind seating me at a table when it is still  too early for the lunch crowd. That, I appreciate very much.

I actually dislike bar seating. The high chair is very uncomfortable but I am not one to make a fuss. In fact from the time I was seated until the time I left, not a soul walked in. Anyway.


I was introduced the menu and I opted for the regular tonkotsu broth as I was not confident that miso soymilk broth would be something I would fancy. But I would not mind trying that on another visit.

The tonkotsu broth had a lemony hue and upon tasting I found it rather mellow (but still flavorful), unlike the robust and thicker consistency tonkotsu broth I have tasted elsewhere (my favorite ramen hangout to date is Menya Musashi and if I had to choose another place it would be Ramen Bari Uma).

It would not be fair to compare as the style here is different. In fact I found it quite refreshing to have a broth that is lighter in taste. 


Portion size here is on the petite side and you get two very thin slices of chasu. But mind you, it was generous in flavor. Look at the light charring which exuded an appetizing smokey aroma. If only they had been a tad generous with the protein.


The egg was perfectly executed, unlike at some places where the yolk is overcooked. I wished I had ordered an extra egg.


This puny little thing is the Grilled Scallop Yakitori with Mentaiko Sauce.


Here, take a closer look. There were three small scallops and they were chewy. 


It was a pleasant meal and yes, I will return to try the rest of the items on the menu. I'm really glad that I now have a place to go to when I crave for ramen.

And because the lunch did not quite fill me up, this auntie dropped by here ...


... for a spot of this ..........


The Burg helped fill me up nicely. Champion lah this auntie.

So what's for dinner?


Got fruits inside. Don't worry heh...heh...heh....

An illustration of what I said earlier about this row of shop lots, Tipsy Fellas (when I passed by yesterday) .....



.... became Kaki's (today).



By the way, I just noticed that Superthai is no longer in operation. It used to be located above Capital Nasi Dagang Kelantan


 How sad.

21 comments:

  1. You had both the ramen and burger for lunch? Sometimes i don't understand why they do not allow us to sit at the big table when there are no customers and we are alone.

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    1. Yup! They are worried that more people might come in and not enough place to sit.

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    2. High five! You are a big eater like me too.

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  2. Oh this Uptown Girl can main ular sometimes! So shiok nia.

    You sure missed this Wakon which was the only authentic looking restaurant that resembled those rugged Yakuza eateries in Harajuku or Shibuya in Tokyo. I loved that place too much yet they closed down after some 10-20 years. Now Superthai along the same row is gone pula! Their livelihood depends on diners like you. So I suggest that you buy the condo in Uptown and live there. It would be ideal live, Work & Eat place for Ah Hong Chee.

    I will look out for Tomo Ramen Bar!

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    1. hah..hah... if I had lots of money I would have bought one unit lah. So easy - office nearby, makan and shopping all within walking distance!

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  3. Oooo...the egg's simply perfect! Yet to come across a really nice bowl of ramen here or anywhere else.

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    1. For ramen, you must eat at a restaurant that specializes in it or else it would be a disappointing experience.

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  4. gosh, i'd forgotten about superthai, but it's too bad it lasted less than three years, considering it was a fairly unique and good thai restaurant. the feng shui at damansara uptown sure is tricky! i'm full of praise that you could handle both the burger and the ramen for lunch - i might not have been able to finish the bun for the burger if i had eaten the ramen :)

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    1. I noticed that the lunch crowd at Superthai died down once Starling mall opened and many restaurants at the shophouses experienced the same effect (except those very established ones like Annie-1).

      The ramen portion was quite modest hence the burger hee..hee..

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  5. That egg sure looks perfect! Menya Musashi is one of my fav places for ramen too.. heard they are closed temporarily though?

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    1. Oh really? I did not know that they have temporarily closed.

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  6. Good that you have a ramen place in uptown for you to frequent now. Since you like Menya Musashi, perhaps you could go with your brother to Jaya One to try Menya Shishido to see how you like them.

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    1. Thanks for the suggestion! I would love to try ramen from other outlets.

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  7. Wah, you really champion-lah! You can finish a burger and a ramen...plus a second drink as well...clap, clap, clap! ^.^ I'm sad to hear about Superthai (that was a pretty good Thai restaurant) but not Frisson. The rate at which eateries come and go in Uptown is astounding. The good thing is that you'll always have new places to eat...the bad would be your posts/reviews then become 'scrap'. :'( Thanks for the update on the closures...I must now go and update my blog posts too.

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    1. hah..hah...hah... I can eat! Yes, it is sad. Superthai was superb. There are many new eateries coming up. There is one called Rebel Pasta coming soon. I can't wait to check it out.

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  8. Plenty of outlets closing down. Such a pity!

    Tomo Ramen sure has a cute logo. Hehe

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  9. shioknyer having ramen and burger one after another...looks like a lunch feast! I sure overbudget if eat like this on a weekday!

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    1. I over budget all the time hah..hah... (only on food)

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  10. Driving around Damansara Uptown definitely never fail to surprise me with more and more new eateries, like recently, there are a lot of bubble milk tea/tea shops popping up.
    I just talked a bout Tomo with hubby which is a super ramen fan, but after reading your post and your photo, I doubt he will like it because he prefer thick tonkotsu soup.

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  11. I just went there last night . I ordered Soymilk Miso Tomo . I must say , it is very good . Also ordered their tamagoyaki , but i don't like it because of the seaweed and bonito flakes , they covered the whole tamago taste , i prefer they dont put any toppings at all . Wonder if you have tried Toriden in J's Gate, Lot 10 ? Their ramen is very good too , although they are famous for chicken stock hotpot . I tried both , all thumbs up !

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