The Best Coffee in Singapore @ Tomo Cafe, Singapore

“Tomo” means friends in Japanese.  Tomo Cafe, despite being only one-month old at the time of writing and located in the fiercely competitive Joo Chiat area, was already full at the off-peak hour of 2pm on a weekday.

The decor can be described as minimalist Scandinavian.  Think some wood tone against a white background accented with the refreshing green of plants.  The vibe is relaxed and chic.  

Tomo Cafe has a very focused menu of brunch items, pasta, sandos, side dishes and some desserts.  In terms of beverages, the menu is dominated by coffee and Matcha drinks .

Their strategy of pursuing a very focused menu pays off. Each item I tried is competent, if not stellar. 

Intense Iced Latte $9

Frozen espresso, dairy-free sea salt cream, milk, 

The frozen espresso comes in the form of an ice cube.  As it melts, the strong, bitter espresso equivalent of 3 shots blends with the savouriness of the sea salt cream.  You can add the quantity of milk as you wish to dilute the espresso.  The bitterness and the saltiness make a very delicious combination.  Perhaps due to it being dairy-free, the cream does not feel heavy.  The beverage also feels very cooling despite it being a cold and rainy day already.

Iced Kuro Goma Coffee $8

Black sesame, dairy-free cream, espresso, milk

Another stellar coffee.  The sweet, smoky, nutty black sesame complements the bitterness of the espresso nicely.  The cream ties the flavours together.

Red Wine Char Siew $15

Red wine, pickled cabbage, pork jowl

The tender pork jowl (cheek meat) is marinated for 28 hours, sous vide to preserve the juiciness, and then goes on intense heat to grill to attain that beautiful crust.  For the finishing, the chef outs on a red wine glaze for shine and smoked oil for smokiness.  

The result is amazing.   The smokiness adds another dimension to it and elevates it to another level.  The fattiness  of the pork jowl makes it an excellent tapas —- it will go very well with alcohol.  The accompanying pickled cabbage is also outstanding.  It is only lightly pickled.  It has sweetness and sourness.  It is still crunchy and retains and freshness and lightness of fresh vegetables.  It balances the fatty pork jowl perfectly.

Tako Karrage $12

Battered tako, yuzu kosho mayo

The tako is springy as it should be.  The batter is crispy while the yuzu adds some citrus lightness.

Fried Chicken Sando $16

Fried chicken thigh, mango curry sauce 

The chicken thigh is crispy.  It is perfectly balanced out by the very fresh greens and the tangy mango in the curry sauce.  The sando feels very Japanese.

Wagyu Beef Ragout $21

Wagyu beef, tomatoes, parmigiana, sous-vide egg, pappardelle

The pappardelle was cooked to a delicious al denteness.  I really appreciate that this dish announces its arrival with the distinctive cloud of parmigiana aroma.  

Pistachio Raspberry $10

Pistachio cream, vanilla tart, raspberry sorbet 

The pistachio cream is light, creamy and nutty.  The acidic and ice-cold zings up and cuts through the cream.  Notice the 2 carefully placed flowers.  This visually and tastily perfect dessert is so characteristic of Japanese style desserts.  

Tomo Cafe is particularly strong in coffee.  For me at least, Tomo Cafe has the best and most innovative coffee beverages in Singapore.  The coffee here reminds me of the coffee I had in Hokkaido.

Tomo Café

189 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427460