Colorful lights reflect on a rippled surface of the Singapore River. If you go across the bridge, there is a lively area called “Clark Quay”. This area consists of modern membrane shelter and shop houses, with full of multi ethnic restaurants.

At the mouth of Clark Quay, there is an Izakaya called “Tomo” meaning friend-hood in Japanese. Inside the Izakaya has a dark timber finish, timber shaped object made of empty Sake bottles, and costumes of Japanese animation characters. Most of customers are local business men making vibrant atmosphere.

There is a good list of sake. Among this list, the Izakaya chose three glasses: Hakkaisan Futushu from Niigata prefecture, Otomoyama Junmai from Hokkaido, and Ichinokura from Miyagi prefecture. Each glass of sake served with plate has a recommended match.

Hakkaisan has a banana + mayonnaise like aroma, thick texture with gradual bittersweetness. Overall taste is rather simple and easy to drink. A plate that served with sake was tuna sashimi. It has balanced taste and saltiness. And when it goes with Sake, honey like sweetness comes first and then umami of tuna follows.

Next Sake was Otokoyama. Bland sweet aroma, then sweet and sour taste follows. A plate to go with Sake was grilled chicken wing yakitori. It has a bitter burnt taste, and then juicy chicken taste from its fat comes after. Burnt taste and bitterness of sake blended each other, and sweetness of meat and Sake expanded instead.

Last Sake was Ichinokura. It has a bland aroma, bitter teste, and then vanilla like sweetness follows. Food to go with this Sake was speciality from Okinawa, “Soki”. Soki is soft bone pork back ribs stewed in sugar, Mirin, Sake, and soy source has a tender texture, and more you chew meat taste comes out. This dish helps to stand out bitter-sweetness taste in Sake.

Location of the Izakaya is accessible, reasonable in price; taste is good for both local and Japanese. You can easily visit this place for drink after work, weekend or to enjoy large gathering.

TOMO IZAKAYA 
3A River Valley Rd, 01-14 Clarke Quay
63360100

Operating Hours
Mon – Sun
12:00PM – 14:30PM
18:00PM – 01:00AM

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