LOCATION
Melbourne CBD
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Tomodachi is the place to hit when you’re in town to catch a movie at Melbourne Central, or when you want to give the kids a bit of a thrill: food that moves – but where does it come from? However it’s not all kids’ stuff; for instance, the bill can rack up quite quickly so make sure you check your tally of dishes against the price board. Grownups will enjoy the fruits of the train too, as the sushi and sashimi on offer is elegant, varied and very fresh.
The restaurant itself is open, modern and elegant and if the clatter of sushi choo choo isn’t for you, it’s quite easy to escape to the relative peace of the sit down area. Here you’ll be offered tempura, bento boxes, noodles (ramen, soba and udon) and all that you’d expect from a Japanese restaurant worth its chops, including an interesting selection of Japanese plum wines and sakes. Tomodachi prides itself on being both accessible and flexible – they’re happy to talk functions, degustation menus, product launches and so on – as well as its innovations as evidenced by the winning of two awards at this year’s Melbourne Asian Food Festival.
John Weldon, November 2007
Personal Statement
AwardsAwarded by the City of Melbourne and the Chinese Restaurateurs Association of Victoria (CRAV) 2007:
Best Overall dish for:
Salmon Ceviche – strips of succulent salmon infused with citrus juice, flash seared and dusted with chili powder and flying fish roe and Fruit Sashimi - sake infused watermelon with caramelized kiwi fruit and bananas.
Winner of the Most Creative Cooking Competition (Spring Roll Category) for:
Kamo (duck) sushi roll. The uramaki style roll is prepared with hand selected tender Peking duck breast rolled with crispy duck skin, cucumber and rice, making a texture tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.
