Entree Kibbles: KOMA Singapore - Modern Japanese Restaurant @ Marina Bay Sands

Sunday, November 21, 2021

KOMA Singapore - Modern Japanese Restaurant @ Marina Bay Sands

Those who have been following my blog would know I am not particular with interior design when it comes to dining establishments; indisputably, taste should be the only priority.

But the above mindset wavered in recent months and I can't deny that the main reason for making a reservation at KOMA, to belatedly celebrate the Great Kon's birthday, was the online gallery of photos for the Japanese mythology-inspired restaurant.

One word; impressive! And this was evidenced even at the entrance, where a line of iconic torii gates created almost 20 meters passage similar to the famous one at Fushimi Inari Shrine at Kyoto!

It was bright daylight but the restaurant's interior was noticeably dimmer with a high ceiling and lightings provided by the LED lights and hanging lanterns. For someone who is weak in photo-taking under dim lights, I was deeply concerned.

But that concern was overshadowed by the stunning visuals of this 762m² restaurant. Inside my heart, I kept going wow, wow, wow!

Unlike many dining operators, who would try to squeeze as many seats to increase the rate of return per square meter, KOMA took the unconventional road by building a Japanese bridge over a shallow pool of water that could have accommodated a few more tables!

No way you would miss the humongous bell radiating a golden aura, although I found it creepy at closer look; the multiple faces with expressions! I am just wondering, can you strike the 2.5-meter tall bell?

Place was relatively quiet as it had yet to reach the peak dinner time. The time according to picture details was just a little before 5.00 pm! When we left, the place was packed.

View from our assigned table.

The mezzanine level and the sushi bar underneath. As diners had yet to arrive, I asked if I could access the former to take some photos. Given the elevated view facing the bell, I bet it would make for a nicer panorana.

Definitely didn't disappoint!

If you are thinking of a special occasion with your loved ones, it's worth a try to reserve a table on the mezzanine level; a prettier sight with more exclusivity. p.s. this visit was in September and number of diners was capped at five.

Finally back to our table; a wet towel, together with an envelope for the face mask. Who would have thought in the past that face masks will be indispensable; to the extent we even need a cover for them?

KOMA could have invested in a pricey chopstick rest but this origami version was too adorable! Keen to know how to make it yourself? Google search here, where there are a few designs to choose from.

Scan for the online dinner menu! As you can see from the above photo, there are specials and I guess you would only know what they are upon arrival onsite. Anyway, here's my food and drink review!

Aqua Panna - literally still water that's chargeable! Now that I am more acquainted with the terms, it's now a matter of choice between still or tap. One has a fee (and likely bottled, filtered etc) whereas the other is free (fresh from the tap).

KOMA Specialty Tea - Teriyaki and Momo Mont Blanc, we mistakenly thought each was for one person. Turned out they were served in individual teapots, warmed by tealight, with additional teacups!

Both were interesting; Teriyaki tasted like dashi broth with traces of tea whereas Momo Mont Blanc had an intriguing white rabbit candy aroma although taste wise; didn't result in much suprise.

Salmon Pillow - visual appeal is necessary in fine fining restaurants and this strange appetizer with raw salmon on a "pillow" and beautified with greens did attract curious looks. Pillow contained a salty cream that countered the spiciness from the roasted jalapeno topping. I am neutral with this but both the Great Kon and Alex love it!

Yellowtail Ginger Jalapeno - you would be forgiven for thinking this was beef when it's actually fish! I was actually looking at my notes for my review on this dish and didn't think to associate it with fish!

It was a perfect match; there wasn't any fishiness and the fish went well with the sourness from yellow sauce, the spiciness from the jalapeno and a touch of sweetness from the dark sauce that tasted like teriyaki.

Crispy Tokyo Gyoza - looking just like your normal pan fried dumplings, this was a recommendation from the waiter that didn't appear promising. To be fair, I am seldom impressed with pan fried dumplings.

I am eating my own words; they were utterly delicious! The filling within, a mix of chicken and cabbage, was delectably soft and tender but the deal-breaker was the unassuming sauce on the side.

You can literally have the savory sauce with just a bowl of plain, white rice! Kon, with his sensitive taste buds, was trying to discern the ingredients so that he can make it at home! It was that good.

Shrimp Tempura - tagged under the maki menu, I thought this was rather weird as most restaurants would have put the tempura prawsn in the sushi, rather than having them as a separate accessory.

Surprisingly good with a light batter and drenched in sweet wasabi sauce. I don't generally eat avocado but in maki, its creaminess, without being cloying, always goes well with sushi rice.

Charcoal Cleansing Roll - one of the September specials, this would be one weirdly-named dish that people would be curious to try yet hesitant to do so as it seemed to infer toilet business.

Containing soft-shelled crabs, cucumber, carrot and charcoal sushi rice, this didn't differ much from a good plate of soft shelled crab maki from reputable restaurants.

Wagyu Beef Gyoza - I always thought gyoza would be pan-fried but these appeared to be steamed and honestly, didn't look quite appetizing.

Popped one into my mouth and I was sold; there were pieces of wagyu that oozed yummy juiciness as my teeth chewed through them! Sauce tasted a bit like chee cheong fun with a faint spiciness.

Charcoal Grilled Yellowtail Cheek - to be frank, it was meaty, tasted fresh but all grilled fish would have tasted as good so long they are fresh. No? My only bane was the accompanying salad; it would benefit drastically from the shrimp tempura's sweet wasabi sauce.

Gyutan Nikomi Curry Sauce - another September special; it was described as a "boiled tender beef tongue with curry sauce, wasabi mash potato". Well, for a talkative person, I do find it disturbing to eat the tongue, even though it's from another species.

Goaded by the Great Kon, I took a customary bite; it was expectedly tender as the tongue is a muscular organ. However, I was amazed by its thickness! Must be from a gigantic bull.

As we were just left with desserts and there's another group of diners was waiting for our table, the waiter requested us to move to the lounge area. Of course we took it since it would give us an opportunity to explore new sections.

The lounge was also watched by the iconic bell, which sat in between both sections.

Just like the bridge drew our attention at the main dining area, the equivalence at the lounge would be this bright orange wood-like grid above us, like some kind of incomplete Japanese temple!

Look closer - owl sculptures were perched on the beams. Kon initially thought it would be the jizo statues, which I also thought would have been more appropriate for its Japanese theme, but I guess it might still be unsuitable since monks are vegetarians.

Awaiting our dessert! Service was great; we only ordered one dessert yet they were mindful that there were three of us, and promptly laid out three sets of crockery and cutleries.

Bonsai - as the name suggests, the dessert appeared to have the form of a plant even though I think a true bonsai lover would have shaken his/her head if asked to evaluate the form and beauty of this "badly trimmed" yet instagram-ready bonsai.

Chocolate based with "molten dark chocolate and crunchy praline", the 'plant' was sponge cake propped up by crunchy chocolate stick. While I have no complaints for the chocolate, the sponge cake was an utter failure in my opinion; it was too dry.

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Exiting the restaurant, through the torii gates. In summary, we were in awe of the design within KOMA and 100% satisfied with the food (except for the disappointing bonsai). Looking forward to another visit in the future, maybe during lunch and with my parents!