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    Tombo

    3.8 (94 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Delis
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:30 pm

    Tombo Photos

    TOMBO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Tombo

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    Reviews With Photos

    pumpkin croquette katsu curry
    Sze Ting L.

    Great japanese cafe and atmosphere! A little pricey (it is located in South Kensington), but the menu is very diverse - you can get anything from poke to donburi to cakes/desserts. We tried their seared aburi salmon poke, pumpkin croquette katsu curry, tokio sundae, and hojicha burnt cheesecake. All were very delicious - the seared salmon was extremely well done, and the rice was well seasoned. The pumpkin used was japanese pumpkin and I liked the sweetness that balanced with the curry. The highlight was the tokio sundae, - it came with a very distinct and high quality red bean paste and mochi, rivals that of tsuijiri! The hojicha cheesecake was great as well, but we were feeling a bit full by then so the first two bites were great but it was

    Chris M.

    Nice Japanese Café. I had a Seared Aburi Salmon Poke which was an interesting take on more classic pokes since the pieces of raw salmon were seared on one side. Service is good and efficient and prices are a fair considering the area.

    Mercy H.

    I ordered no carb bento w Salmon, the veggies sides( hijiki n cucumber spiral was wonderful and refreshing), shrimp wonton is medocre. Chicken teriyaki is a bit off( wouldnot order). Matcha latte is a must to try Sevices is abit confusing if u need to seat by yourself or wait to be seat it as no body greets you upon arrival.

    Iced matcha latte

    Busy cafe near Exhibition Rd in South Kensington. Delicious rice bowl and rolls. My daughter liked her iced matcha latte. We shared a half and half soft serve ice cream of matcha and sakura, and we both liked it, too. Service was good and organized.

    Chunky veggie curry and Tokyo classic poké with sushi sliders and matcha latte
    Wendy Z.

    Came here for lunch and were seated after a short wait! Seating and space was limited, but we got a nice seat by the window with a street view and service was quite fast considering how busy it was. We got the Chunky Veggie Curry, Tokyo Classic poké bowl, Yuzu Salmon sushi sliders, two matcha lattes, AND two matcha soft serves for dessert. The food was delicious and really stayed true to Japanese cuisine. The curry was so flavorful and the vegetables were very generously portioned - not overrun with rice as some curries can be. The lack of meat was not missed, and that's coming from a big meat-lover like myself. The sushi sliders were also great and an interesting twist on traditional rolls. Last but not least - the matcha latte and soft serve were AMAZING. In fact, many people were coming to the cafe solely for takeout of the latte and/or soft serve. The latte had the perfect balance of matcha and milk, which in my opinion is very rare to achieve. The same could be said of the soft serve, which we decided to order at the last minute after seeing a little boy through the window thoroughly enjoying his cone. If you're in the area I would suggest at least stopping by for one of their matcha treats, but their lunch definitely didn't disappoint. Prices were very reasonable too. Would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Japanese flavors!

    Matcha frappe without whipped cream
    Chantee F.

    Having viewed the menu before arriving, I was really anticipating my meal. However the food taste lacked what I was expecting even though the presentation was done well. Starting with a tempura prawn roll that surprisingly was made with red beans rice, therefore the sweet flavour didn't compliment the prawn. I could not find enough wasabi and soy sauce to temper the flavour. Then came the mains of the kaisen poke bowl and tantanmen ramen. The ramen broth was plain and clear, save for the spice of the minced meat. With just a few pickles mixed in, I was hoping for more in terms of toppings. The poke bowl had a nice ratio of salmon, tuna, edamame and avocado with crunchy onions. Again served on sweet rice it faired better than the prawn roll. However it lacked a real soy sauce or something to give it a flavour boost. The matcha frappe was a refreshing drink. It was not entirely original or presented well, so one could have easily mistaken it for the Starbucks version. However it still went down easy! This is a decent place for lunch and I do want to try their matcha latte. They obviously have a large matcha dessert menu and sell the powder so that may be where their specialty lies. I think my cooking fairs better in terms of oishi Japanese cuisine so don't come here expecting more than what you might find at a chain.

    Beef Gyū Don: Thinly sliced beef and onions, cooked in dashi soy sauce with red ginger & shichimi spice.
    Alan G.

    This was my second time here and the food has always been good. This time I ordered the Sushi Slider set and it was a great portion for an appetizer. The fish was fresh and cut well. Wasn't a big fan of the seaweed placement cause it was sticking to the sushi and it was tricky trying to pull it off before eating it. But taste was great and I was just looking for a quick bite!

    Miso salmon bento and salmon avocado sushi
    Karishma P.

    They have a short menu, but quick service with fresh fish. Don't be put off by the apparent lack of space when you first look in, they have more seating at the back. The staff was super nice and very helpful. I heard them patiently & elaborately explain their matcha menu to a couple on the next table who were visiting from Australia. The couple also must have been impressed. They bought lots of tea to carry home with them. For myself, I ordered a salmon maki sushi and and a pork Katy's bento. But my server came back to tell me that the katsu was fried in the same oil as the shrimp (which I had mentioned I was allergic to), so I switched to a healthier miso salmon. The fish was perfectly cooked and I loved all 3 vegetable sides that they served with it. The rice was a whole bowl. The next time I'm here, I'll probably order one plate of sushi and a bento box without the rice. I'm not a big fan of matcha (I don't like its powdery mouth feel), and I told my server that. She recommended that I try their latte and she was right, I loved it! It didn't leave that powdery grainy texture on my tongue. The foam on top had a bit of it, but my latte was perfect! Will definitely go back when I'm in the area. The food was super fresh, healthy and tasty. Service was lovely and fast - a great place to grab a bite before or after a museum visit

    Temari Sushi Set
    Clarissa Y.

    My partner and I came here for our first ever meal in London on our holiday trip and I really liked it! I think it's just slightly not worthy for a 4-star review as even though my partner absolutely adored his dish, I thought mine was just OK - decently tasty but nothing out of this world. ~ Atmosphere: It's a cute little place, tightly cramped and you might have trouble getting a seat but it's clean and has a very stylish atmosphere. ~ Customer Service: I see other people here complaining about the service but I honestly didn't experience anything negative. The food came out at a decent time even though the place was packed and everything was done and dusted quickly. ~ Food: We ordered the Temari Sushi Set to start for £9.95 and it didn't entirely feel worth it and the use of non-traditional sushi rice (they use multigrain) did not really work in my honest opinion. That might just be down to personal preference though but I'm a huge fan of sushi and approached it with an open mind. I think the rice just had too much flavour in itself and overwhelmed all of the selection where aside from the unagi, I couldn't taste the seafood at all. The taste of prawn especially disappeared off the face of the Earth compared to the flavoured rice. For my main I got Tan Tan Noodles for £9.85 - this was yummy and had good flavour, but nothing out of this world. --- Overall, I wouldn't be opposed to coming back. However, I feel like London has a lot more to offer in terms of delicious Japanese cuisine. Tombo is OK - but that's about it.

    Matcha latte, treat yourself!
    Karen N.

    There's always a huge queue to get anywhere for dinner when the Lates are happening around the museums in South Kensington. We walked around a few areas where the wait was ~45 minutes to an hour on a Friday night. With no reservations, Tombo were able to accommodate us after 15 minutes of waiting inside. This place is fairly discrete and you might walk past it a few times without even noticing. However, once you realise that it has just about matcha everything, you can't help but wonder if it knows what to do with all the green tea inside! We ordered a few dishes from a very reasonably priced menu (you'll expect to have a decent sized meal for about ~9-11 GBP, then add drinks and desert, and you'll only be paying less than 20 GBP - in a pretty touristy spot of South Kensington, this one is going to be a hit amongst the students, i'd imagine). The food came quite quickly. The salmon bowl is amazing - it has salmon prepared in three different ways (from tartare to miso cooked) and a bed of rice that is cooked just perfectly. The matcha latte is made just right too - you can't go wrong with this as a drink. Save room for desert because the matcha menu is just as well prepared as the mains and drinks. I would recommend this place if you're after something that's quick, light on the wallet and tastes as if it came straight from the walls of Tokyo. Also, the service is top notch and the interior is designed so you can catch up with friends very easily over a meal or drink, and linger around until late in the evening.

    Kristine T.

    I absolutely love Japanese food (one of my favourite cuisines in the world) so I was very excited to find this cute little place for lunch. I had the Unagi Don (eel) for my main which was delicious and then I got the matcha strawberry cake and shared two of the matcha beverages with my friend (I can't remember their names). I have to say the cake was amazing and I could have loads of it if I could. It's light and fluffy and the tea and strawberry flavours are brought together with the cream. You have to have it! The Sakura macaroons were really nice as well, it's like childhood dreams in food form. I definitely recommend this place and I definitely want to go back for more cakes and drinks. I might be developing a matcha tea dessert obsession but it's too good to resist.

    Matcha Frappe and Matcha Lemonade
    Matthew G.

    Heard about a Matcha Café in South Kensington, so I added it to my list of go-to places to try, and a few weeks later here I am! I didn't make a reservation and also didn't have to queue to be seated. Me and my friend went for Matcha Iced Frappe and Matcha Lemonade, both which were very yummy. I ate a Matcha Monaka, which looked good but was quite small. The service was okay considering the place was very busy. There are loads of Matcha places popping up all over London now-a-days, but nothing made this one stand out to the others. So I'm just giving it 3/5 stars. Next time I want something Matcha I'll probably choose Tsujiri in Soho. More reviews on my instagram: mattzard

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    3 years ago

    Excellent causal Japanese eatery. My teenage daughter (bit of a Japanese food connaisseuse) approved.

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    3 years ago

    Sushi was alright. I definitely wouldn't come back for that. Ice cream was pretty good.

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    7 years ago

    Service by server Roha, was amazing! Very sweet & quick service. Their matcha soft serve & sushi are good!

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