Food Review: Wagatomo At Guoco Tower | Modern Japanese Restaurant In Tanjong Pagar By Ex-Akira Back Chef [Closed]

Posted on October 30, 2022 by theRantingPanda in Food

The Place Located in Guoco Tower in Tanjong Pagar, Wagatomo is a new Japanese restaurant by Chef Tomoyuki Kiga, previously from Akira Back. The space of Wagatomo is casual yet chic, centred around an open kitchen where dishes are cooked using an open grill fired by binchotan charcoal and oak wood. The dining ambience is quite nice in the evening, especially if you choose to dine indoors with the dim ambient lighting. There is also an outdoor seating area which is too noisy (and warm) for me.

The Food The dishes here are modern Japanese creations which pair well with their extensive list of beverages such as sakes, umeshu and Japanese craft beer.

I started with their signature A5 Wagyu Pizza (S$32) topped with slices of A5 wagyu and complemented with ponzu mayo, pickled myoga and yuzu kosho cream before finished off with a drizzle of truffle oil. I love the thin and crisp texture of the pizza, along with the tender and flavourful wagyu beef with a strong hint of truffle.

It was apt to have the Moyashi (S$14) after the A5 Wagyu Pizza which helps to balance the palate. This is a bowl of soy marinated bean sprouts with pomelo and ume dressing, which is quite refreshing.

The Hokkaido Scallop (S$27) is served raw with mango sambal, yuzu oroshi and nanbanzu, a marriage between ponzu and amazu. You get the fresh flavour of the thinly sliced scallop along with some zesty notes.

Likewise, the Hamachi Ceviche (S$24) with miso vinaigrette and braised shiitake is another refreshing starter to have.

For hot plates, the Buttermilk Karaage (S$17) is probably the perfect bar grub. You get soy marinated boneless chicken with umami powder, where the chicken meat is tender and flavourful.

For mains, I had the Hamachi Kama (S$28) where the fish is cooked with sake beurre blanc. The sauce is really the key element of this dish, which helps to elevate the flavour of the fish.

The other mains I tried was the Pork Chop (S$42) which uses Duroc pork. Served with yuzu miso glaze and apple fennel slaw, the thinly sliced pork chop boasts a high fat to lean meat ratio and as you can imagine, the texture is very tender. It does get a little sinful after a couple of slices, hence I recommend sharing this out.

For a splurge, one of the signatures to share is the A5 Tri Tip (S$98), which is slow-cooked for six hours with a sansho spiced rub for flavour and accompanied by charred onion puree. Quite a high price point for this plate of beef, where you can expect a flavourful beef profile done medium-rare by default.

Hot plates include the likes of Scampi Ochazuke (S$35), being Chef Tomoyuki’s rendition of the traditional ochazuke green tea over rice.

Dessert I had was a Monaka (S$9) which makes up of matcha ice cream, shiratama mochi and azuki beans.

Rants Mains like the meats are relatively pricey.

Will I Return Again? There is no lack of Japanese restaurants in Tanjong Pagar and Wagatomo is a great addition. The Japanese dishes are given a modern twist here where most of the dishes are quite good. This is a convenient spot for dates or gatherings.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

Make your reservations instantly at Wagatomo here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5