KOMA – New Japanese Restaurant in Marina Bay Sands with Stunning Decor

KOMA is the latest highlight in Marina Bay Sands, and the decor is stunning.

You arrive through a striking 20 metre-long passageway that is inspired by the torii gates of the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto.

The “WOW” factor sits inside the bar and lounge — a 2.5 metre-high Japanese bell with 20 different faces that overlooks a traditional Japanese foot bridge and reflecting pool. The bar serves an extensive selection of over 30 types of sake sourced from across Japan.

As you walk into the main dining area, you will see decorative acoustic panels in the shape of lily pads that are designed to mimic the surface of a pond. There is a 15-seat sushi bar with a dazzling display of the day’s offerings. Up on the mezzanine floor, there is a semi-private dining room for intimate group gatherings, which offers an expansive view of the action below.

Wowed by the breathtaking design, one would expect that food to be incredible as well, but sadly, the meal didn’t quite live up to the hype.

Koma is a collaboration between Tao Group and Marina Bay Sands and features a menu of sushi, robata and izakaya-style dining, created by executive chef Kunihiro Moroi.

The place has some pretty good sushi and sashimi. The sashimi platter ($78 for 9 pieces) consists of quite a standard set of sliced fish, and the sushi platter ($88 for 9 pieces) was fresh and uncomplicated. You might like to try the Truffle Unagi ($25), a tasty and creamy affair with avocado and sweet soy.

The appetizers such as Taro Chip Tuna Tacos ($21) and Tuna Pringles ($24) make good bar bites but are a little too pricey. The Crispy Tokyo Gyoza ($12) was underwhelming. To be honest, you can probably get better ones in other Japanese restaurants. The skewers from Robata Grill were decent but I find the kabayaki sauce a little too sweet for my liking.

The main courses fared better, in my opinion. We had the Ginger Honey-Glazed Salmon ($38) and Crispy Barbecued Chicken ($29) to pair with the Scallion Fried Rice in Sizzling Pot ($32) and Wagyu Fried Rice ($42). The salmon was tender and bursting with flavor. The scallion fried rice with pork, chicken, shrimp, scallops and mushrooms was an excellent porridge where the freshness of the seafood takes centrestage.

No meal is complete without KOMA’s show-stopping Snow Aged Niigata Wagyu Beef. This A5 waygu is aged for 30 days, and has an intense marbling and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

For desserts, I like the Lemon Yuzu ($16) served with yuzu jam and cacao crumble. There’s also the Sesame Profiterole ($16) served with white sesame ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. And what’s that Bonsai ($17) doing on our dining table? Scoop the soil and you will be delighted to find molten dark chocolate with crunchy praline.

Go to KOMA for the interior. Don’t get me wrong, the food here is decent, but the recipes seem to be designed to not push the kitchen too hard (or at least at this stage).

Disclaimer: This is an invited tasting.