Georgina Recommends – Tomodachi Japanese Fusion Restaurant
One of my favourite cuisines has to be Japanese and I love to try new takes on it, so we were delighted to discover the Japanese fusion restaurant Tomodachi in Nueva Andalucia. It’s been going for five years, but totally wasn’t on our radar before, but we’re very glad it is now. It definitely deserves to be better known!
Tomodachi means “friends” in Japanese, and we were given a very warm welcome by the owner Banti and made to feel at home right away. It was clear that they have a very loyal customer base who really love this place and have made friends with Banti and the team, and I can certainly see why.
This is a top-notch Japanese restaurant, serving the very finest ingredients, beautifully cooked in a very comfortable and chic setting. The menu is varied and exciting, with lots of dishes I’d never seen before, alongside favourites such as edamame, tartare, sushi, gyoza and tempura. Banti is brilliant at guiding you through it and helping you choose, which I really appreciated.
As GM of Nobu Marbella for many years, he certainly knows his stuff, and is passionate about serving the very best Japanese food and creating a wonderful experience. This is a special place, with fantastic food and service and the price tag reflects that, but we thought it was amazing.
Read on for our review of this great restaurant and why we think it’s well worth trying.
The Location
Tomodachi is tucked away in Nueva Andalucia’s residential area, slightly in no-mans land between Nueva Andalucia’s Nueva Campana industrial estate and the busier areas around Avenia del los Girasoles. It’s not somewhere you’d stumble upon, but it’s easy to find.
You will find the restaurant on the roundabout at C. Rosalía de Castro, 3, Nueva Andalucía, 29660 Marbella, Málaga. Here’s the Google Map to lead you there https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wgdzi88HP5mUHdVNA
There’s on street parking around there, but not right outside, so you may need to drive around a little to get parked. We parked on Calle Los Jasmines and there were plenty of spaces just a few minutes’ walk from the restaurant.
The Décor/Atmosphere
The restaurant has a modern, cool design, with a large terrace and a cozy interior, which is beautifully decorated. There are lots of chic Asian touches, such as paper umbrellas on the ceiling and a mural of carp in a pool, as well as a contemporary bar area. It manages to be cool yet comfortable, and feels chic but welcoming, a really nice combination.
The Food
Wow! This is Japanese food at another level than I’ve had before, and a very far cry from a typical noodle bar. Banti explained that he’d worked with Nobu for 16 years and took with him the commitment to quality ingredients and only using the very best, and this really shows on the plate.
He showcases the best blue fin tuna, grade A seaweed, Wagyu beef from Japan and much more. His dedication to excellence and passion for providing the best produce to his clients really comes across.
His menu is varied and has a playful fusion element, alongside a dedication to Japanese techniques and flavours. At first glance I found it quite baffling, with so many dishes I hadn’t seen before, but with Banti to guide us, we tried some of their absolute best sellers and signature dishes which really blew us away.
We started with the salmon karashimiso, thick slices of raw, unctuous salmon, in a spectacular signature sauce, which we wanted to drink, it was so good. Andy isn’t a fan of salmon normally, but this dish blew his mind and was actually one of his favourite dishes. I’d recommend ordering some rice with this, just to make the most of the amazing sauce!
This was followed up by their crispy pork tacos, which were little bites of deliciousness. Their diminutive size was deceptive, because they really packed a punch in the flavour department. It was a real fusion dish, not Mexican, not Asian, just absolutely delicious.
Next up were their crispy rice balls, topped with creamy tartar. They reminded me of super crispy arancini balls, with a chewy and satisfying centre and with the delicious taste of the tartar. Because it was our first time, Banti gave us a little selection of the toppings to try and our favourite was definitely the tuna, dressed with a little spicy sauce that left a lovely tingle in the mouth.
The next dish was tuna tataki with ginger ponzu sauce. A tuna loin seared on the grill, coated in sesame seeds, thinly sliced and served on a bed of shredded daikon and with the most amazing fresh, zingy and delicious sauce. Again, this would be one I’d recommend having rice with, to mop up that amazing sauce.
The popcorn shrimp was up next, a best seller and firm favourite for very good reason. Succulent shrimp cut into bite size pieces, with a crispy tempura batter and tossed in a yummy sauce. Andy described this as tempura prawns taken to the next level and they were irresistible and surprisingly filling. They are definitely a good sharing dish and work very well with a cold Japanese beer.
Last but no means least was the black cod miso, a large piece of cod, cooked to perfection, so it was just flaking away and served with a miso glaze. This is definitely a luxury ingredient and the team certainly did it justice.
We were so pleased that we let Banti guide us with the dishes, as we tried things we had never had before, or even heard of, but which we definitely want to try again. There were some others which really sounded amazing and are on my list for next time – the crispy pork belly with miso sauce, scallop nigiri, beef roll with creamy truffle and the salmon new style roll all had me salivating when Banti explained them to us.
Definitely don’t be afraid to take up Banti’s explanation of the menu and let him select the best dishes for you to try, we were absolutely delighted with the quality of the ingredients and how they packed every dish full of flavour.
Check out the menu on the website.
The Service
Banti leads the team and is wonderfully knowledgeable about the dishes, as well as friendly and welcoming. We loved how he crouched down by the tables to talk everyone through the menu and recommend dishes for them, and made everyone feel comfortable about trying the unfamiliar dishes.
His other staff were really sweet, topping up our drinks and offering us more, as well as quickly clearing away plates. They are very aware of every detail, folding my napkin up and putting it by my plate when I’d just left it on my chair to go to the bathroom – one of the very nice touches that ran through the meal.
The dishes come when they are ready, which I really enjoyed, as you can focus on each plate as they arrive and savour that dish, rather than have a crowded table of dishes.
The Price
This is a fine-dining Japanese restaurant in the mould of Banti’s beloved Nobu, using the very best ingredients, so don’t be expecting noodle bar or all-you-can eat sushi restaurant prices. However, the quality and experience for me makes it worth the price tag. We’ll be back!
Key details
Address – C. Rosalía de Castro, 3, Nueva Andalucía, 29660 Marbella, Málaga
Google Map – https://maps.app.goo.gl/M69fsi11F9mbw1V98
Opening Hours – Closed Monday, open all other days 18.30-22.30
Website – https://restaurantetomodachi.com/
Social Media –
https://www.facebook.com/tomodachimarbella
https://www.instagram.com/tomodachimarbella
Telephone – 951 742 508 – WhatsApp: 671 796 534