[Review] Tomahawk Contemporary Steakhouse at Novena Gardens

I am always drawn to restaurants that are owned and operated by the same Chef/Owner because I find there is a level of attention to detail and pride which is always expected. Tomahawk Contemporary Steakhouse in Novena is one such example.

Helmed by Chef/Owner John Chan, Tomahawk is a steak specialty restaurant that claims to offer Singapore’s largest variety of wagyu tomahawk steaks (hence the restaurant’s name) and an extensive range of prime steak cuts.

Formerly known as O’maj Restaurant, the rebranding now offers diners a focus on bold, steakhouse flavours intricately harmonised with Asian herbs, spices and cured ingredients.

Chef John does not come from a culinary background. He built his business from the ground up, from hawking behind a stand at a Farmer’s Market to operating half a hawker stall, before taking the full plunge to run Tomahawk restaurant.

Through patience, hours of practice, and a strong drive to succeed, fuelled simply by passion, he managed to develop a distinctive culinary style of his own and built a steady following.

We were invited for a dinner tasting and these were the items we sampled:

Beefy Tomato Soup ($15) – bone marrow, beef bone stock, tangy tomatoes and sour cream

Lamb Empanada with Butter Puff Pastry ($18) – with green curry, peppers, Greek yoghurt and cilantro

Fizzy Fruity ($16) – longan pressurised with CO2, drizzled with honey and lime zest

The meal was quite a feast. Chef John was an excellent dinner host and wowed the diners with the tales of his culinary journey and the inspirations behind his signature creations. He is extremely passionate about his craft and very happy to share on how to best prepare and enjoy your steak, if you are going to attempt to prepare them yourself in your home kitchen.

Moving from table to table, Chef John and his culinary team will serve the premium steak orders tableside, with a little bit of theatrical element as they wield their blow torches to serve you your cuts with the perfect level of char.

I was particularly delighted by two of the starters – the Burrata with Salted Fish and the Beefy Tomato Soup. The former is an unexpected combination of East-meets-West, bringing together sweet and savoury flavours to deliver umami. The latter was equally surprising and felt like a refined version of the local hawker favourite, Soup Tulang.

Prices are mid-range and I find them reasonable, against the quality of the ingredients used and the effort put into the food preparations.

I will be back for more. The only minor complaint I have is that it is a little hard to find due to the construction hoarding around the area which blocks the view of the restaurant. If you are driving, park at the IRAS Building car park for convenience. You will be able to walk to the restaurant from there in a few minutes.

Tomahawk Contemporary Steakhouse

Address

273 Thomson Road #01-06 

Novena Gardens, Singapore 307644

Opening Hours

Monday – Sunday 

12PM – 3PM (Last order at 2.30pm)

6PM – 10PM (Last order at 9.30pm)

Contact

WhatsApp: 8261 3992 (11am – 8pm) 

Email: [email protected]