Floral-themed dining concept Tomacado opens in Singapore, serving up picture-perfect plates and drinks

Singapore has had its fair share of floral-themed spots, such as Le Jardin at Fort Canning, and Cafe Q Classified at Takashimaya. 

It’s clear there’s a demand for these dining concepts that make for pretty pictures and serve up gorgeous dishes, too. 

The latest to join the fray is Tomacado, a Chinese concept that opens officially on September 4 at Paragon Shopping Centre. Its name is a portmanteau of the words “tomato” and “avocado”, both of which are the founder Karen Kong’s favourite healthy foods.

The brand launched in Beijing, China in 2015 and its Singapore outlet is its first international one outside the Greater China region — it is also the concept’s 14th outlet so far. 

Stepping into the space — tucked away between Paragon’s many boutiques — you’re immediately greeted by an actual flower shop with an on-site florist, which stocks gorgeous blooms. You can buy a stalk or even customise a bouquet, based on your budget. 

As you go further in, the floral influence is obvious, but not overwhelmingly so, with a carefully curated selection of pink, white, and purple flowers, which work well with its predominantly off-white interior. 

It’s classy, elegant, and yet feminine in an understated manner. This is quite unlike a lot of the other floral-themed cafes we’ve seen here, which tend to come with a lot more in-your-face elements. 

Besides actual flowers, there are also flowers in art — Tomacado had commissioned eight master artisans in China to come up with different artistic interpretations of the Chinese peony and Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim. 

Displayed around the restaurant in a manner that resembles an art gallery, the artworks span various mediums, including embroidery, glass, and even woodwork. 

Exploring Tomacado Singapore’s menu

The menu at Tomacado Singapore is mainly western-inspired, but with Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast-Asian influences, all served up in a manner that befits its surroundings.

Though not every plate comprises floral garnishes, you can expect a medley of colours, textures and flavours, all of which make for a very photo-worthy and appetising (or as the Chinese like to say: “开胃” or “kai wei”) experience. 

Dishes run the gamut from bright starters such as the Tomacado signature honey roasted pumpkin salad (S$24), with pumpkin, avocado, chickpeas, mixed nuts, arugula, and other ingredients tossed in a honey vinaigrette, to hearty mains such as the pandan crusted MBS 3/4 tenderloin (S$53). 

The latter is a new dish, created just for Tomacado Singapore, which blends French culinary techniques with Southeast-Asian flavours, and comes with a 200g pan-seared pandan-crusted beef tenderloin served with romesco sauce and kailan. 

Other Singapore-exclusive dishes include:

• Fiery seafood curry on rice (S$38)
• Seared tiger prawn with crispy pita (S$29)
• Pandan cream French toast with ice cream and mango Blossom (S$29)

We also enjoyed the signature cured salmon (S$28), which honestly tasted more like marinated sashimi to us, than cured fish — but hey, it’s fresh so there’s not much to complain about. The salmon slices come marinated in dill-infused olive oil, and are topped with lime, and balsamic vinegar — an overall tasty starter.

The MBS 6/7 wagyu steak (S$89) is also a memorable one, with perfectly cooked wagyu striploin slices, totalling 250g, served with three sauces: A herby tangy concoction, black pepper sauce, and Tomacado’s signature chilli powder. The last is reminiscent of the seasoning you’d get with Chinese lamb skewers — mildly spicy, but very fragrant. 

You also get the powder with the Tomacado signature roasted chicken (from S$34 for half a chicken), served with roasted baby potatoes. We enjoyed this simple protein-packed dish, but did find it a tad dry, though the skin on it was just the right amount of crispy. 

While Tomacado is positioned as a full-fledged restaurant — with all types of dishes from starters, to mains and even pizzas – we think its desserts are where it shines. 

The grape oolong jelly panna cotta (S$14), which comes with panna cotta dollops, “submerged” in a grape-oolong-flavoured jelly, resembles a lily pond. 

The signature almond chocolate cake (S$14) may look unassuming, with its white coconut frosting, fondant flowers, and toasted coconut flakes, but the combination of chocolate, coconut panna cotta, and almond sponge cake base made for a very delicious bite. 

In fact, it was so good that we wiped the plate clean. It is a pretty penny, though, for the size of the cake slice. 

With such a promising dessert experience, we can see its garden afternoon tea set (S$88) being a popular menu go-to, once it officially opens. 

All things considered, if you love flowers, art, and everything floral, Tomacado’s first Singapore outlet will be quite a treat for the senses, though we have to caution that its dishes don’t come cheap. (But then again, for where it resides in the heart of Orchard Road, it’s not too bad) 

We can already see the restaurant filling up with couples on dates, girl pals catching up over extended conversations, or even mother-and-daughter-duos bonding over afternoon tea (or floral-themed cocktails!). 

When we visited, we saw a whole bunch of birthday floral arrangements (and hear that it’s a popular spot for birthdays and celebrations, too, in China and Hong Kong), so you’re celebrating a special someone soon, this might just be the spot! 

This was a hosted tasting. 

For more new openings to check out, read our round-up of new places here, as well as Ka-En Grill & Sushi‘s newest al fresco dining experience.