Taylor Swift ate twice at Koma, a modern Japanese restaurant in Marina Bay Sands Shoppes. But is the food actually good? Read on to find out!
Koma is one of the Japanese restaurants in Marina Bay Sands. It's a collaboration between Tao Group Hospitality and Marina Bay Sands. (Click here for a very detailed review of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.)
It's actually not quite as famous as Waku Ghin, which is Michelin-starred. However, Taylor Swift ate there not once, but twice, and in the public dining room too, when she was on her ERAS tour in Singapore, so it's been in the news a bit now!
Read on to find out if the food is actually any good! You can also watch a video of my visit to Koma below:
Google Rating (March 2024): 4.3 stars (out of 2116 reviews.)
Ambience
Koma is a Japanese-inspired bar and restaurant (I say Japanese-inspired or modern Japanese, because the food isn't "real Japanese" or, at least, not traditional.)
It is definitely a good restaurant to dine at if you enjoy theatre and spectacle. The entrance alone is very impressive: you'll feel like quite the VIP walking down the 20 meter long hallway lined with the red beams.
After you pass through the red beams, the restaurants opens up to an EXTREMETLY high ceiling. There is a red wooden bridge (a traditional Japanese foot bridge?) and a huge bell, which is the focal point of the whole restuarant, on the right. It looks like something out of an Asian period drama!
There are many tables in the centre, with several elevated along the sides of the room (which I assume are reserved for VIPs? And, yes, Taylor sat there.)
There is also a long sushi bar at the back of the restaurant, which is where I sat. (I didn't make a booking so that was the only space available. There were only 2 other diners at the sushi bar besides me.)
The restuarant never looks busy from the outside- I've walked by MANY times and have never seen people queuing up- but it's almost always packed inside.
Thankfully, because of the very grand high ceilings, the noise isn't overwhelming despite the crowd. (Even at lunch, it's usually a full-house though you should be able to get a seat if you don't mind dining at the sushi counter. Don't expect the sushi chefs to engage with you though- it's not that kind of sushi bar. However, it is beautifully decorated.)
The sushi counter has stools (not chairs), which was fine for me, but older people may struggle.
In line with the theatrical ambience, it has super dim lighting. I'm only 40 so if you're older than me, you may struggle to read the menu. I normally like to read an e-book when I dine alone, but thanks to the atmospheric lighting, I had to stop to prevent myself from going blind.
The music is like a nightclub- loud, and not to my taste.
Seniors' Tip: Read the Koma menu here before you go to save your eyes.
Food
Koma is open for lunch and dinner.
It offers set meals, an omakase dinner menu, and Ala carte options. (The Omakase set is MUCH more expensive than the set or Ala carte: around $360-$450++pp. Honestly, after trying the lunch set, I don't think the chefs are good enough that I'd pay so much to eat there!)
The food is ... serviceable, at best.
It's more Asian fusion than actual Japanese: they have contemporary takes on some traditional Japanese dishes. I ordered what the waiter recommended, the 2-course set with:
- Crispy Chicken: acceptable but a bit dry. it reminded me of a modern Japanese Karaage Chicken. Decent portion for a starter, Smelt nice- the truffle smelled amazing, and the sauce was nice (without the sauce, the chicken wouldn't have enough flavor.)Wouldn't hate having it again but would prefer to try something else)
- Salmon: dry and tasteless- some Google reviewers had mentioned this but I thought the Chef had been having an Off Day. Apparently not! Would not order this again. I liked that it came with a big of vegetables though.
- Bowl of Rice: best cooked dish in the set actually!
- Vanilla mochi ice cream (divine. Wanted to order extra but it's not an a la carte item.)
However, the execution needed polishing, which is why I only rate the food as serviceable. (Without the fun ambience, I wouldn't return to Koma for the food.)
If this is the best food Koma can produce- which is my assumption since it was recommended- then it's rather disappointing. I will, however, go back to try the Unagi Truffle roll as that's received quite good reviews. The salmon pillows also seem to have better feedback, so I'll try those too.
(The mochi is considered complimentary and not a 3rd course. For the 3-course set, you can choose between desserts such as Lemon Yuzu, Cheesecake, and fruits but it does NOT come with the complimentary mochi ice cream!)
The lower quality of cooking could be because the menu is too ambitious. For example, for the 2-course set, you can choose between 8 standard and 4 upgraded (i.e. extra charge) appetisers, then 7 standard and 5 upgraded mains.
In comparison, Wakuda only has 6 choices for the lunch set mains. (The appetisers are the same, regardless of which main you choose.)
Note: Senior travellers may appreciate that the Salmon is 100% cooked through, with not the trace of pink in the centre. My Mom would certainly be happy with that. However, personally I find it a little overcooked.
Drinks
I didn't have any alcohol, only a pot of tea.
The 3-course set actually came with tea but the waitress didn't tell me- which I feel she should have- so luckily I ordered the 2-course set. The pot I ordered cost about S$10.
I felt the flavor of the tea was a bit light.
The waiter did not top up the tea (with hot water) when I finished it.
Service
The service was pretty good but sometimes a bit too much. For example, when I was looking through the menu, and had my hand on the menu, the waitress (who was trying to get me to order the set lunch) actually tried to turn the menu OVER my hand, without so much as an "Excuse Me." (It felt like an invasion of my personal space and a little rude.)
I would say the service is efficient but not warm. (For example, at Wakuda MBS, the waiters and waitresses always great you by name (Mr or Ms XYZ), which makes it feel a bit more personal.)
Price/ Value
Wakuda's cheapest lunch set (tempura udon) is $68++ whilst the basic 2-course set at Koma is $58++ (available only Monday-Friday) and $68++ for the 3-course (available Monday-Sunday.)
Wakuda's lunch sets come with more than 3 courses, so I'd say the prices are comparable. (Of course, Koma is cheaper if you decide to go for one of the more expensive sets at Wakuda. However, if you order mini chirashi for the lunch set, it's an extra $20, which makes it $88++ - exactly the same price as the bara-chirashi set at Wakuda!)
Location
Location: B1 - 67, The Shoppes, Bayfront Avenue (It's on the same side as the MBS food court, but on the floor above.)
Nearest Carpark: North (Green Zone)
Note: it's the closest Japanese restaurant at MBS to the theatre, so a good place for a pre- or post- theatre meal.
All in all, Koma is a fun place to dine at, with a nice atmosphere, but not great food. I would, however, return and bring friends/ family to enjoy the unique setting!
FAQs
Yes, the 230-seat restaurant has a private room. (But Taylor Swift dined in the public room!)
You can make a reservation but Koma will not guarantee you a specific table.
Any questions about dining at Koma? Let me know in the comments!
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