Cafe Tomo

Crappy cellphone photo alert!

Working in the Financial District is convenient, inasmuch as it’s easy to get to. But the food options generally range from the inevitable (Starbucks, Lee’s Deli) to the overpriced (Tadich Grill) to the outright disappointing (Specialty’s, Long Life Noodle Co.). Sure, the Ferry Building has numerous great offerings (though arguably all in the "overpriced" category), but unless you happen to work at One Market, it can really cut into your lunch break just getting to and from. So I get pretty excited when I discover a lunch place that serves up good food at reasonable prices, all within mere steps from the office.

I luckily have a foodie friend at the office where I’m doing some contract work right now, and he tipped me off to a great little place just across the street. Tomo Cafe, largely hidden behind recessed windows, is a quaint little spot, room for maybe 10 people in the restaurant, that offers perfectly respectable Japanese (well, Korean-ese) fare at a decent price. I had the bibim-bam, a nice bowl of rice with some veggies, spinach, bean sprouts, fried egg and strips of beef in a spicy-sweet sauce. Actually, I subbed in tofu for the beef; even though I am not vegetarian any longer, I still sometimes crave tofu. Go figger. Anyway, pair that up with some miso soup and a nice little salad, and you have a very satisfying and filling lunch for seven smackeroos. Take that, Specialty’s.

Cafe Tomo
50 First St