UPDATE Dec 5 2013: TOMASTER IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS.
Here’s a restaurant that I’ve known about for ages and ages, but only just got to check out last week on my weekend off. Tomaster (토마스터) in Hongdae is a very vegan-friendly restaurant that uses tomatoes as their star ingredient. Their name is short for Tomato Master. lol. I think I kind of resisted going here for a while because I’m not a huge tomato lover, and the idea of eating a bunch of tomato-y dishes wasn’t that appealing. But I was in the Hongdae area and figured I’d give it a shot. In the end, I’m glad I did! Here’s my mini review:
My first impression upon walking in was that the restaurant interior is very clean and spacious. Compared to other shops along the busy Hongdae shopping street, this spot is surprisingly open and airy~ I feel like I could just fly around in there. I’ll admit I’m a bit envious of spacious restaurants, cuz PLANT is so tiny and cramped! The interior decor isn’t exactly my style, but I get that they’re going with the red tomato theme.
There’s plenty of seating and even one section in the corner with a longer table to accommodate big groups.
While they’re not a vegetarian restaurant (they also serve seafood dishes), their menu has several vegetarian/vegan options with appetizing photos, which made it tough to choose! I wanted to get the mushroom salad because it looked so juicy in the photo but we went with pizza and pasta instead. This will give me a reason to visit again the next time I’m free.
Nut Salad Pizza (10,500).
Flat crispy thin crust, tomato sauce with a peanutty nut cream sauce drizzled, and then a salad of micro greens dressed in balsamic dressing. It was very fresh, light, and tasty. I love thin crust pizzas. More toppings and less pizza dough is my style!
Here’s the Garlic & Vegetable Pasta (11,500). Hold on. Where’s the tomato?! Hm, I guess if someone doesn’t like tomatoes, this one is for you. And this was delicious too. Personally, I would’ve preferred a different pasta noodle, maybe linguine, but it was still great. I especially loved the caramelized sweet onions and the zucchini. It was a touch on the oily side but that’s just me.
My sister and I both really enjoyed both dishes. They were the perfect portion size too for us. We were well-satisfied but not stuffed to the point of discomfort. The service was also really friendly. Our server even asked if we eat cheese before placing the order. We specifically said to make all dishes vegan and he confirmed without batting an eye. So refreshing. Now-das-what-i’m-talkin-about.
Pickles and jalapenos on the side.
On the last Friday of every month, they have a ‘Vegetarian Day’ where they have a vegan buffet and play games. A good opportunity to meet Korean veg-heads!
Directions to Tomaster:
Hongdae Station Line 2, Exit 9. Walk to the narrow street with all the small clothing shops in a row. Turn left into the first narrow alleyway. Tomaster will be on the second floor, at the end of the alley, above a sushi restaurant.
Hours: Open 12noon, closed at 10pm. Closed on Mondays
Phone: 02-326-0206
Address: 서울 마포구 서교동 358-8
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