Restaurant Review: Tomato R+D
February 26, 2015
As vintage style restaurants become trendy, Tomato R+D made its way into Yes Plaza in Rowland Heights. Although the place was quite small with just about 12 tables, this fusion restaurant serves as a pleasant place to catch up with friends or family.
Upon arrival, my friend and I were seated immediately, as there was only one other party in the restaurant. This made us feel quite awkward at times, but it accelerated the service. There was only one server available, but he made sure our glasses were filled and attended to our needs immediately.
Just for fun, I decided to ask what R+D meant. He seemed defeated for a couple seconds before going to the back and asking another employee. He simply replied that it stood for research and development.
One of the walls were all glass, allowing customers to have a view of the busy parking lot and a rather shady fenced off back area. The rest of the walls were built with bricks, giving off the vintage feel. The hanging bulb lights also added to the style, giving the place a dim but warm glow. Off on the side was an open bar that allowed the customers to see their drinks being made. The open style ceiling exposed the air conditioner pipes and made the place feel spacious. There was also no music playing, making it rather silent aside from the bustling in the kitchen. The atmosphere was casual, but I could see it being a sweet romantic date spot for couples.
Despite the pleasant ambiance, the menu wasn’t the best. It was made of paper and a piece of string held it all together. There were also no photos of the food items. Like any other fusion restaurant, the menu was a random mix of food selections. Regardless of the dodgy menu, I settled with cold pasta and a fizzy strawberry lemonade. My drink was served immediately in an old fashioned mason jar. It tasted like any other ordinary strawberry lemonade, but the carbonation added a nice satisfying fizz.
The pasta arrived shortly, and as an impatient person, this was pleasing. The food was served in unique glass square pans. I was pretty surprised at how big the portions were, especially for about $9. The cold pasta had noodles mixed with salad greens in a tangy sauce that had a hint of spiciness. It was the perfect ratio of fresh leafy greens to cold pasta noodles that allowed me to finish the dish without a trace left.
The atmosphere created an extremely enjoyable experience, and I left Tomato R+D with my both my eyes and taste buds satisfied.
