where was i?

san francisco? really? sooo long ago, but luckily still on the homepage of this blog. oh my god.

anyway, if you go, i highly recommend hotel tomo in japantown. be forewarned: it's quirky. japantown's quirky. but if you read this blog on a regular basis (ha!) you'll realize i embrace the quirky. it's a best western, but it's run by a pretty cool boutique hotel chain, joie de vivre. so expect a lot of nice upgrades to an older space.

the lobby. tiny, but functional, with free (?) computer/internet use in a small enclave, and a giant robot vending machine off to one side. the rooms are reasonably priced (for san francisco) , spacious, and the furnishings are simple but suprisingly high quality with good pedigrees (looks like ikea, is actually stuff ikea rips off is inspired by).

modern, with a j-pop/manga vibe. free internet access, mini-fridge, coffee/tea service, very comfortable bedding, free parking, and an igloo in your backyard.

the only down side would be the bathroom, which is very much a reminder that this is still a best western (that and the somewhat thin walls)--grey and utilitarian. but i'm not much of a spa/bath lounger, so functional is okay with me as long as the water pressure is high and the water is hot (yes and yes here). at least the complimentary toiletries smelled great (yuzu bergamot!).

if you have trouble sleeping, there's a sleep disorder center on the premises :)

another down side that is an upside, really: ask for a room above the first floor, because the smells from the kitchen restaurant drift into the adjacent rooms. which only kept me hungry all of the time because the odours were oh-so-delicious.

the restaurant, café mums, reminds me of one of my favourite long gone places, le creole in the dai-ichi hotel here on island. it was a late night café with a strong '70s moderne vibe with japanese touches, and the food was sort of a quasi-japanese/euro/american fusion that somehow manifested itself into contemporary comfort food: pilafs, cutlets, and curries. katsu pork cutlet sandwiches with the crusts cut off and kewpie mayonnaise, omurice rice-filled omelettes. you know. that kind of thing. a throwback to a time that never was, in a place that never was (although that probably = guam).

i can't even tell whether they kept the decor from its previous incarnation or if it has always looked like this (sans mural).

breakfasts are typical american standards--pancakes, waffles, typical omelettes--there are some japanese options: udon with egg and musubi, broiled salmon with fried egg, ikura salmon roe rice, miso soup, and pickles.

lunch and dinner specialty seems to be shabu shabu, which draws in a large local crowd.

there are sandwiches and japanese diner food like omurice omelette filled with rice and served with curry sauce and a choice of chicken, beef or fried prawns, and

dorias, which are sort of rice casseroles, filled with veggies or meat, covered in a white sauce and cheese, then baked. this one had a nice assortment of seafood include plump scallops and prawns.

**
totes my scene, quirkiness and all.

hotel tomo and café mums
1800 sutter street
san francisco ca 94115.
tel: 415.921.4000
fax: 415.563.1278