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“KELLY DRIVES” VISITS JOMON
Bob Kelly from Fox29 recently visited Jomon for his popular prime time show “Kelly Drives”. He wanted to learn about Yakiniku-style table grilling, and of course to try it! Watch the video! Needless to say he became a fan, and so did we! We welcome Bob back anytime!
“fyi philly” Visits jomon
The new Jomon Japanese Barbecue in Midtown is like a carnivore's castle, with a staircase full of meat that you cook at your own tabletop grill.
The signature staircase is loaded with 12 types of meat, from lamb chops, skirt steak and short ribs to jumbo shrimp, spicy chicken, and calamari with white wine sauce. At the bottom of the staircase, there's a collection of fruits and vegetables too.
And if you really want to splurge, order the treasure box. It's filled with A5 Wagyu, one of the most expensive cuts of beef you can find. Known for its heavy marbling and buttery texture, it cooks on the tabletop grill in just 30 seconds.
Jomon is the creation of Tom Lau, who named it for the earliest era of Japanese history.
He says he fell in love with Japanese barbecue on a trip to Japan several years ago.
And at Jomon, Lau adds pizzazz to the presentation to give people "the wow factor."
You'll find Tom's son, co-owner Randy Lau, shaking things up behind the bar, creating sweet and light cocktails to pair with the heavy meat menu.
The most popular is the Lychee Martini, made with house vodka, cranberry and lychee juice.
The vodka-based Geisha is a big seller too with orange juice, mango syrup, and grenadine.
There are a variety of Japanese sakes and South Korean sojus. The Soju Tower is the show stopper. Designed for a group of four or five people, it's 2 bottles of Soju, 2 bottles of beer, a mini yogurt drink and a can of Sprite. The whole concoction is poured into a keg-like tower where it's ready to pour.
With its menu and decor, the father and son want the restaurant to offer an authentic taste of Japanese culture. There's a party room upstairs that seats 32, and they're already getting lots of bookings for the holidays.
The All-New Japanese BBQ Restaurant Jomon is Opening Featuring High Quality Meats For Guests to Cook
By Hec • Published by Wooder Ice • October 18, 2022
Okay foodies, we have new restaurant coming to the scene and this one is hands-on. Jomon Japanese BBQ (1310 Walnut St.) is coming to Center City and will feature top quality meats and veggies for guests to cook at their table. Their specialty item includes the AYCE + Treasure box which features A5 Wagyu beef.
Jomon Japanese BBQ owner, Tom Lau plans to open the doors on October 20th. No stranger to the Philly food scene, Lau is also the owner of the popular sushi spot Aki Nom Nom just one block away at 1210 Walnut St.
So how did Tom become a restauranteur? Well, you can can say it’s in his blood. “My father introduced me to the restaurant business when I was 13 years old, helping him with his take out place in NYC. I went on my own to start restaurants in Massachusetts, Tennessee, and New York. In 1985 I moved to Philly and opened Aki NomNom, where I’ver been the owner for 17 years. Jomon is my latest and most ambitious concept,” Tom explains.
The name derives from Japanese history as Lau adds, “The Jōmon period is a time in Japanese prehistory dated between c. 14,000–300 BCE. Japan was inhabited by a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united through a common Jōmon culture, which reached a considerable degree of sedentism and cultural complexity.”
So what can guests expect? “An extraordinary dining experience. Fresh, premium meats and vegetables are brought to the table and your group cooks over a built-in grill (Yakiniku-style). It’s delicious, fun and memorable. All you can eat is popular and a great deal to try a variety, while other may enjoy ala carte menu. Full bar with Japan-influenced signature cocktails, plus selection of sake and Japanese beers,” Lau explains.
Jomon will seat a total of 96 total guests (64 downstairs and 32 upstairs) The hours of operation will be 12pm -11pm Sunday thru Thursday and 12pm-12am Friday and Saturday.
Phila magazine
Jomon Japanese BBQ, Midtown Village
Japanese
Big parties, lots of meat, and tabletop, yakiniku-style flat grills to cook it on — what’s not to love? This new Japanese BBQ spot is owned by Tom Lau (of Aki Nom Nom, just down the block), seats nearly a hundred people, and has a full bar featuring sake, beer, and Japanese-inspired cocktails.
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