Center Valley PA: Kome: November 2015



My spouse and I dined at Kome most recently on a Friday evening in late November 2015 along with several family members. We have dined at Kome many times over the years since it opened in December of 2008. Kome is the sister restaurant to Ooka in Doylestown. Kome is open for lunch and dinner daily. Reservations are available by telephone or using the Open Table system (however, you cannot reserve on the hibachi side of the restaurant on-line).
 
Kome contains three areas: the modern-looking bar/lounge area, the hibachi room, and the fine-dining room. We have eaten all of our meals in the dining room, except for one single visit to the hibachi side with work colleagues. This review focuses on our dining room experiences.
The dining room features seating on two levels: the main level contains booths, tables, and a sushi bar, while the second-story mezzanine offers table seating and is generally reserved for private events or overflow when the restaurant is exceptionally full. The décor features high ceilings and light-colored leather booths with wooden tables. In warm weather, patio seating is available using all-weather wicker furniture.

On our most recent visit, we shared a few appetizers: edamame, pork gyoza (dumplings), and calamari. Please note that the appetizers at Kome are served in smallish portions; each dish is carefully crafted and presented, but it is not enormous. Each dish feeds 2 people approximately. (For example, do not expect a pile of calamari; instead, the rings are laid out one by one and next to each other, topped with a few tiny octopi.) Some of our favorite appetizers are the cold filet mignon (shabu shabu) and the cajun tuna bites, but we have enjoyed many other dishes on their menu including the warm carpaccio, mushroom toban, tempura, Asian pear/beet salad, popcorn chicken (with apricot sauce), fried chicken bites (with three different types of matcha salt), seaweed salad, and udon and soba noodle dishes, and nearly every one has been an overwhelming success. The sushi (both “regular” and “soyless designer”), sashimi, and specialty rolls are also highly recommended because they are of the freshest quality. The menu usually features some specials (two or three appetizers, and two or three entrees), and we often order from that because of its variety. Desserts like the bento box (chef’s choice of four items that most recently included crème brulee [with a fruit gelee topping that was surprisingly good], pumpkin tiramisu, poached pears, and pistachio house-made ice cream), but the deconstructed banana split is another favorite. We have also enjoyed Kome’s omakase (tasting) menu on several occasions, but the restaurant does not offer it nearly enough (and never during busy dinner hours on weekends)!

We truly love Kome, and we think that it is one of the best restaurants in the Lehigh Valley (also high on our list are Bolete in Bethlehem, Ocean in Easton, and the Savory Grill in Seisholtsville).











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