Tomato & Onion Tama Center Ekimae

A Kansai-born family restaurant chain called 『Tomato & Onion』 opened in March 2026 in the redevelopment zone right in front of Tama Center Station. It’s part of the Skylark Group, with hamburg steak as its signature, and apparently this is only the third location in Tokyo. The new-thing-loving side of me couldn’t sit still, so I rushed in shortly after opening.

The first thing that caught my eye when I stepped inside was a wall-spanning 『Tomato & Onion』 neon sign. Below it sits a white fireplace-style display — a clean, brand-new feel mixed with a design that hints at an old American diner.

Seating is mostly booth-style, with bird and airplane mobiles hanging from the ceiling (maybe just for the opening?). It seats about 130, but the partitions are built tall enough that you don’t really hear the next table over. It’s a layout where you can settle in comfortably even with a kid.

What I ordered was the cheese hamburg steak as my main. Alongside the iron plate they brought a separate piece of scorching-hot iron, the idea being that you finish cooking the patty to your own preferred doneness. When you cut into it, you can clearly feel the meat fibers — it’s a chewy type rather than a fluffy one. Eating it together with the melted cheddar, the toasty char on the surface really comes through. Personally, I prefer hamburg with this kind of bite.

For the side I went with the free-refill black curry. It came packed with chunky pieces of meat — easily a meal on its own by volume. The roux has solid depth too, satisfying on a totally different axis from the hamburg. Just be careful to leave room in your stomach, or you’ll overdo it (laughs).

The drink bar is the standard Skylark Group setup — the same machines you’d see at Gusto, lined up as-is. Nothing remarkable, nothing wrong with it.

The biggest hit with my kid was the in-store cotton candy machine. It’s free with a kids’ menu order, and the special feeling of getting to make it yourself had my child genuinely happy. As a parent, I get to rest at the table for a bit too, so honestly I think this is a great little setup.

One thing that bothered me was the parking lot. Because of the building’s structure, there are a lot of pillars, and each space felt tight in width. Honestly not great for larger cars or anyone who isn’t confident behind the wheel. I think it’s easier to just head over to Tama Center Station instead.

It just opened, so weekends will probably be packed, but weekday lunch is still a sweet spot. Next time I want to try the steak menu.