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• "Excellent sushi but don't leave without trying the steak!"

Our latest trip took us to Thom Thom Steak and Seafood in Wantagh. The restaurant is divided in two, with a bar on one side and a dinning room, with a semi-enclosed back room on the other. They have private rooms available upstairs as well. The decor is modern and rich, with earthy browns, wood, classical fans and large black and white photographs. When we enter there is a small crown gathered for happy hour and speakers lightly play satellite radio. We are warmly greeted by the owner David, the manager Lauren and seated at a table in the back where our waiter Joey recommends some drinks.

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  Drinks Thom Thom has an extensive wine menu that is nicely paired with a selection of sake, cocktails and beer. We start with Pear Sangria, a special cocktail of the evening, and Hakushika Plum Sake.
  
  Pear Sangria The sangria is a mix of Grey Goose Pear, Moscato Wine, club soda, mint and large slices of pear. The drink is very light and not as sweet as expected. It has a strong wine flavor.
  
  Hakushika Plum Sake The Hakushika Plum Sake is full bodied and smooth. It has a nice, clean finish.

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  Bread Basket A complimentary Bread Basket arrives and it is like no other we have seen. The bread is made in house and served with three different homemade spreads. The first is whipped butter, which has a smooth and salty taste. The second is hummus, thick and flavorful with a slightly chunky texture and a smoky undertone. Third is a tzatziki yogurt sauce. Tzatziki is a traditional Greek appetizer of strained yogurt, cucumber and spices, yet it also accompanies gyros and souvlakis. Their yogurt has the traditional ingredients of cucumber, but also a mix of lime juice and red peppers. All three are very good and pair well with the airy and lightly toasted bread.

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  Rainbow Naruto Next arrives a sushi roll from their nightly specials, the Rainbow Naruto. It is pieces of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, kani kama and avocado rolled in thinly sliced cucumber and served in a mustard soy sauce. Anytime the world "naruto" appears on a sushi menu it means the rolls will come wrapped in cucumber, with no rice. Plus the term "rainbow" refers to the different and colorful fish inside or on top. At first glance, we thought about not ordering this roll, thinking it may be too "Plain Jane", but we are pleasant surprised at how tasty it was. The fish is pure and super fresh. The cucumber is perfectly sliced, providing a contrary crunch to the soft fish. Although it is served with a mustard soy sauce, there is a hint of citrus. Overall, very good.

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  Closer up.

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  Carpaccio Trio The Carpaccio Trio appetizer comes next. Carpaccio simply refers to a style of cooking in which meat or fish is thinly sliced. Typically they are small portions and offered only as appetizers. The trio of fish is: tuna with a mustard soy sauce, salmon with ponzu and yellowtail with yuzu. All of the fish and their accompanying sauce are very enjoyable, but read on for a breakdown.
  
  Tuna The tuna is very delicious. The mustard sauce has a bold, borderline spicy flavor and pairs well with the fish. This one is my favorite.
  
  Salmon The salmon is tender and light. Ponzu sauces are citrus based and contain vinegar. The sauce is light and likely mixed with a blend of citrus and a hint of soy as it is not overly tart. This one is Michael's favorite.

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  Yellowtail The yellowtail and yuzu sauce is topped with jalapeno for a nice crunch and mild spice. The yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit, is slightly tart.

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  Crazy Tuna Our first sushi roll, the very popular Crazy Tuna, is brought to us. The roll has spicy tuna and avocado inside. It is then topped with seared tuna, fried leeks and wasabi mayo. Leeks are members of the garlic and onion family, tasting like a hybrid of mild onion and cucumber. This roll has a great flavor. Their spicy tuna is very well seasoned and spicy, one of the best we've had, not saucy or drenched in mayo. The leeks provide a delicious crunch, a nice change from the typical tempura flakes. We can see why this one is a best seller.

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  Closer up.

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  Chef Jae's Roll Chef Jae's roll continues the sushi roll trend. This roll is salmon, avocado and cucumber inside. It is topped with spicy tuna, a coconut cream and an eel glaze. When thinking coconut cream, do not confuse it with coconut milk as it is thicker and has a mild, non-sweet taste. The coconut cream is not visible and perhaps mixed into the tuna, but if so the taste is very subtle. The spicy tuna, delicious again, is generously wrapped around the roll and provides the most flavor out of all the other ingredients. The salmon, while good, is more of an undertone.

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  Closer.

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  Sushi Pizza Thom Thom Sushi Pizza is next. The crust is made from sushi rice and is topped with tuna, salmon, kani, cucumber and jalapenos. The fishes on top are all blended together, forming more of a wonderfully spicy tartar. The crust is made from sushi rice that has been flattened into a round circle and flash-fried. Out of all the pizzas we have tried, this looks the most like a "traditional pizza". It is not covered with spicy mayo or eel sauce, but instead plated with small dots of it so you can add as much as you'd like. This is a nice change and just a little dip in both is all you need. The crust is slightly chewy, but that is because it has sit for a while so if you order this dish eat it quickly.

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  Another angle.

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  Kung Pao Calamari We are brought our first dish from the other side of their menu, Kung Pao Calamari. Calamari is squid and when fried its typically done for a short amount of time to prevent toughness. This dish is a plentiful amount of sliced calamari (no tentacles) fried to perfection with ground peanuts, celery, sesame seeds and Thom Thom's special Kung Poa sauce. The smell hits us right away. The pieces of calamari are not chewy at all. The sauce is smooth and robust with flavor - a mix of spicy and sweetness. It has hints of chili peppers and hoisin sauce. If you have read our reviews you know we tend to err on the healthy side, but we can't help ourselves with this one. Definitely try it.

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  Innis and Gunn Oak Age Beers We try two beers as per Joey's recommendation. They are different varieties of Innis and Gunn Oak Age beers. One beer is aged in a bourbon whiskey oak cast while the other is in a rum oak cast. Both of the beers are smooth, with a bready malt and faint bitterness from hops. The Original, aged in bourbon, is lighter and not as bitter. I enjoy that one better Michael prefers the strong taste of the red hued Rum cast.

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  Scallop and Chorizo Risotto Scallop and Chorizo Risotto, a special creation of the chef, arrives next. The dish has a huge seared diver scallop a top a bed of risotto rice mixed with diced chorizo sausage and scallions. Risotto, Italian in nature, is short grained rice that has been cooked in broth to retain a creamy texture. The rice is generally cooked in an onion and/or garlic seasoned butter or olive oil, at times wine is added once the butter/oil is absorbed and then broth is gradually mixed in over a high heat. Our risotto is perfectly cooked, being moist and creamy. The dish is light, with the sausage provided a nice smoky spice. Chorizo is typically a sausage, infused with smoked peppers. The diver scallop is absolutely delightful. The scallops used here are dry, allowing them to retain their size. Wet scallops are packed in sodium tripolyphosphate to absorb moisture prior to freezing. Therefore they tend to shrink when cooked, as the excess moisture burns away. Overall this dish is a must order.

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  Closer.

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  Thom Thom Paella We are treated to scallops once again in the Thom Thom Paella. Paella is widely considered a Spanish dish. They are made by sauteing meat or fish with vegetables and seasoning (garlic, paprika, onion) until tender. Then saffron is added and the mix is boiled to make a broth. Once reduced, rice is added and simmered to perfection. This is standard paella, and variations occur depending on added ingredients. Our dish is a combination of wild shrimp, diver scallops, calamari, free range chicken, PEI mussels and chorizo over rice mixed with peas, onions and diced peppers. The dish beautifully presented and arrives in a paellera, which looks like a mini silver wok. Within the dish, the scallops, shrimp and mussels are the standouts -- provided the most taste and being the juiciest. The chicken is slightly dry and the calamari a tad tough. Overall though, this dish is very enjoyable with a spicy undertone. It is a good way to get a combination of all they have to offer.

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  From the side.

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  Dancing Dragon We switch back to sushi and try two more rolls. The first is the Dancing Dragon. This has kani kama and avocado inside. It is topped with eel, eel sauce and spicy mayo. The eel is plump and savory, with a sweet finish and tender texture. The kani kama, large imitation crab formed into rectangular logs, is light and large. The roll has a nice combo of sweet and spice from the mayo. Very tasty.

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  Surf and Turf Roll We are eager to try the Surf and Turf roll, a Japanese twist on the popular combination. The roll has shrimp tempura and asparagus inside. It is then topped with seared filet mignon, which comes from the tenderloin of a cow and is a very tender cut of meat, and finished with a steak sauce. The steak sauce is on the thick side, tasting like a smoky barbeque sauce and provides most of the taste to this roll. The roll is on the bland side and would have been more enjoyable had the steak been seasoned first.

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  Closer.

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  Skirt Steak So clearly we are pretty full, but can not resist the Skirt Steak that arrives. Skirt steak, picked for its flavor over its tenderness comes from the plate of a cow. In our dish, the large piece of meat is served in a house marinade with mashed potatoes and a medley of asparagus and red peppers. The mashed potatoes are rich and the vegetables are crisp. The skirt steak is nice and thin, perfectly cooked medium rare. It is very tender, not tough at all and contains minimal amounts of fat. I am not much of a red meat eater, but this steak one very good. The marinade was light and bursting with flavor. Michael enjoys stuffing himself with this one.

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  Chocolate Bag Dessert The famous Chocolate Bag dessert arrives even though we are bursting at this point. Warning, this dessert is seriously loaded and definitely meant to share. It starts with a large rectangular box crafted out of chocolate. The box is filled with scoops of chocolate, vanilla and coconut ice cream. A banana, cut in two and covered on one side with a harden sugar, sticks out of the box. Then the whole thing is topped with whipped cream and plated with drizzles of caramel sauce, chocolate sauce and garnished with fresh strawberries. Oh my! The dish is obviously sweet and very rich. The bananas are a tad too sugary for my liking, but the coconut ice cream is exceptional. It you love chocolate this is right up your alley. --

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  From the top.

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