Food for Thought

By Nati Burnside

Tomahawk Steakhouse may be located in a nondescript strip mall in Lakewood, but when you walk inside, you’ll forget that very quickly. The ownership clearly spent countless hours designing perhaps the sleekest and most modern kosher restaurants you’ll see anywhere. From an eye-catching bar to a dining room with luxury booths positioned in the middle of the floorplan, you’ll be impressed by what you see.

When I was invited to check out Tomahawk, I was able to see the staff preparing for a private party. While this wouldn’t usually be noteworthy, I witnessed their use of a custom-made electronic temporary wall that silently drops from the ceiling to partition the space in one of the rooms. A minute later, you would never have known the wall was temporary.

The space itself has several interesting features, but the cuisine is the ultimate reason that Tomahawk has quickly become one of Lakewood’s busiest spots.

While many kosher steakhouses sport sushi menus these days, Tomahawk is trying to set a new standard. Sure, they have the typical rolls and sashimi. They also offer specialty rolls including a few made with soybean paper. But it’s the sushi appetizers that feature some more elaborate options.

With a handful of menu items that sound as interesting as they are delicious, I’d recommend the Tuna Pizza. The crust is made of a deep-fried patty of sushi rice and provides the perfect crunch as a base. From there, it’s topped with salmon, spicy tuna, tomatoes, and tempura flakes before being drizzled with truffle and spicy mayo. The combination of textures and tastes makes ordering this a must for anybody who enjoys raw fish, and it’s the perfect item to split amongst a small group.

Even though the Tuna Pizza is flawless, you probably didn’t come to a place called Tomahawk for the pescatarian offerings. When choosing some starters from the main menu, my highest recommendation is the Pulled Beef Flatbread. Trust me, even as I type these words, I know what you’re thinking: flatbreads are commonplace at this point, and even though they are almost always good, they are almost never great. And while you’d be correct with that assessment, trust me when I tell you that you want this flatbread on your table.

Why? The short answer is the sauce. While the pickled red onions and arugula are nice for acidity and color, it’s the use of the mushroom sauce that makes this dish a necessary part of your meal. This dish gets its distinct flavor from the deeply rich umami taste of the mushroom sauce and its interplay with the really tasty beef. If you order only one appetizer, make it this one.

There are some things that top tier restaurants get carried away with, and burgers are often at the top of that list. Sometimes, you don’t need all sorts of fancy toppings and you’d rather just be able to savor a burger made from high quality beef. If that sounds like something up your alley, you should try the Prime Burger. Served on a brioche bun with tomato, onion, and pickles, the burger itself is the star of the show. It doesn’t hurt that it comes with a side of large handmade onion rings that have a perfect crunch on the outside.

Though the restaurant offers a signature steak to match its name, the cowboy steak might be a more reasonable choice for some that are looking to get a satisfyingly large steak to split without breaking the bank. This 30 oz. masterpiece is served sliced, but with just enough meat left on the bone for you to cut off yourself if you wish. The steak is everything you want it to be in terms of both flavor and mouthfeel, and it comes to your table on one of Tomahawk’s branded wooden boards. Great for a special occasion, this would serve well as the centerpiece of a wonderful night out.

If dessert is something you still have room for, the Peanut Butter Bar makes a great selection. Not for the faint of heart, this plate comes with a bar of peanut butter crisp topped with peanut butter mousse, peanut butter syrup, and a piece of peanut brittle. If you think that’s too much peanut for you, you can offset it with the scoop of vanilla ice cream…which is topped with some peanut crumbles. Needless to say, this dessert is perfect for the peanut lover, but might be too much if peanuts aren’t your ideal taste. That said, all of the different textures and iterations really come together nicely to prove the versatility of the main ingredient.

For the peanut-averse crowd, there’s the White Chocolate Forest Bowl. You won’t find many restaurants that serve white chocolate mousse, and after tasting this, you’ll wonder why. Topped with chocolate, graham, and pistachio crunch and drizzled with a cherry sauce, this well-designed dessert is as interesting to taste as it is unique.

With more and more restaurants opening in Lakewood all the time, don’t let Tomahawk be one that you miss. The sleek, modern feel and the interesting menu differentiates Tomahawk from its competition. Just make sure you make a reservation, because the new kid on the block is pretty popular these days.

Tomahawk Steakhouse

Meat - Steakhouse - Waiter Service Sunday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 11:00pm (732)-724-5001 • TomahawkSteakhouse.net 700 Cedarbridge Avenue Lakewood, NJ 08701