The owners of the Tri-Cities’ newest Japanese restaurant took the best dishes of the big cities and put them all onto their own menu. 

TOMI Sushi & Ramen opened in Kennewick earlier this year, offering menu items typically seen at restaurants in Boston and Seattle. Originally from China, the owners have spent their careers working in Japanese restaurants, like the chain Benihana, and learned how to make the most popular dishes from scratch.

After an extensive search, TOMI launched at 122 S. Ely St., inside a strip mall facing Highway 395, formerly home to Kennewick Dickey’s BBQ. The owners stripped out the dark paneling to add a sushi bar, large murals of cherry blossoms and a whimsical bowl of ramen with the noodles rising up and down.

Bonnie Li opened the restaurant with her husband, Andy Liu, and brother, Jared Li, naming it TOMI for the Japanese word that means “treasure” or “twin,” apropos for the parents of fraternal twins.

The owners are trained as sushi and hibachi chefs and experienced in making sauces, broths and dressings, so the dish you’re enjoying in Kennewick might also be served at a chic spot in Boston.

“We tried to pick all the ones that we think are the best,” Bonnie Li said. “I also listen to what the customers say, how they like it and what we can do to improve.”

The restaurant opened in February after an extensive remodel, and the owners said there was an immediate response – people lined up outside the door while staff limited seating indoors to ensure the best customer service once people got a table. 

TOMI seats about 80 patrons and a party room can hold another 16 to 18. The room features a monitor that can be used for work retreats or meetings.

On the menu

The restaurant serves sushi rolls, sashimi, ramen, tempura, katsu, hibachi and teriyaki – which is served on a sizzling plate like fajitas are often presented. 

“If someone doesn’t like raw fish, they have a lot of options from the kitchen,” Bonnie Li said. 

Beer and a variety of sake options also are available.

Regular customers now feel like “friends or family,” Bonnie Li said, and she wants to keep giving them a different experience, so they don’t fall back on the same order every time.

“Often people want to try something new that they’ve never had, like with omakase (chef’s choice), and I’m happy to bring that to them. I’ll order different kinds of white fish for them to try,” she said.

TOMI’s sashimi dinner includes 15 pieces of fish.

| Courtesy TOMI Sushi & Ramen

Fresh fish

TOMI sources its fish from a few suppliers, and Bonnie Li said in the few months they’ve been open, she’s learned to identify which kinds of fish are best to order from each company – whether it’s tuna from one and salmon from another – with deliveries flown in every few days to keep an emphasis on quality.

This might mean customers shouldn’t expect the same fish to be available every time they visit, since a priority is placed on freshness.

“If your price is about the same (as others) but the food is really good quality, you’ll come back,” Bonnie Li said. “I also train my servers to treat everyone like they’re friends or family because I want them to come back.”

This family aspect motivates Li to identify options requested by customers.

“Some people really like uni (sea urchin), and I work to get it from Washington, California and Japan. It’s only fresh for about three days, and it’s really expensive. Even if you sell all of it, you don’t make money on uni,” she said. “But, I want people to enjoy it and feel special, so I order it only if it’s good quality.”

Bonnie Li said it’s safe to sell uni up to a week, but it’s not as sweet so she’ll try to have it delivered on a Friday and sell it only through the weekend.

The restaurant also will source real wasabi root when it’s available, which costs nearly $150 a pound and requires a special grater, traditionally made of shark skin.

“A customer asked, ‘Can you order some for me because the last time I had it I was in New York,’” Bonnie Li said. “People say they don’t like wasabi because it burns their nose or makes them cry, but they don’t realize they’ve probably only had wasabi powder. Real wasabi isn’t spicy.”

Customers can request the wasabi root and if TOMI has it in stock, the sushi chef will serve it on the side. A staff of about 17 operate the restaurant seven days a week, opening either at 11 a.m. or noon for lunch and then reopening at 4:30 p.m. daily for dinner.

Diners can learn about these fresh and unique options on TOMI’s social media channels.

Bonnie Li is happy to have made the move to the Tri-Cities during the pandemic, feeling it was safer than living in a large metropolis, and especially enjoys the four seasons, which reminds her of her hometown.

“It’s not as cold as the East Coast and the people here are really nice,” she said.

Some of Bonnie Li’s favorite dishes are the tiger king roll, fire roll or hibachi. She hopes people will give TOMI a try and share their feedback. Customers have already assisted with advising her on social media and helping with professional photos of their food.

“I always want to make sure what people get is good and fresh, so they don’t leave without saying anything or giving us a chance to fix it,” she said.

TOMI Sushi & Ramen: 122 S. Ely St., Kennewick, tomisushiwa.com, 509-820-3006.