Sushi Kappo Toraya — Restaurant in Arlington

I'm not one to explore new food often, and it wasn't my own idea to visit Toraya the first time I went there. Therefore, I can't say that "best of..." would be an accurate review for me. All I can say is that it is THE BEST place for Japanese food that I PERSONALLY have EVER had in the U.S. and HK hands on.

Other restaurateurs tend to expand, but I personally really adore the way Toraya has begun and stayed small and cozy. There's no fancy names for their food - it's just what it is. The "kitchen" menu (the non-sushi) options aren't extensive, and they don't need to be. I think enough people have touched on how well their food is, so no need to say more than: they are VERY good indeed.

I don't live in Boston (or anywhere near), but this weekend I had the privilege to visit for Columbus day with my girlfriend. Toraya was arguably the place for which we took the excuse to visit Boston (we really love Boston, nonetheless). We ended up going there two evenings in a row. The first evening just made us realize how much we missed this place, and the 2nd was because we both knew how rare it would be to visit again.

The sushi chef recognized us the instance we walked in the 2nd evening. The previous night, we were the last customers to leave and we had a chance to talk with him. I told him half jokingly, "we'll probably come again tomorrow," but he probably didn't think we would. Whatever the reason, he was so very, very kind to serve us his restaurant's specials sashimi. Now, I'm no expert on food prices but I know that what he gave us was delicate. We were simply touched. Moved. Could we say more?

He was probably humbled by how much we admired his restaurant. We, as his customers, were simply moved by the fact that he caught us utterly by surprise with his friendliness and gratefulness. It was very, very nice of him and this is what I could do best to thank him. Toraya is a MUST GO, not only because of their attentiveness to food quality, but also because of their heartwarming service.

If you visit Boston, I would VERY, VERY much recommend this place (though a car would be a big plus. Otherwise, Route...

This small (24 seats) restaurant could be found anywhere in Japan. One waitress and the Sushi chef. I usually go for their lunch Chirashi that is excellent but the quantity of fish has decreased over the years. Today I went for a lunch Bento Box with Pork Katsu. The pork was cooked well and I got both mustard and tonkatsu sauce. The goyza was cold as was the tatsuta-age. The miso soup was good but served in freezingly cold bowl.

They are now in a new location with a new menu. No Bento boxes at lunch. Toraya is back! A selection of DONBURI has been added (Egg omelet, rice and miso soup are included) to the lunch menu. The takeout lunch menu is way more extensive than the dine-in version. Strange that. I ordered the Sake Don (16). "Salmon over sushi rice". The egg omelet was very light and had something in the middle. Eel perhaps? The thinly sliced salmon was, of course, super fresh. The sushi rice was cooked perfectly and was at the right temperature. It was also appropriately seasoned. They have a Katsu Don on the takeout menu. Can I have it for dine in? No, we only serve sushi. This was a very light lunch. You better get here early, or you will have a wait.

Lunch Tekka Don (16) from @Torayarestaurant . "Tuna over sushi rice". I chose the marinated version, and it was delicious. Don't go if you are starving. Also, be sure to get here before noon; otherwise, it's a really long wait if they are busy. I asked why the Tonkatsu Don was only available as takeout? We only serve sushi inside. Doesn't make sense to me, but what do I know?

Lunch Kaisen Don (16). "Assorted fish over sushi rice" at @torayarestaurant. I have no clue what most of the fish was, but it was all beautifully presented, and the fish was super fresh. I finally figured out how to liven up the bland Miso Soup. Pour in some of the excellent...

2022 Update: went to the new location for the first time. Happy to report the quality of the dishes has gone up a step (the prices a bit too, but worth it). The rice used to be mediocre, but now they use a higher grade rice and it was cooked well. Sashimi plate has more variety now and more premium cuts (toro). Looking forward to dining here again whenever I'm in the area. *The wait for a table can be unpredictable but you can order take out which is relatively quick.

Just tried for the second time today. A nice little place if you like authentic Japanese, but quality/taste and value depend on what you order. I had the $12 chirashi today and it was a good value, but not the best I've had. The variety was great, but the quality I'd rate as just good. My wife had the udon which was very bland and had a strange aftertaste (the kind you get from bad tap water). We tried some maki which was good, again not stellar, but enjoyable. The teriyaki (we tried chicken and salmon) is above average in terms of quality and authenticity - not the thick, sugar-laden sauces you get elsewhere, but light and fresh-tasting like you'd expect in Japan. It's a good spot for lunch if you like authentic Japanese, but not as amazing as some have made...