Toryumon Japanese House-Arlington — Restaurant in Arlington

Great food, disappointing service – a recurring pattern

We’ve visited this restaurant three times recently for the Sunday all-you-can-eat sushi. The food is consistently excellent – fresh, delicious, and well-presented – and the deal itself is great value. Unfortunately, the service has let us down on more than one occasion.

Our first visit was particularly slow, despite the restaurant being nearly empty. We waited a long time for our server to take additional orders, even after being told someone would be with us shortly.

The second visit was much better – efficient, friendly service and a much more enjoyable experience overall.

Sadly, our most recent visit this Sunday was quite poor again. While the server started out pleasant, there was some confusion with our order – we’d asked for a plate of just vegetables alongside our hibachi steak, but received a mix of extra dishes that didn’t quite reflect what we’d requested. Not a major issue, and we were happy to overlook that.

What did strike us as odd was the constant removal of plates – even while we were still eating. It seemed as though any pause in conversation was interpreted as us being finished, and we found food being taken away mid-bite. Again, the restaurant was virtually empty, so there was no pressure on space. It felt rushed and unnecessary.

Towards the end of our meal, things became more uncomfortable. Though we hadn’t asked for the cheque yet, we were abruptly asked whether we wanted to split it. It felt as though we were being hurried out. Different staff members began approaching our table, and the tone shifted to something quite tense and unfriendly.

When it came time to pay, one of our group chose not to tip due to the poor service – not out of disrespect, but based on the principle that tips should reflect the level of service received. In response, the server became confrontational, insisting that tips are required because servers must pay the chefs – something we hadn’t encountered before and which wasn’t clearly explained.

It got worse when staff began badmouthing our friend in front of us. I personally left a 20% tip despite the experience, as I didn’t want to be treated the same way. Another friend, who had initially intended to tip, changed her mind after the server circled the tip line and pressured her to leave one. A second staff member even claimed we hadn’t tipped last time – which was simply untrue. We have always tipped generously, including on our previous visits.

We’re from the UK, but we live in the US now and fully understand tipping culture. We’ve been more than happy to tip well when service has been good – in fact, we’ve made this restaurant part of a post-game tradition and have been genuinely excited to come here. But the way we were treated on this last visit left us feeling unwelcome, disrespected, and disappointed.

To top it off, the cost of the all-you-can-eat option has gone up each visit, which we wouldn’t mind if the overall experience felt good – but sadly, the service has declined while prices have risen.

Great food can only go so far. If the service doesn’t improve, we’ll have to find a...

I am so glad I chose to visit this restaurant on the last day I was in town. I saved the absolute best for last. Otherwise, I would have never been to any other restaurants in the area. What an amazing experience!

It doesn't say it's an izakaya style restaurant, but the menu and restaurant set up feels like one. As you enter, there is a full bar to the left where they craft some pretty awesome cocktails. As you walk in further, you'll see the large sushi bar area that has a good amount of seating around it. The menu has all kinds of kitchen and sushi appetizers as well as hibachi, noodle dishes, and specialty sushi rolls. I even saw omakase and Korean dishes. I didn't see any yakitori on the menu, so I guess it's not an izakaya. It could definitely be one if they added it. The lunch special menu (Mon-Fri) has a BYO bento for $17 with lots of yummy choices as well as sushi lunch specials. I'd be there often if I lived in Rosslyn.

I don't see their drink menu online, but they have quite a selection. It was a tough decision because all the cocktails looked good. I went with the Summer Punch because I prefer rum over vodka. It was a wonderfully refreshing drink that had Bacardi dragon berry rum, passion fruit, ginger, and other flavors. It was perfect!

I knew I wanted ramen. They have so many different options with quite a few being hot & spicy. The Toryumon Tantan ramen was calling my name. I asked Terri about the spice level, and she was super helpful in answering my questions. I was so happy with this decision. I'm still thinking about that heart warming bowl of ramen. Seriously the best tantan based ramen I have ever had. Even the ramen egg was amazing. It had a good amount of minced pork and noodles. You can get an extra ball of noodles for $2 more but it wasn't needed. The tonkatsu broth was spicy (but not overly spicy), and had red peppers and leeks. It was the right amount of heat for me, and it definitely had a kick. It's what I needed to clear my mind after a long day... and my sinuses. What I love is that you can make your bowl extra rich by choosing your pork fatback level. I didn't need to do that. It was perfect the way it was. But, I have never seen that before at other ramen spots.

Well, I wish I had more trip days in Arlington so that I could try the sushi as well. The service and quality of the food also won me over. This won't be my last visit. The restaurant is located on Wilson Blvd. Just a couple of blocks from the Hyatt Centric. Don't hesitate when booking a hotel here in Rosslyn. I can't wait for another trip to this area just so that I can...

One of my favorite Japanese spots in the DMV area! I'm usually a little skeptical of Japanese restaurants that try to cover a wide variety of dishes, but Toryumon manages to execute every dish on its expansive menu (which includes sushi, sashimi, ramen, and hibachi) perfectly. I came here for dinner on a Saturday evening with a couple of friends and was thoroughly impressed by every item that we ordered.

I opted for the fantastic roll, which was loaded with tuna, salmon, and yellowtail, as well as avocado and tobiko. It's also wrapped in pink soy paper, which, although it doesn't add anything to the flavor of the dish, the color is adorable and brought me so much joy. The fish was incredibly fresh, and the overall roll was delicious, light, and all-around delightful. One of my friends ordered their truffle tribecca roll, which was also amazing. The truffle soy sauce definitely added another layer of umami to the entire dish, and the combination of spicy tuna, yellowtail, and salmon was incredible.

Two other friends decided to go for their chirashi, which honestly stole the show. It was an incredible deal at only $36 for a massive and beautiful display of various types of sashimi, all wonderfully fresh and delicious. Both of their chirashi orders were arranged slightly differently (I only managed to snap a picture of one of them), but they were both extravagant and made me feel like I was being transported to a tropical haven. The chirashi is definitely one of the more expensive items on their menu, but it's 100% worth it.

All-around outstanding Japanese food with solid service and a lovely ambiance. I can't wait to...