Yakitori Totto — Restaurant in Somerville

I've been wanting to try this place for a while, and my experience was a mixed bag. If I hadn't gotten two specific dishes, I definitely would have left a lower rating. Let's start with the good.

The tako wasabi (raw octopus, $9) was delicious. I've only had this once before, as a prepared food from a Japanese grocery store, and this blew that one out of the water. The seasoning was savory and tingly, and the octopus was fresh and chewy with a bite. I would absolutely get this again. Thank you to the reviewer who raved about it!

The scallop oyster mushroom skewer ($7) was great -- both the mushroom and scallop were perfectly cooked, the mushroom was juicy, and the seasoning was mild but delicious. A perfect pairing. Would definitely recommend.

The karaage ($9) was rather bland, nothing special. It was fairly crispy but felt a bit oily. There are definitely many better karaages in the Camberville area.

The chicken thigh skewer (momo, $4) was pretty much what you would expect. The yakitori sauce is a bit too sweet and one-note for my tastes. The chicken was fairly tender with a slight grilled flavor.

The harami skirt steak skewer ($6) was about the same as the chicken thigh -- meat was fine, sauce is too sweet. Would not get again.

Finally, the shishito tsukune skewer was quite disappointing. It was dripping in juice, but not from the dry meatballs. I suppose it was again way too much yakitori sauce. Very forgettable.

In summary, I would shy away from anything that has yakitori sauce and go for the seafood options. Honestly, I do still think about both the tako wasabi and the scallop oyster mushroom skewers fairly regularly so I might just go back...

I stoped here after my dentist appointment across the street for lunch. I always wanted to stop by here and was curious what type of food they served. Come to find out it was Japanese cuisine with an emphasis in skewer style dishes. Today I wanted noodles so I ordered the Totto Hanamaru Udon that came with chicken, shitake mushroom, nori, scallion and hot udon noodles. The dish was great, as the broth was delicious with rich flavour. I do wish they could have added a little more chicken to the bowl but besides that, the udon noodles was the highlight as it was soft and well done in my bowl. On the side I ordered the gyoza since they were fresh and they were done perfectly. You could taste the freshness in them, no frozen anything. The crispy bottom was a great finishing touch. On top of that I also had the chicken kawa yakitori, which was done masterfully. It was crispy just like I wanted. Kawa is skin, and these skewers were moth watery with flavour. I ended it with the miso soup that comes in a small black covered cup that you could sip slowly as you relax. The interior was my favourite, as the ceiling was designed nicely with the wood tiles and lights, and makes you feel comfy staying near the kitchen during lunch. For a first time experience, I was pleased with how quick my food came; I didn’t have to wait long. John the manager / or owner of the place was great to meat and greeted me once I walked in and made sure I felt comfortable the whole time. He’s a great dude. I’ll definitely come back to I try the beef skewers and for dinner soon enough. So far for my first time, it was a...

Had only been to Yakitori Totto once before for lunch last year, which was a good experience. But wanted to try them out again for dinner since I was in the area, and it had been a long time. And it did not disappoint! I had a great experience!

First, I was eating solo, which is not always easy for some places. Sometimes, the seating placement isn't great, the ambiance can be too loud, or the waiter might focus on a bigger party, but not my case. It was empty since I came around 4-5pm. I'm sure at dinner or the weekend, it gets busier, so might be good to make a reservation. My server, Grun, was very attentive, prompt with food and service, and even put a lamp at one of my tables since I was eating solo and it was getting dark. Great vibe for New England winters. The restaurant also has a feel of a Japanese restaurant with its wood and bottles and setup, which I thought was nice. And lastly, 2 clean bathrooms, which is something that most diners don't notice but I do.

With that in mind, I got a few appetizers and skewers. I really loved the Japanese tamago omelette and the combo skewers. Everything was cooked fresh in front of me. I can see it getting pricey if you get a lot of food and alcohol, but getting a few skewers and appetizers was only $40. I'll def be back if I am in the area solo or for a date. I just love unique places with variety that you can share. All about the experience and this...