Best sushi I ever had! Great small and calming place, not too loud, and great for adults, kids, and families. A little bit of a long wait for the food, but definitely worth it. Would definitely recommend. read more

Lunch portions have been getting slightly smaller over the years but lunch pricing is still a great deal. I got the lunch chirashi which was ~$13 and it came with miso soup plus hot green tea. I saw another review about a rude server / waitress but I did not have this experience at all! The chirashi is a bowl of sushi rice with assorted fish on top. There was a good mix: salmon, maker also, tuna, octopus, yellowtail, etc plus some thinly sliced mushrooms, an imitation crab stick, and egg. Unfortunately the most recent time I was there my rice didn't taste very fresh. The place opened at 11:30 and I was one of the first ones there so I'm not sure if they used day old rice but it wasn't very sticky like sushi rice. I had phone ordered takeout before but overheard the waitress asking the sushi chef if they wanted to offer takeout and he said no! I guess they choose this based on how busy the restaurant is so heads up for those who are looking to order to go. $15 minimum charge for credit cards! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Lunch chirashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

An Arlington gem!! High quality food and service. The menu isn't particularly vast but you can look it up ahead of time and will know what you're getting. The only thing is that takeout isn't always available, the restaurant is very cognizant of their capacity and will not always offer takeout. Also, if you want the hand roll set for 3-4, you will need to order a couple days ahead of time! read more

Friends recommended this restaurant and we were not disappointed! We ordered the omakase sushi and the umaki (roasted eel wrapped in egg). Both were great! This is a pleasant, authentic, welcoming restaurant. read more

The interior is very simple. The food is simple but good! Fresh sushi and Donburi! There were one woman serving us and a man making food! When we order Kaisen Don, people around us wanted to order the same thing! read more

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Fantastic value, great taste and preparation, and attentive staff. What more could you ask for? These basic things are lacking at most other places in Boston. The omakase set menu is as good as it gets for the price still, even with all the shrink-flation happening. If you've been looking for a fantastic Japanese sushi dinner, don't stray, enjoy a meal here, you earned it! read more

My personal favorite Japanese restaurant outside of Japan. Everything is authenticly Japanese, and the sushi chef is Japanese. Hope he never retires! Most so called Japanese restaurants can do passable sushi but not the other traditional dishes. No need to worry about that here. Seating is extremely limited. For lunch, show up promptly at 11:30am or come at or after 12:30pm. [updated 2020.05.13] I just realized that I never hit SEND to launch my review. Anyway, I just read the news that the building will be demolished and that Toraya is looking for a new place to open. ABSOLUTELY please find a place to reopen. You are too much in our family's memories to go! read more

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I loved going to Toraya at its old location and was very pleased to finally try it at its new spot last night. The new space is simple, functional, and pleasant, and the food is superb as always. Their miso soup (both the regular and the red) put all other miso soups in the area to shame -- it is eye opening what a really good miso soup can and should taste like. The chirashi is an excellent way to try lots of different fish -- though the individual pieces are rather small, cumulatively it's a good deal with a lot of variety including clam, mackerel, unagi etc and everything in it is fresh and flavorful. But maybe my favorite thing here is the fried tempura shrimp paste and lotus roots. Unique and delicious and not even that expensive considering the size. Finally, the pork kakuni was also very good. My recollection is they used to have some sort of salmon cooked in a lotus leaf at their old place and I didn't notice it on the menu anymore. Perhaps they can consider bringing that back as it used to be one of my favorites. read more

So glad we stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant in Arlington! Toraya is a small space, so you may likely have to wait. We went in the middle of a winter/rain storm this past Saturday around 5:30 and had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. Unfortunately, they do not take reservations, so go early if you can! There was only one waitress that we saw running around to all the tables, but she was super sweet and attentive. For food, we enjoyed the takobutsu (octopus mixed with citrus chili sauce) and ebi shinjo hasami-age (fried minced shrimp wrapped in lotus root slices). The ebi was one of my favorites - flavorful shrimp with the crunch of the lotus roots was an amazing combination. The vegetable tempura was cooked to perfection, crispy and lightly breaded. We also had the tempura maki and banzai maki. Both were amazing, but the banzai contained fried soft-shell crab, which was an automatic win in my book. So delicious! I honestly don't think you could go wrong with anything here. Can't wait to come back. read more

Lots of places use the word "authentic" but Toraya is the real thing. Recently reopened after a relocation, the new place is slightly larger but retains the small Tokyo hole-in-the-wall sushi bar vibe. The owner and sole sushi chef has an amazing ability to find perfect fish. The nigiri is well prepared, a traditional Japanese size with the right sized portions. No giant platters here, you enjoy exactly the right amount to appreciate his artistry. As with the former place, word gets around and it will be difficult to get a table at prime times. Rather than wait, come early or late for a more relaxed experience. You can try to order to go, but don't be surprised if they say they are too busy, they give first attention to their dining in customers. One minor warning. In the Japanese tradition, the chef decides the correct amount of wasabi to place in each piece. Depending on the fish, this can range from medium to very intense. While they serve wasabi, don't add any to your soy sauce dish. If you ask the chef, he will tone down the wasabi for you or for children's orders. There are many fine places in Arlington that will do you a huge tray for a party. But when you want an authentic Tokyo experience for two or four, join us at Toraya! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Nigiri Lunch Special - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Our favorite go to place! We love the chirashi (see pic) and makis. They have the best cuts of fish. We particularly love the squid and different cuts of salmon and tuna sashimi. The textures are buttery soft and so fresh and beautifully presented! While they don't take reservations, they do take out. We just tried it and it's wonderful. They're so accommodating and called us as we requested 10 minutes before our order was ready. The presentation for the takeout was also lovely. We'll be doing take out more often as when we've gone to eat in, we waited 20-30 minutes for a table. Totally worth the wait! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Great food!! The lunch special was honestly such a steal for the quality of fish. Reviews say that the line can get long during dinner time but we came during lunch and did not have to wait. Would definitely recommend! read more

Came here at around 9:30 PM on a Saturday night, and it was completely empty. Service was very nice (although it's hard to have bad service when you only have one seated table in the entire restaurant). Sushi Deluxe: Includes chef's selection of nigiri, one maki roll, uni, and salmon roe. The nigiri was actually quite good! The uni and roe were also really tasty, and probably worth the extra $3 upgrade from Sushi Moriawase. The tuna roll was just your average tuna roll, but still good. Sake Don: We requested a Tekka Don with the tuna substituted with salmon. The sushi rice was some of the worst sushi rice I have ever tasted in my life. It felt like it had been sitting in a rice cooker all day, was clumpy and old. Actually nasty. The nigiri is pretty good, and the salmon was all right. However, the sushi rice really ruined the whole experience for me... maybe I'd give this place another chance since I live so close to it. read more

I used to frequent this restaurant on a biweekly basis, and I regret to report that the overall quality of the establishment has progressively declined, as prices rose, presumably driven by greed This is perhaps fueled by the owner, for the service staff are pleasant as ever. The portion sizes are microscopic relative to the prices recently charged. But what really irritated me tonight after I went was this petty exchange over the beverages. All sodas are $1.75, which is normal. Except for the fact that there are no refills, and the glass is barely 300mL. I asked the waitress for more soda and she said "so another order? I have to charge you because we open another can." And I asked if that was really one can with the ice in my glass. She said "...no, that wasn't a can" If my party is to be spending over $100 for dinner, routinely $150 for two people, then this is a super petty thing to do. Oh yeah, and they were also out of rice for the entire remainder of dinner service, so no sushi of any kind was available. Not sure how this is acceptable. I suggest looking to a restaurant like Oga's. Where you wouldn't get thumb-sized sushi for exorbitant prices. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - That glass is less than 400mL. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

This is a local business owned by Japanese chef. The fish are very fresh sourced. Chef put their time in the quality instead of going quick. The price is pretty decent in the area. We love the sashimi and sushi special for lunch. Would like to come back to try their dinner set. read more

I love this restaurant! The chef makes fantastic food and the new waitress is very nice!

Wow, the lunch and dinner are so different. The chirashi bowl that I would get during lunch was WAY BETTER (?) than dinner. Shouldn't it be the opposite if anything?? I have to say I was very disappointed my last time there. I ordered the chirashi bowl for dinner along with a udon to share. The chirashi bowl had these little pieces of sashimi.. very disappointing. The sushi itself was also not as fresh as what i have had here. I was still hungry after the two dishes that I had to order 2 orders of salmon sashimi since I got ripped off on the chirashi bowl. The weird part was that when my salmon sashimi came out, there were cooked salmon pieces on the side. As if they were made for something else and just added to my plate because I order salmon. Cooked fish should not be on the same plate as fresh sashimi. If I wanted cooked salmon, I would have ordered cooked not raw. What in the world was this chef thinking? Very disappointing! read more

I changed my review from 3 starts to 2 because we got a couple things to go and didn't look at it until we got home. I ordered an oshinko roll which instead of having the full piece of radish had them sliced in very thin little sticks. And my boyfriend got a hand roll that we joked was like a finger roll it was so small and the seaweed on it was not fresh and crispy at all. It was wilted and sad looking I wish I could have gotten a picture read more

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Fresh sashimi and tasty but very small other dishes. The service is very rude so although we love sushi and sashimi, I'll never go back. We waited about 45 minutes for our (very small) dinner. Very disappointing experience overall. read more

This is the only authentic Japanese sushi restaurant that my Japanese friends will go to north of Boston. That's how good and authentic it is. The sushi master here has been at work for decades and is tireless in making top-quality sushi. The place is a small, cozy restaurant, so don't be surprised if you have to wait a bit to get a table. I recommend the chirashi (assorted fish sashimi on top of sushi rice). They put in a special cut of tuna wrapped in a thin sheet of toasted seaweed wrapper. It's amazing. Their sides are great too! Try the agedashi tofu. They're big thick blocks of tofu, covered in a sticky batter, and paired with a sweet sauce. Tempura is okay, but too oily in general for my taste. read more

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Some friends and I were doing the Minuteman Bike Trail and we stopped here for lunch. We got here at 11:20 and we first in line- Yes there was a line. They serve pretty quickly. I had the Teriyaki Salmon Bento. It was yummy and a nice light lunch for the bike ride we were about to have. We also order Seafood Salad for the table and Nabeyaki Udon Noodle- the udon noodles were sooo soft. It's a small but nice little restaurant. The staff is very friendly. My friends have been here several times before but I was my first. read more

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The sushi is sublime, but I also come here for the agedashi tofu and yasai. The beauty of the plating is unmatched. read more

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Visited this place for the first time. They only had one person waiting at a busy lunch hour. So the wait was a bit longer as the place is smallish but very tastefully decorated. We had the Chirashi bowl and a very tasty cold spinach and mushroom dish. The mixed fish Chirashi bowl was very tasty and filling. Other than the initial wait everything else was spot on. read more

I have been going to Toraya for more than five years now. I am more than thrilled to learn that Muraki-san has re-opened Toraya in Arlington. It is hands down the best sushi in town for me. Although the price has went up quite a bit from what it was before, but the quality is still worth every penny. Highly recommended! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Chirashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

For the price you pay, this place is a legit sushi place. It's small and it can get very busy; however, the sushi is top notch and their sushi rice is seasoned well. Big fans of the Sushi Deluxe. The Chirashi is good too. For the price you pay, the sushi is pretty good. It doesn't compare to high end expensive sushi where you spend $200+ a person, but that is not what this place is about. It's about simple clean food that's affordable. Very friendly service as well. read more

Yes, there are some of the big boys, in terms of sushi, in the vicinity of Toraya, but for my money, I think I'd rather come here. Toraya is simple elegance, personified. The last time I visited was for lunch before a meeting. I went for the sashimi lunch set. The miso soup was good, and definitely a nice starter. However, the sashimi was fantastic. The colorful assortment of sliced fish was beautifully, yet simply arranged to make the plate attractive. The tuna was excellent, along with the salmon, octopus, and clam. All of it tasted fresh and went well with the wasabi and soy sauce. There were less common pieces like spanish mackerel. I know rice is something that doesn't get reviewed often, but it's important in something like this: it was above-average. Service was terrific as the server was extremely prompt and polite. I was a little fortunate to find a spot to sit just as I entered. I don't expect to be so fortunate the next time around. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Sashimi lunch (with rice) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Ah I was so hoping this place would be a 5, but am settling on a 4, which solely is based on their signature item - the one and only Chirashi bowl: Value-wise, 5 stars. $12 for a lunch bowl of tasty Chirashi? Good luck finding that anywhere else. This jumps to $18 for dinner though, so this place will remain a lunch-only establishment for me. Variety, fantastic! I've never seen so many different types of slices in a Chirashi bowl as this place. Ranges from your standard of salmon and tuna to unique toppings such as marinated sliced shiitake mushrooms, tender tamago, and tuna roll pieces. Great! However, because there were so many different types of toppings on here, the size was much smaller than I had imagined (the pictures make them look so much bigger). But, for $12, I guess that's what you can expect! Quality. Here's where I was a bit disappointed - and this may be partial to the fact I had take-out. Although the sushi was solid, it wasn't necessarily near the best in Boston. With the fact that there is limited seating and management will sometimes turn away take-out orders, I'm surprised it wasn't better. It just didn't have the wow factor that really fresh and expertly prepared sushi gives me - for a few dollars more, I'd go to Daikanyama in Lexington if my priority was quality. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Chirashi to go. Slices were smaller than expected but variety was good. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

3.5 stars but rounding up. During my work trips to Waltham, MA, I usually make a point to check out new Japanese restaurants in the area. Toraya was next on my list, and I called in my order late on a Thursday night (around 8pm). They had it ready by the time I got there 20 minutes later, and I tried: -Chirashi (Assortment of Fresh Fish, Eggs, Vegetables Over Sushi Rice, $18.50, http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/toraya-arlington?select=GcOMspW7EA4LE_Xd4BPGcw#hj-TczRGvVWFYYaBkMW9RA): The assortment of different fish in their chirashi was nice, since you don't always get as many types of fish or a couple pieces of toro. However, the pieces were a little too small for my preference, and I would have preferred larger slices. The fish was fresh though, and I would consider ordering this again. -Uni/Sea Urchin Nigiri ($7, http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/toraya-arlington?select=GcOMspW7EA4LE_Xd4BPGcw#GcOMspW7EA4LE_Xd4BPGcw): Good, but I was super full from eating half the chirashi, and wish I could have requested they add uni to the chirashi for an added price (I tried asking over the phone and got rejected). Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Toraya, and will have to come back and order other items. The restaurant is small, so call ahead of time if you're planning on dining in. Parking here is horrible since they do not have a parking lot and there isn't much street parking available. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Uni/Sea Urchin Nigiri ($7) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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Stopped by for the first time after work today to grab dinner. Definitely one of my new favorites. I got the omakase set and there were no frills or gimmicks, it was just fresh and delicious fish. I wanted to get just one ikura order as an extra, but was informed that I needed to order at least two pieces of the same sushi, so i opted not to, but when my plate came out, they added it anyways! The food was so good that I forgot to bring it up and thank them... hope they see this! ごちそうさまでした！ read more

I go here once a week. The best sushi in Boston and the prices are unbeatable. Show up early to get a seat.

Chirashi lunch special is amazing and you can tell that each fish and the way it's set was thoughtfully prepared. The space is a bit small so I would suggest going late lunch or early dinner or get take out. I was so full after this meal that I could barely finish it! But I will because it's so delicious!!!! Free green tea! I never understood why people made such a big deal over miso soup but their miso soup was fantastic! Love the saltiness of it! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Chirashi lunch - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Authentic Japanese sushi restaurant in greater Boston area. I've only been for lunch and waited up to 20 minutes for a table. They offer lunch Tuesday - Saturday 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM. FOOD 5/5 Chirashi Lunch Special $12.95 - Fresh and delicious. Came with salmon, tuna, tuna wrapped in seaweed, octopus, mackerel, egg, crab stick, and two other types of fish (not positive what kind). What you get each time varies. 4.5/5 Tekka don $12.95 - Made for tuna lovers. Generous portion of tuna over sushi rice. Personally prefer chirashi, because it has more variety. Sushi lunch specials come with miso soup and green tea! OVERALL Definitely worth visiting for lunch. Can't beat the prices or authentic taste and atmosphere. One of my favorite sushi places! PARKING Some street parking. Farthest I've ever parked was 5 minutes walking distance. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Front - lunch chirashi special Back - lunch tekka don - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

I'm here probably every other week. Arlington is a bit difficult to get to from Cambridge. Don't even try coming if it's traffic hour, it can take 50 min from the city. If I come for lunch, I try to arrive before 1130 to make sure I make the first seating. If that's missed, then it's just hard to say how long the wait will be simply due to the fact that there is such limited seating. There are 4 tables of 4 along the wall, another couple of 2 person tables and maybe 5 seats at the bar. Sometimes I call my order in ahead and get takeout. I've done this numerous times and esp at dinner it's nice, Bc they always have it waiting for me. There's a small parking lot in the back and always ample parking. At lunch, there is usually just one lady working and it can get kind of hectic, so make sure you know what you want by the time she's ready to take your order. At dinner, prices increase as do menu variety. Usually there are two waitresses plus the sushi chef then. Lunch: chirashi bowl, the best. Sashimi lunch if you don't want the egg and mushroom and crab fixings. The agadeshi tofu, edamame, hamachi Kama (if they have them for the day, sooo good hot and fried) and tempura appetizer, all great. The don bowls are all good choices, katsu or unagi are on point! The noodles are just average. Toraya is well run for such a small spot. Be sure to tip generously, the workers deserve it here! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

We came her for dinner at the middle of the working week. It was quite full but not packed. This new location is much bigger than the old place. To be simple, we selected two appetizers (Takobutsu and Buta Bara Kaku-Ni), Omakase Sushi, and Omakase Sashimi. They were all quite good, and all fish were very fresh. Only disappointment was no dessert available. The service was excellent. The hostess even recommended us a very nice Sake after we told her what taste we would normally like. They have a lot of non sushi dishes, which I could not wait to go back to try them all! read more

Toraya is back to preparing the best sushi in the USA! Only 1/4 mile from their previous location, the new Toraya, with its' charming atmosphere continues to maintain the highest standards of service and cuisine. Their expanded menu includes numerous non-seafood offerings prepared in the classic Japanese style along with traditional sushi, sashimi and maki. We are very grateful for their reopening and fortunate to have them in the Boston area. read more

If you're an adult then the new Toraya is great. Somehow the sushi is even better than before! The non-sushi items are tastier as well. But if you have kids, like I do, then it's a different story. The wait is as long as it has always been. Prices are up by about 50%, but the portions are a bit smaller. The kid friendly foods like donburi and tempura are eradicated to the take out menu and cannot be purchased for eat-in. My kids loved the old Toraya but don't want to come back to the new one again. I'll be back again for a date night with the wife. But I won't be back again with the kids. read more

New location is more spacious. 20 chairs plus 3 on counter. Similar but slightly different menu. As good as before.

It was a warm Friday night and we didn't want to cook. That was the trigger, simple, right? What it lead to was several hours at Toraya -- an eye opening experience and one that surprised and delighted us. Toraya is simply laid out and focused on the dining experience. Service is attentive and direct. This attentiveness is to ensure that everyone can focus on what I would call the best Japanese food in the Boston area. Our first time visiting revealed that Arlington has a gem in Toraya. Everything, from the konomono to the kamo rosu, was perfectly composed, thought through, and presented. We will be returning with the objective to eat every single dish. read more

Best, authentic sushi in the area. The owner is just like the man from "Jiro dreams of Sushi". He's so into what he does and loves making sushi. His passion is undeniable and you can tell by just looking at him. It's such a pleasure to have his sushi be so affordable and fresh, and so close to home. I don't know what I'd do without Toraya. Waitresses are not as friendly as they should be, always in a rush and not the greatest service. But it is understandable in a way cus they're such a small restaurant (so he can cater to all the sushi orders) and always so busy. But they can def improve in this department. A true gem in the neighborhood. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - chirashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Best sushi in the local area. I am so happy it's reopened. New location's decor is nice , open and modern. Wait time might be long cause there is only one sushi chef. But it's worth the wait. Wish they kept the bento for dine in lunch. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Sushi lunch and Kaisen Don. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts