They were so kind here (service was good) and I saw the good reviews and thought since they offer sushi it should be fine but it was really bad sushi despite being pricey, We got the nigiri omakase plate... my daughter stopped having it midway saying that things tasted funny, I had a bit of one of the white fish and it not only tasted off but the fish smelled really off as well. We ordered two rolls as well, salmon rice bites, two appetizers, and two sides of sashimi. So we left three of the nigiri on the plate.., the rolls were not great as well... seeing how off the nigiri was left quite a bit of the sashimi on the plate. Forced ourselves to eat since our bill came to $180 with tip but seeing the amount of food left the server kindly asked us to whether we wanted to box anything and didn't want to get sick so politely declined. Seeing that most of the tables around us stuck to ramen understand that is why this place has good reviews.... The star is purely for the service (they sweetly took a picture of three of us) and the table was comfortable with one side being a bench against a brick wall and TVs showing the world series but a really expensive mistake to make worst of all it was my one night of dinner seeing my daughter at college and not the way that I wanted her to remember our time together. read more

Our favorite sushi in the area. They have a wide variety of rolls and sashimi along with fantastic ramen. Their staff is super friendly and depending on availability, you can sit in the main dining area, the bar area or outside on the patio. read more

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Always good! Love it. Kids love the bao apps. I love the ramen. Service always good.

I've heard great things and finally made it! The food was great. The ramen was delicious and the perfect sized bowl. The fire dragon roll was really hot so I'm glad I like spicy! Everything tasted super fresh. The agedashi tofu could have been a little warmer. We sat on the side with the bar which was fine, next time I'd like to sit on the other side. It's family friendly and a fun date night without being too stuffy. The bathroom was very clean which I think is notable! Will definitely be back for another date night soon. read more

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This is our go to take out spot on those busy school nights. When we have time, we'll dine in. The food is solid every time. Love the korrokke (wish you could order it online but for some reason, you can't. But no biggie. I call in an order every time). read more

Chairs at the counter facing the window are too cushy. You fall in and cannot sit up to eat! 3/5, Edamame - fine 3/5, Karaagé | Japanese style fried chicken with sriracha aioli - came out too quickly. Definitely need a new recipe or sous chef. Maybe best on your ramen bowl. 5/5, Ebi Kushiagé | Panko crusted shrimp with vegetable dipping sauce - this is the one to come back for. Has to be fresh dipped. 2/5, Takoyaki | Octopus puffs with Takoyaki sauce, aonori, and beni shoga ginger - overcooked meat, too crunchy for this ball recipe Dynamite roll, Spider roll -- too fancy for my taste buds :) I prefer classic-style. Quality ingredients. Would reorder the dynamite which was served with extra crab bites :) Nigri flight with sake - I loved the 3 different tastes. I hate when bussers come around to see if you're finished. I like nibbling on my food; they never check. If I am holding cutlery, do not approach. I felt rushed out. read more

Great place, above average food. Kids Ramon is not great, we tried couple of drinks, they were ok but nothing special. Overall I would come back to keep trying different Ramon dishes read more

Giving this place a 4, the place is decently nice. Service was fast. Food came out really quick. I will say we came on a Saturday night we knew places would be packed, but they made it work. Seat placement of the high top table being right by the door in the corner. Really liked them accommodating us. Now the knock down of one star. I will admit food was average. We have had better ramen and sushi just being around Asian food all the time. But I wouldn't worry too much as this place still hits the spot if you're in the area! read more

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Such a good local spot. Ramen dishes are reliably good. Fried chicken also nice as an appetizer. Also find their sushi to be pretty fresh tasting. read more

The ramen here in incredible, service is great. I love exploring newer places like this around the area and was pleasantly surprised at how fresh everything tasted. read more

I have been here several times for lunch and once for dinner and can't believe that I haven't reviewed it until now. Outstanding. The ramen trend took off in the city a while ago, and it's been difficult (in my experience) to find good ramen outside of downtown Chicago or New York. Torino is the solution. I have tried several of their varieties (with a favorite being the spicy version) and recommend them VERY highly. There is also a sushi menu; my lunch guest today had a roll and gave it two thumbs up. For a change of pace, I had their Torino Poke Bowl with octopus and a sriracha aiolo and really enjoyed it. Seaweed salad that I had to start was delightful. Attentive service and a nice but not too buzzy atmosphere. I've been back several times and already made another reservation for a lunch meeting in a couple of weeks. Recommend highly. read more

This our neighborhood favorite go-to: great food: (the Chicken Karaage and the Sammy Ramen with Sweet Corn are our faves). We also adore the kind and attentive bartender, their servers and the especially the Hispanic busser who is always there with a big genuine smile and asks how we're doing. He is such a pleasure! The service is exceptionally fast. The menu is extensive whether you're in the mood for ramen, bao, sushi or karaage; there's something to please everyone. I also like that they have new non-alcoholic beverages now. Great idea! read more

ambiance seemed good, crowded on friday night. we were seated within minutes without a reservation. we ordered drinks and food and received our food in less than ten minutes...even before our beer. id asked for getting my miso ramen spicy and was brought Luke warm ramen with chili paste on the side. I'd asked for them it to be reheated and returned pretty much same temp. shrimp appetizer was good but fried sesame chicken and pork rice bowl were mediocre. my ramen was disappointing. not only was it not warm enough, but the only flavor I tasted was salt (and I salt everthing!). our server never checked in on us; only returned to offer the check (we still had beer in our glasses). read more

I grew up in Japan and I've been in the states for almost nine years now. I can say that Torino serves the best ramen I've ever had in the states. They truly offer authentic Japanese ramen and it's so good! I can't wait to come back to try their sushi next time. The service was great and the atmosphere was great too. Very casual and friendly. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone in a heartbeat! read more

Torino Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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My friend used to work here and recommended this ramen place when I came to visit her. I loved the variety on the menu from ramen to poke bowl. I ordered a lot of food but I felt like I needed to try as much as I could on the menu. It's not terribly expensive eating here either, I just ate a lot of food which added up but it was worth trying. I ordered the Sammy ramen, seaweed salad, karaage, and the chicken chasu bao. The Sammy ramen was delicious! It was a cloudy day and rained a little so it was perfect to eat something warm. The ramen and karaage was my favorite out of the dishes that I ordered. The karaage had a crunchy skin but was also soft and juicy when I took a bite. The bao was pretty good although I think I'll skip it next time and try other foods. My friend and I shared the seaweed salad as she's vegan so she couldn't enjoy my appetizers but more food for me. I really enjoyed my meal and loved that there was a lot of options. I really enjoyed my food and hope to come again when I'm in town! read more

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Nice looking place for an evening date or outing with your significant people. Started with a cucumber salad which was thick & chunky and in a tasty sauce. Added the crunchy fried chicken and it was delicious. 4 nice pieces in the appetizer. We also enjoyed a spicy tuna sushi roll. Tasty. Then the main courses. Ramen soup was great. See images. I can't remember the name but I think it was Me So Spicy. I added spicy ground pork. Broth was awesome. Decent size and we are all stuffed. read more

Torino Ramen - Me so Spicy ramen customized with spicy ground pork and mushrooms. Yum! - Ramen Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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The ramen was good but it left something to be desired. I was honestly shocked because I've been here twice before and the ramen was exceptional. Service was standard but quick. The restaurant is in a great location and has a pleasant interior. read more

Torino Ramen - Curry Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

We liked Torino Ramen so much we went back twice in one week! Our server, both times, was Keiden E. What a wonderful young man (I sound just like my mother!). He recommended several delicious rolls and their new Crispy Rice Bites - pieces of sushi on top of a warm absolutely amazing fancy tater tot - I know this sounds a bit odd, but trust me, they are so, so good. I'm out in LA, but the next time I'm in Wilmette I will head straight to Torino Ramen! read more

Great menu, nice bartenders and master chef Hayashi make a great establishment. Disclosure: my wife works in the kitchen. read more

Torino Ramen - Summer is here - early May at Torino!! - Ramen Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

The food was absolutely delectable. The service was amazing. The vibe of the restaurant is relaxing. And we got limited edition stickers that we all loved. Thank you Parker! read more

Trendy local Japanese style restaurant with a modern decor. Got a couple of ramen bowls, sushi and hot sake. Both ramen bowls were lukewarm with pieces of chicken breast being tough and chewy. The rainbow roll was well prepared - fresh and pleasant. The service was slow - we waited about 15 minutes to get our ramen. Sushi came afterwards and only then the sake. As we tried to enjoy our meal a few fruit flies circled us as vultures. Our effort was spent equally to fending of the flies and trying to enjoy the food. Overall a mediocre experience of fly fending and a lukewarm ramen on a cold afternoon read more

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Good ramen compared to a few other places I have been to in the area. Good service too. We did miss the udon special they had last year, but their staple ramen is solid. read more

A ramen place in the Downtown Wilmette area came as a fresh experience for me. Ramen places I enjoy are rather far from where I live, and this one being so close was a great start. This place has been open for a while yet I still couldn't give this place a try. I finally did and am glad I was able to. Something I highly advise is that you make a reservation because this place can be very busy. My group was lucky and was able to get outdoor dining. I cannot comment specifically on the decor since I dined at a patio, but overall, the place looked nice and presentable. It was a weekend so very packed, but I thought the establishment was doing just fine. The waiter assigned to my group was very pleasant and helpful when questions were asked, giving us plenty of time to look through our menus as well as letting us know that he'll be available whenever we were ready. We had karaage as our appetizer to start. This is a Japanese Fried Chicken, and I thought it was pretty good. Wasn't the best I had but it was up there so was satisfied with it. We each ordered a bowl of ramen to our liking, and I ordered Kitano ramen. It is ramen that has miso, pork, and chicken broth with a nice-sized chunk of pork chashu and half a soft-boiled egg on top. I won't call this ramen very authentic as it had corn, but it was still good! The noodle tasted fresh and had a nice texture with just the right amount of chewiness - I think ramen noodle with some chewiness is better than overcooked ones as they'd then just feel like an instant noodle. The chashu chunk was very nice. I'm more used to the sliced chashu, but I thought the way they gave me a long chunk of pork chashu was also nice. I was able to take a bite of it every couple of bites of noodles I had, so it was great. The egg was done as it should be, so overall, was quite pleased with the dish. If I had to point out one thing, I think it would've been better if it was a bit less salty. I think this comes down as more of a preference than how ramen should be, so if you typically like broth that was a bit stronger on the flavor, I think you'd appreciate it. We also ordered a salmon roll, and that was great too. Torino is a ramen place and while ramen isn't a cheap item, I'd look forward to coming back to this place since it's so close by as well as having a great flavor and reasonable pricing. A great serviceperson left me a positive impression so great job overall! read more

Torino Ramen - Believe it or not, I thought the portion was great. I really liked how they presented the chashu. - Ramen Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

Always delicious! They have summer dishes for warm months but there is nothing like a bowl of ramen on a cool day or night. They offer kale, tofu and cabbage noodles if you don't want the standard noodles. And, their sister location Ichi is a great way to get takeout. Highly recommend!!!! read more

We decided to visit this restaurant Friday night with a good friend and the food was pretty decent. The service was excellent and the ambiance was pretty pleasant. Special thank you to our waitress she was very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about what was good there. One of my favorite things was their chicken karaage and I thought the spicy tuna was delicious as well. The ramen broth was not hot enough and I guess that's because some customers prefer their broth warm but not everyone. I prefer my broth hot when comes to ramen and that was my only issue. Ramen should be served with hot broth not with warm broth in my opinion (hint: maybe ask how would you like your broth to the customers) but it's all good, leaving for Japan soon so I will definitely make up for it there. In all it was a good experience and I would definitely recommend this restaurant to my friends and family. read more

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Pretty authentic Miso hot is my fav Place is always jammed and take out can be a bit long but the place is always friendly. Curry is awesome Ebi bao is great read more

Torino is the BEST!!!! There are so many good vegetarian options, from sushi to the ramen, we order torino almost weekly. Drinks are good too and the weekly happy hour is such a good deal. I like sitting inside at the bar or in the dining room, but they always do a great job with takeout as well. Service is always great, even when they are busy. read more

I texted my husband from work this afternoon and told him that I wanted ramen for dinner. A decisive plan for a meal? Unheard of! We capitalized on that energy and after some discussion, we decided to try Torino for a new ramen adventure. But then I didn't get ramen, which is a sad story that doesn't in anyway reflect poorly on the restaurant. Keep reading. When we got there, we were quoted a wait of 15 or 20 minutes, but actually waited for less than 10 minutes to be seated. The hostess left us with food menus and a drink menu to browse. When our server came over a few minutes later, she asked if we were ready to order. I told her about my food allergy (mushrooms, if you're new here) and asked if I should avoid any of the ramen broth. She told me they would all be safe except the seasonal option. Since I hadn't even considered that option, I was pleased and ordered the torino ramen. My husband ordered karaage (Japanese fried chicken) to start and also ordered the torino ramen. Our server came back a few minutes later and told me that she asked about mushrooms in the kitchen before placing our order. It turns out all of the broths are made with shiitake mushrooms. As much of a bummer as that was, especially for the one who really wanted ramen, I'm incredibly grateful to her for asking one more time before placing the order - it would be far more of a bummer to have an allergic reaction. The non-mushroom options on the menu were pretty limited. I opted for the chicken chashu instead, which is a rice bowl with sliced chicken drizzled in don sauce. It had good flavor, but I wouldn't return here for this entree (or my other limited options). I don't fault them: I know mushrooms are common in ramen. But in the absence of a mushroom-free broth, this is a pass for me. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his ramen and while he was politely hesitant to tell me how good it was, when pressed he said it was better than our usual place. My hunch is that the ramen is really the show stopper at this restaurant. My hunch is also that my husband will be back without me. Oh, I did order the citron tea and it was delightfully citrusy with a punch of sweetness from honey. Service was good and quick. And, as previously mentioned, I appreciate the server's attentiveness and thoroughness on the allergy issue. read more

Torino Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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I finally got to check this place out with my family and some friends recently. After hearing about their vegan kale noodles, I finally had the opportunity to try them and it did not disappoint. Since it was my first time here I ordered the Sammy Ramen which came with their pork and chicken broth topped with the usual add-ons. The soft-boiled egg was perfectly cooked with a nice yolk. The kale noodles were green, of course, and had the same consistency of ramen noodles. I guess it must be healthier since it's kale? :-) The chicken karage came out freshly fried and was probably one of the best I've ever had. Be sure to try it with the dipping sauce. I also enjoyed a nice glass of their recommended sake with my meal. Great service, clean restaurant, and delicious food! As the Terminator would say "I'll be back!" read more

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This is a solid ramen spot and simple Japanese food spot. It's got a modern but relatable vibe, and the staff is always friendly. They're pretty busy throughout lunch and dinner, but they have a good amount of turnover. They do have some bar and window seating for those interested, so if I were to ever bring my laptop for a working lunch, I'd sit there. They have free wifi! I've had their chicken karaage, torino ramen, curry, and they've all been solid choices. Not too salty, well flavored and seasoned, not overly fried. Two things that could use some improvement: They are a little on the pricier side for the quantity you get, and most of their entrees I missed the veggies. Those are add-ons. If the entree does include veggies it's maybe 1-2 pieces. It'd be great to see a better balance of ingredients. Definitely a go-to lunch spot though! read more

I like Torino. The food is good, the ambiance and decor are fine. The location is strong. The service is fast and reasonably friendly. But two things stand out as problematic, hence the three stars. First, it's noisy. If you are looking for conversation over your dinner, this might prove difficult. The restaurant is not large, and tables are close to one another. If it's full, or close to full, between the music and the conversation of others, it is hard to hear your companions. Next, it's not cheap and they do hustle their diners out when 9pm arrives. With us, it was in advance of 9pm. And some of the wait staff keep a tight eye on diners as 9pm approaches, such that there is no mistake about closing time! This is an issue at all restaurants--how to handle closing time. It's a fine line; one wants customers to feel welcome and to enjoy their meals, but the doors must shut eventually. How to balance the two needs? I've been in many restaurants in my life, and have found that most find ways to gracefully handle 'quitting time'. We called Torino and asked, specifically, not when do you close, but when do you stop serving? The answer was 8:45pm. We arrived at around 8:25pm, eager for a casual and quick dinner, thinking that if they were still taking orders at 8:45pm that we had plenty of time to enjoy a meal. We were wrong! We had about 20 minutes to consume a meal that came to over $50. Then, at that point, I noticed our waiter glancing over at me repeatedly, pointedly wanting us to finish and to ask for the check. It was still not even 9pm. On a Saturday night. We became uncomfortable, asked for a container to bring food home in, finished our meal, and left. As we left, the restaurant turned its lights off. It was just 9pm. I'll be honest, I left feeling a bit taken. To me, a meal for $50 is not a small thing. But ultimately it's not just the money that's at issue; it's the sense of being given a bum's rush in a restaurant that one came to prepared to enjoy and like. All good restaurants, from corner diners to stellar eateries, must figure out how to handle this issue. No wait staff should be allowed to keep glancing over at diners, particularly if closing time has not been reached, and if the order was placed within the given time. More importantly, no orders should be taken for sit-down dining if there is not ample time within which to enjoy the meal. If last call for food is 8:45pm, then any diner who orders at that time, or earlier, as we did, should be given a reasonable amount of time to enjoy their meal. Most restaurants will simply not allow in new customers past a certain time. But they do not take orders, bill for them, and then hustle clientele still eating out before they have finished! read more

My brother received an email about a special kaiseki omakase that Torino was hosting. I'm so glad that he managed to call the same day he received the email because the event booked up pretty fast. We went for a 1 pm lunch reservation during the week. Parking is definitely a lot easier during that time as opposed to dinner. We checked in with the host and we were seated by the sushi side of the restaurant. We decided to go with an asahi to pair with our lunch and ice-cold asahi is so refreshing. It was nice to see a menu on the table so we were able to anticipate all the yummy goodness in store for us. To start we were served a box filled with an assortment of mini bites. I thoroughly enjoyed the tuna avocado tartare and it was fun to unwrap the shrimp sushi in the bamboo leaf. The ohitashi really helped bring everything together. As for the sushi course, the fish cuts were generous and the fish was really good quality. The jalapeno with the yellowtail really stood out to me as well as the chutoro. The miso soup was also very comforting and nicely completed the meal. I really hope that they decide to do more of the kaisekis. It's such a unique meal experience especially in the area and it's something that a lot more people should be able to try. For $50 and what we got, that was such a memorable lunch experience. read more

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Visited for the first time on the weekend for lunch. We were seated quickly as there were only a few patrons. The site is under construction as it appears it is expanding. Parking is on the street and free for a certain time. The menu is simple and straight forward and has all the classic items. The karaage chicken app is mediocre but the sauce it comes with is awesome! The chicken did arrive fresh and hot from the fryer but appears to lack some seasoning and that karaage crunch. The ramen was not very tonkatsu tasting and the noodles were quite starchy. The ingredients or add ins were fair. The bowls arrived piping hot which is great. The tea service was horrific. It arrived in a glass mug with a tea bag. If this is a Japanese themed resto tea should be brewing correctly and not a tea bag added to boiling water. I have to rethink coming back as the ramen scene is busting in the city and burbs and executing on it authentically and uniquely is the key to success! read more

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Tan tan ramen with tofu instead of pork - holy F. I'm picky with my ramen but this was some of the best I've had! The sesame tahini within the broth is heaven. We also had the agedashi tofu, edamame, winter ramen, and a salmon sushi roll. Next time I'm in Evanston I will absolutely be making a stop back *drool* read more

Torino Ramen - Tan tan ramen with tofu instead of pork - Ramen Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

Here's what you need to know: wow! That Omakase sushi quality and preparation. Also, the pork Katsu cutlet. Just wow! It's been a while since I was truly impressed with the quality of the proteins and it far exceeded my expectations. My wife and I hit it up for date night on a random Friday and ordered a Yuzu ramen bowl, pork katsu rice curry curry bowl, some appetizers, some cocktails and wine, and the omakase sushi selection. The seaweed appetizer was fine - out of a box for sure so won't critique that - same can be said for the Katsu curry - definitely from a boxed mix. Everything else was very, very good. My wife absolutely loved the ramen and I also thought it was very good. The highlight for me was the omakase and the pork outlet that came with the curry and rice. These 2 dishes really took it to that 5 star experience for me. The pork cutlet was melt in your mouth tender while perfectly crispy and crunchy on the outside. And the best kind of tempura crunch - delicate and flaky without ever being heavy. PS: the value of the Omakase is insanely good at $25 The wine and cocktail happy hour specials were inviting too but very small pours :) Overall, loved the vibe and quality of the restaurant. We spent $105 for 2 people read more

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I'm not the biggest ramen fan, but Torino definitely has the best, most authentic ramen in the area. I was also happy to see that they started selling sushi. I went here twice in a week and tried the poke bowl as well as the torino salad with chilled kale noodles and an egg. The poke bowl was unbelievably salty, which I did not enjoy. The salad was good with the chilled kale noodles, but I did not think that the salad and noodles were worth the $12. The menu has a large variety of items that I still want to try, but most of it is a little on the expensive side. One thing Ive always loved about Torino is the face that their servers are all super friendly and the service is extremely speedy. read more

Torino Ramen - Torino Salad with egg - Ramen Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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Really glad to see Torino Ramen in their new location at the heart of downtown Wilmette. The ramen is very good, and the ambiance is nice. The bao's were a bit different from what I was expecting, but they were tasty regardless. Taking off one star for the restroom, which I understand was not very clean. But that is an easy thing to fix, so I'm looking forward to going back there :) read more

We hosted our school's Science Olympiad team dinner here and our junior high students and parents had a wonderful time. Great food and the restaurant worked with us for the private event with a fixed menu, pre-order menu. They were able to accommodate the food and influx of people (40+). Highly recommend! read more

I usually go to the BBQ pace next door, but decided to change it up. I Stopped by on Wednesday night, and it was pretty busy. It's a laid back spot with good vibes. The bartender made a solid whiskey suggestion. I sat at the bar, so service was pretty quick. I like the bar for that reason. Will definitely keep it in the rotation. read more

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Clean, good ambiance. Surprisingly extensive menu. We got potato croquettes and pork bao as appetizers and they were soo good. The croquettes especially were light and crispy but still filling. Sadly underwhelming ramen.. Maybe we should've ordered pork based ramen, we've never had chicken based ones but they were just salty and not for us :( If we go again we'll probably order something other than ramen. read more

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