Ok then- me, hubby, and a couple friends decided it was time to take Torizen for a test drive. On a cold Saturday am, we arrived just before opening- when the guy opened the door? Well- let's just say he wasn't too warm or welcoming and could barely grunt a greeting. Hmm. We were quickly seated in a very japanese-looking restaurant (a good sign). We ordered two apps - the chicken karaage and the agedashi tofu. I ordered the spicy tonkatsu pork ramen (not on their web menu, but still...). First demerit- my ramen arrived before the apps did. Seriously. Seriously? Me with a main dish and my hubby/friends bereft of food? Oh wow. I didn't touch it until the apps arrived a couple minutes later - finally their mains arrived. Yay. The apps? Well, the chicken karaage was really fried chicken breast meat (no bones; not a prob for me, but hubby - a japanese man by birth- was not impressed). The agedashi tofu was yummy and quite good. Nice! Ok- my ramen was - yes- spicy and oily, as any good ramen should be. The bad part? I could tell the bean sprouts weren't fresh as my sensitive digestive tract let me know - fast- that the sprouts were "not" fresh. Yikes. Not a good thing - hence the demerit. Ok- first- we may come again. But gosh. the workers really need to be a bit happier to be there- or - if they can't be pleasant - keep them out of the public's eye. That would be a big help- after all, this was our first visit- and it wasn't too welcoming - it would have offset the bad sprouts, you know? read more

See all

It's been quite a few years since my last updated review of this place and I have been here several times both for lunch or dinner during that time in between. However, my most recent visit came in for dinner and I just had to finally update this post because throughout all of these visits, this place is so amazingly consistent in the food quality in the portions and in the incredible Japanese hospitable service. This is truly authentic legitimate food. And it's great to see the menu over the years really evolved as well as expand. This is a real go to, and I am so glad that they're here and not too far away and this is truly a great Japanese cultural feast and taste for the mouth! read more

See all

The restaurant is typically packed during prime dinner time, even on weekdays. The atmosphere and menu lend themselves to an authentic Japanese restaurant experience. Large bottle of Asahi beer $10 Daikon Salad $10 - Julienne cut daikon radish topped with bonito flakes and nori, refreshing salad, the table's favorite dish. Sasami Mentai $4 - One chicken skewer, chicken was dry, wouldn't reorder. Atsuage Tofu (3 pieces) $5 - This tofu is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Hirekatsu Don $19 - Deep fried, breaded pork tenderloin egg omelette over rice, served with a side of miso soup. Good flavor, loaded with cooked onions. Niku Udon $17 - Tasty broth. Loaded with caramelized onions. Ebi Mayo Roll $10 - Simple cooked shrimp roll with mayo. It was good, but plain, probably would not order again. .|\---/| | @_@ | ..\_^_/..2025 read more

See all

Took the wife here for her birthday, and she loved it! The food and service were very good! The waiter and waitress were very tentative; they took good care of us. The ambiance was typical Japanese izakaya pub-style restaurant. Normally, this restaurant is pretty busy, so make a reservation beforehand if you're hanging out with friends or going on a date. In all, our experience was a wonderful date night for her birthday, and as long as she's happy, it was a wonderful experience for us both, so we will definitely be returning to this restaurant in the future. A big thank you to Torizen staff for that! read more

Torizen - Sashimi platter - Japanese Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

See all

I don't want to be like the typical American reviewer claiming that everything is "authentic" but I was pleased to hear the servers speaking Japanese. That's a step up from some of the other places where they have non Japanese employees working there. We were a group of 7 with no reservation. We had to get two separate tables. I'm not sure why since it was not busy. Our table ordered a bunch of appetizers to share and then we got our open entrees. Service was good and friendly. Some of the items were pricey for what you get. For the value, it's about a 3.5 in my book. I know other Japanese places that give you more food for your buck. -okonomi fries 5 - crispy fries with the yummy sauces on top. -softshell crab karaage 4 - I recommend skipping. You don't get a lot for $18. -tori karaage 4 - $9 for such a small portion. I got more pieces at other places. -kani cream croquette 4 - it was very tasty but I don't think the price should be $10 for 2 pieces. -hirekatsu don 5 - breaded pork tenderloin was crispy and moist. It wasn't soggy. Ample portions. read more

See all

Love this restaurant so much! The staff is so helpful and kind--as a family with littles, we appreciate it whenever we're taken care of in a way that makes it seem like we're really welcome there and not being rushed out because we have kids. It expanded since we'd last been there too! There's so much seating, whether at the sushi bar, or tables. We didn't have a reservation and they seated us immediately. Just FYI they do have a sign that states non-reservation guests have 1.5 hours to finish their meal. What we got: Potato salad - This was a sleeper surprise! There's so much umami to it, and it has bacon and cod roe in it, which was a twist. The taro chips were so fun too--light and crispy. Cucumber salad - This was fun. The dip for it was unique. I think there was fermented bean paste in it to give it this rich, earthiness, but also something briny. I know it sounds weird, but paired with a refreshing cucumber was really nice. Black cod - Anytime we see black cod, we get it. Especially at a Japanese restaurant. It's so tender, so juicy, but like a plump flakiness and just the right amount of char for contrast in texture. Boiled spinach with black sesame - This was tasty. The sweetness of the black sesame was different, but in a good way. Karaage - How did they get their chicken so juicy? Karaage seems like a boring staple, but this is so good here. I honestly think it's the best I've had in the area. Pork bone broth ramen - Solid staple. Our kids always love noodle soup. And at first neither wanted to try. But once they did, they couldn't get enough. The broth is so rich and creamy. The toppings are perfectly paired. The char siu is tender, the woodear is a fun texture changeup, the noodles have a nice chew. Everything was just well balanced; not too salty, not too heavy, just the perfect comfort bowl of ramen. read more

See all

What I liked the most from this restaurant was their fried pork cutlet--it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and had no porky smell at all. The grilled chicken skin and beef tongue were also quite good. I would come back again when I get the chance. read more

See all

The food was incredible every bit of it. The sushi was so fresh straight out of Japan. Service was spot on with a lot of advice as to what to order. Their sushi has now spoiled me , going elsewhere will be hard. read more

Authentic and awesome! I'll update this review later!!!!!!!!!! Just wanted to post this pics asap. read more

See all

I was looking for a legit Japanese place to have a quick weekday lunch and I'm glad I chose this spot. This is a no frills, traditional-looking Japanese restaurant. The lunch menu was simple and I chose the tendon. The tempura was made fresh to order, the batter was perfect and so was the sweet sauce they drizzled on it. I wish I lived closer so I can try other items, but I was pleased with what I ordered. I highly recommend this spot if you are looking for traditional Japanese food. read more

Torizen - Tendon lunch - Japanese Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

I went to Torizen with my sister and her husband last weekend for dinner. It was my second time visiting and it was another blissful belly experience for me. The service and ambiance was excellent as usual. We ordered Gomaae which is spinach with a lightly sweet black seasme sauce. The Nasu Miso eggplant side dish is good and savory. Zasai tofu has a melt in your mouth texture. Butabara Kushiyaki has a good size of grilled pork in skewers with a nice savory sauce. Sashimi dinner has a nice selection of fish with rice and miso soup. Will definitely come back to try more on their menu. read more

See all

Came in on Monday 8pm for dinner and did not expect there to be a 20-30 minute wait, but it was worth it! I tried many more dishes this time and it was a phenomenal dinner experience... everything was delicious. The fish with natto, ika + uni handroll, sashimi platter and soft shell crab tempura was out of this world delicious and worth every penny! Tonkatsu dinner was good too, but hard to top the Michelin star tonkatsu meal in Kumamoto. Also the rice was overcooked and the miso soup was overly salty. Torizen is a great place to visit if you're feeling those post-Japan trip blues! read more

See all

This rating is purely on service and the business's, transparency and communication to customers. Their website, yelp and everything was not updated as we tried to go for lunch today and they are closed until January 12. It would have been nice to know that they are closed for a long break if they had updated Google their own website or something to let customers know. It's such a waste of time and inconsiderate of a business when they do not update anything and just expect people to be OK with seeing a sign that then makes them have to change their plans last minute. I think it is just the courteous thing to do when you own a business. So my first impression is not high. I will see if I come back to try it again and review it for the food, but was not happy wasting precious time on a weekend Just to find out we have to pick another place. read more

So worth the wait. The food tasted very fresh and the variety of items on the menu will fit anyone! read more

Torizen - Toro, tofu, and salad - Japanese Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

An authentically "izakaya" type of restaurant - comfy, great assortment of dishes to enjoy sake with. Service is always good - pleasant and efficient. As a Japanese-born, their taste and service are true to core. read more

Food, Drink all great. I really like this place. Staff is very well trained and friendly. Best choice in Chicago. read more

Solid but in the priced side, my lunch came out to $70 total (but I did order the most expensive items) read more

Torizen - Japanese Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

See all

First time trying Torizen. Came here for a Saturday lunch with the family. We ordered chicken karaage for appetizer and then tonkatsu, hire katsu and seafood ramen. The food came out fast, the servers were friendly and everything was delicious. We will definitely be back! read more

See all

The chicken karage and ton katsu here is the best Ive had in the Chicagoland area. The atmosphere of the place makes you feel like you're in an authentic Japanese restaurant and service is pretty good. I wish I got better pictures of the ramen and atmosphere but I will be back. Quality- the raw fish appetizer was well seasoned and the the chewy texture surprised me. Chicken and to katsu has a nice crunchy exterior with a nice touch of heat to it when wasabi is added. The inside is soft, juicy, and flavorful. The spicy miso ramen had some great broth. It was spicy/salty and creamy. Quantity- a pretty good amount of food came out for the price. It was well worth it Atmosphere- very nice homey feel. Lots of room at each booth. Service- fast responsive servers. Food came out fast too. read more

See all

We came here on a Friday evening for dinner around 6:20pm. The staff mentioned that the wait to be seated for 2 ppl was about 30-40 mins. Thankfully, we were able to get seated within 15 mins. The restaurant has dim lights and our seat was private so it was nice. The waitress approached us quickly and we started our order. The food came out quickly but was still fresh (ie. Warm if it needed to be) Customer service: Good Food -menu options may be a little more limited compared to other Japanese restaurants (potentially because it is more of a bar pub type restaurant?) Takoyaki: I order this every time I come here. It comes out perfect. It is soft and the octopus & ingredients inside the takoyaki is hot if you eat right away. The cabbage Spicy tuna rolls: tasty, not too spicy and the tuna tasted fresh. Shoyo tonkatsu ramen: it was okay, the noodles tasted a little undercooked...maybe I should have kept it in the broth longer. Soy ginger wings: different than your typical wings from a restaurant.. the soy ginger flavor was very mild so I could barely taste it. Toro q: cucumbers with miso sauce...or if you have had korean BBQ..it is like cucumber with ssamjang pretty much. read more

See all

I've had the food here before. Mediocre at best. The beef is way too fatty. Today I called and asked (since they have very weird hours of operation. If I came In at noon. Will they kick me out at 1:45? Essentially the rude person on the phone laughed and said yes. He said people eat and within ten minutes leave? What the hell? I was going to spend some serious coin here because my GF wanted to go. I will take my business elsewhere. This place is a hole in the wall that seats 50 people like sardines. read more

I love the udon here it tastes like heaven! It's a long wait but it's worth it for the nice staff and it dint take too long. It was overall amazing I'm definitely coming here again! read more

Seems like their transformation is complete and we now have an authentic izakaya-style atmosphere and menu. On a very busy Friday evening, perfect and prompt service. They even have the table bell, where once pressed, a server will immediately appear to take care of any needs. There is an extensive appetizer menu including daily specials as any good izakaya should have. read more

See all

I've been here several times for lunch and dinner. I'm always pleased with the food that I offered. The quality of the food are great. They cord and seasoned the food nicely and well balanced. I ordered several tapas dishes: sliced scallops with cucumber in sweet vinaigrette sauce (cold appetizer), Manila clams in sake and clear dashi broth (special menu), bread fried pork tenderloin in skewer, seafood croquettes. All of them are delicious. I also tried the spicy miso ramen. It's just ordinary taste. I prefer ordering other tapas here than ramen. Their lunch specials are always delicious and fairly priced for the quality of their food. Note: there Lunch special menu on the board is only for dine in. read more

See all

Discovered such a hidden gem. I had no idea about this place and I was in a treat! How did I hear about this place? A friend in Hong Kong said this is a must in when in Chicago! Of course I had to go if an overseas person recommends this! The food was so good! Nothing like your typical Americanized Japanese food. As a matter of fact, I got lost for a sec and forgot I was in America because all the tables near me were speaking Japanese, all whom looked like they were from Japan maybe for a business trip(?) We ordered many things and love that the menu changes daily depending on the specials. I'll definitely be back! Can't wait to try other items on the daily menu. Here's what we got: Kasamu sashimi- my dining mate really liked it. It was very fresh. Hotate garlic butter- omg so garlicky and buttery that we ordered 2! Ebi mayo- giant shrimp tempura... it was crispy and saucy Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen- I'm a spicy miso ramen type of girl. I wouldn't order again & instead save my tummy for other goodies. Nira tamago toji- I was expecting like egg omelet from what I know about tamago but it was eggs served in a broth. Warmed me up in a cold day. Seafood croquette- crispy on the outside and a little mushy on the inside. read more

See all

This place serves legit Japanese Izakaya. The sashimi is really fresh and I love all the different specials they always have. I was reminded of my Japan trip when I came here! read more

See all

We love love love this place. Whenever we are in Schaumburg we try to dine here. Dinner time is the perfect time to go & we finally had a chance to try their lunch menu & it did not disappoint. Everything here is always consistent. So sad that the scallops were no longer served there it was my husband's favorite. But we still love this place and we always be back. read more

See all

Nice restaurant! Love the atmosphere. The service was excellent. Not one person walked by without checking on us. Our drinks were fantastic. Our meals were delicious. The Katsu Curry did not disappoint. We also ordered California Rolls, Soft Shell Crab and KatsuDon which were all so good. See pics We will be back! read more

Torizen - Katsudon and miso soup - Japanese Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

See all

We ordered Nori Bento and Kyu Kara Bento for lunch and pick up in store. We didn't expect that the meal' status is "hot"and "ready to serve." Rice is perfectly cooked, fried chicken is juicy and tender, and fried fish with egg tartar sauce made the fish just melt in my mouth. Every single dish, even small dishes (potato salad), you can feel how the chief treat the ingredient and make them best out of it. During the pandemic, you still can feel the chief wants to serve customer the best with his heart, even through distance, which is priceless. We really enjoye the meal and will definitely visit TORIZEN again! read more

See all

Ive gone here 2 times and have tried a few items it was not to my liking. Its not authentic to me. There are better places to like the "daruma" down the street is more authentic id recommend that for sure. Soggy fried chicken, i tried to eat it and even gave to my daughter which rejected it. Mind you she eats everything read more

Torizen - Soggy fried chicken, i tried to eat it and even gave to my daughter which rejected it - Japanese Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

Incredibly good. No need to travel to Chicago for Japanese cuisine. Never had a bad item here.

Love this Japanese eatery. Have been here several times and I always try to go when I am in the area. The food, the atmosphere. Everything is a win! read more

We went on a Saturday to grab lunch. We got there around noon and the wait was around 20 mins. Service was quick and efficient. The food was simple and delicious!! Also it was quite affordable compared to other japanese places we have tried. Inside was cozy and bustling. Recommend highly. read more

Torizen - Lunch Special: Oxtail Curry & Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

Great food, great service. I feel like it's hit or miss though. The quality of food is sometimes a little disappointing.

This place has changed a great deal since Covid. Decided to come here for lunch after a couple years, and unfortunately, just not worth it. The lunch menu is much smaller than the dinner menu, and they got rid of some items as well. The ramen was one of my favorites, and this one was way too salty. The chicken karaage was good, however, the pieces are not bite sized as it is supposed to be. I also attempted to order one dish to go and the server had to ask the cook if they can make it. She returns to our table and says they cannot cook this order since they are too busy at this time. Additionally, the server said if I wanted to wait, it would be 40 minutes! Doesn't make sense since other customers were also ordering and they were obviously able to fulfill that. It's horrible for a business to turn down orders because they're too busy, obviously not equipped to run a restaurant properly. I can no longer recommend this place. read more

In the Chicago suburbs, a lot of Asian restaurants are closed on Monday. So when I really wanted Japanese food, I usually went to the food court in an Asian market. But I would add this place to the list. We went there around noon on Monday. It was a little crowded with businessmen, but we got a table right away. And they served pretty good hot brown tea, which I love for the cooler season. Our order: Chicken Karaage Yellow tail w/ scallion sushi roll Hire katsu rice bowl Saikyo Salmon lunch plate Chicken Karaage - 4 stars Breading part was a little soggy, and color was faded. It seemed like the temperature of the frying oil might be a little low? But chicken was seasoned well and juicy inside. It was good, but we could get better ones from different places. Yellow tail w/ scallion (Negi hamachi) sushi roll - 5 stars One of our favorite sushi restaurant in the area is called Sushi+ in Naperville IL. And I ordered their negi hamachi sushi rolls many times before. This place's negi hamachi was actually better than that! I liked the rice, seaweed, plump and juicy yellow tail, refreshing scallion and even pickled ginger with it were all tasty. This was my wife's favorite dish of the day. Saikyo Salmon (miso glazed grilled salmon) Lunch plate - 5 stars I was afraid of the power level of "miso glaze" part, but the miso flavor was so gentle and complemented the very juicy salmon meat. Nicely seared and salmon was so soft and a lot of natural flavor. And this dish comes with rice, miso soup, potato salad, green salad with sesame dressing, and pickled burdock. Rice was cooked perfectly to my taste. Miso soup had a little weak dashi flavor compared to the miso flavor. Potato salad and green salad were average. I've had better before. Pickled burdock was cooked a little too much, which gave it a mushy texture. Hire Katsu Rice Bowl - 5 stars I loved it! Only one thing I would ask to change is maybe separate fried pork from the sauce over the rice, so we could enjoy crispy fried pork instead of soggy breading. But that is just my preference, and everything tasted great in this bowl. This was the dish of the day for me this time. Several years ago, I tried the ramen bowl here. The noodles were stuck as a chunk and the soup was tepid. I still cannot order their ramen dish again. But I would definitely recommend Hire Katsu, Negi Hamachi, and grilled salmon from here! And they cooked rice really well, too. I would love to try more sushi and charcoal grilled chicken dish at dinner time next time! My whole experience was 4.5 stars. Definitely it's worth try when you feel like a Japanese kitchen dish! read more

See all

I can't believe how delicious and unique the food here was, especially considering how unassuming this spot in the middle of a strip mall in the suburbs is!! We live in the city and this might be better than most spots we've been to there. First of all, the ambience is right and when you walk in there are tons of Japanese speaking people so you know it's going to be legit. It is Izakaya (small plates/bar) style and really reminded me of Japan. Everything was good, even simple things like salads. It is a bit on the pricey side, but worth it on occasion. read more

See all

My coworker comes here all the time, so I was really excited to come check out this place. We were seated immediately when we arrived around noon on Saturday. I got the Sapporo miso ramen for $11.62 with a California hand roll added for $1.78 more to round out a ramen set. The ramen noodles are imported straight from Sapporo, Japan, and they were the best ramen noodles I have ever had. Such nice flavor and texture with a nice "Q". The broth was rich and flavorful with a strong miso flavor. I loved thick and tender char siu. It had the perfect ratio of meat to fat. Alas, there was only one slice in the bowl. I liked all the veggie toppings that added a nice crunch. Easily the best ramen I've ever had. The hand roll was very fresh and tasted great. The rice was soft and seasoned perfectly. There were several other lunch sets offered on the lunch menu that looked delicious, and I can't wait to try them out in the future. Would also like to try their yakitori, but perhaps it's only offered during the dinner service? The restaurant and nicely decorated and clean. Service was attentive and great. Will definitely come back here again. read more

See all

Hidden Japanese Restaurant in Schaumburg Usually I go to Hmart and normally see really big groups of people walking into Torizen and was curious to why Because its really good! Hands down their Ramen is prepared to perfection. Prefer it more than Kita Kata down the street or Miso Ya. Always recommend this restaurant to friends looking for authentic Japanese food when their in Schaumburg read more

See all

We are very loyal sushi people for my birthday I google this place drive the 29 min and had a apsolute out of this world dinner It's important when you locate a sushi place that they hold too Japanese tradition with greeting you when you enter, focus on presentation, taste / quality and customer service, They hit all of these point on, it is now our go to place on date night, my wife absolutely says best agedashi tofu she ever had, me I love the change up on hand roll presentation. Can we bring in more sake selection please read more