Sushi Kappo Toraya

Hidden gem in greater Boston. Omakase beats my expectations, and the pork belly is probably the best I’ve tasted this year. Considering I’ve spent 2 months in China and Japan this year, the bar is pretty high, but the chef here did it. Only thing to improve is probably the fact that there’s no high chair, but understandable as I think the chef would want it to be quieter and the sofa seats could handle most kids as long as they’re not too little. Wait time could be long, but worth it.

Wow wow wow wow wow wow wow. Tip: get there early, right when they open, and you (hopefully) won’t be waiting in line. We have offices in Japan, and we have had sushi all over the world, and this was so very very fresh. We took the bus all the way from Cambridge just to eat dinner here. I had the Hamachi and the scallop and the Toro, all very reasonably priced and all very fresh. Really surprised at the price of the Toro, because it’s more expensive even in North Carolina! Great value for such a fresh fish. Six dollars for a Sapporo and $11 for a carafe of hot sake was also a great deal. We also tried the Buta Barra Kaku-ni (which was the Japanese raised pork belly). And it was outstanding! We have a lot of pork belly in the region where we live, and this interpretation of it was so tender. It just melted in your mouth! We also tried the umaki, which was the egg and the eel combo. It was good, but I don’t think I would get that one again when there are so many other fabulous menu options. But I’m glad I tried it. Great selection of sake as well. We will be back when we are in Massachusetts!

It is very hard to find authentic Japanese food in greater Boston area. Tucked in a corner on Mass Ave, Sushi Kappo Toraya is a small restaurant with great food. There are specials that rotate and a good selection of sake and other liquors. The appetizers and small plates are mostly cold, but delicious if you are into regional Japanese cuisine. The main star of Sushi Kappo Toraya is in the name- the sushi! So very fresh and exquisitely prepared. The owner is excellent at his craft. My favorite is the otsukuri, which gives a lovely sampling of select sashimi. Each piece of nigiri, sashimi, and maki are so delicious that it is hard to not order it all! It is worth the price for the quality of fish and rice used. Once inside, there usually is not a wait. If there is, it is no more than 10 minutes. A note that it's a small restaurant that may not be great for a large party. I highly recommend this Sushi Kappo Toraya if you want excellent & (very) authentic Japanese!

Good variety - better than the garden variety sushi places. Plates are small, very in keeping with Japanese style (which is good!). Two of us ordered several appetizers, the duck, omakase plate, additional nigiri (6 pieces) and came out full. Also shared a 300ml sale. Total tab was comfortably under $200 with tax and tip. Good value for sushi (vs downtown overpriced establishments). Definitely recommend.

Best sushi in boston area! Service gets quite slow on busy weekends but weekdays were fine. Omakase set was great

Delicious and authentic. Interior is modern and clean. This is probably the most authentic Japanese restaurant around Massachusetts. The sushi chef is actually Japanese and you can tell just by the quality of the sushi and cut. The attention to detail such as the temperature of the sushi when it arrives at your table. I feel like I am back in Japan with every bite. I highly recommend anyone who likes sushi to stop by this place!

If there is zero star I will give it. We spent $95 dollars for 2 persons but we ended up still hungry. I ordered the soup that has mushrooms in it. It is the worst Japanese soup ever I have gotten. Basically u like drinking soy sauce. And sashimi is very very very small but the price is soooo expensive. We also ordered the dish that has pork belly and egg, also very bad, I can definitely cook it better and don’t have to pay that much money. We have went good amount of Japanese restaurant but this one is the worst. I will never come back.

I visited for lunch with a friend, drawn in by the positive reviews, but I found the experience didn’t live up to the hype. I didn’t realize there’s a significant difference between the lunch and dinner menus, so perhaps I’d have a better experience if I came for dinner. When I asked the waitress how many pieces came in the sashimi lunch combo, she seemed reluctant to answer, saying the chef cuts pieces differently each time. I just wanted a ballpark figure for reference. She finally went to ask after I asked her three times. The soy sauce was overly salty and masked the taste of the sashimi, while the deep-fried tofu lacked flavor and the miso soup was also quite salty. Overall, the sashimi’s freshness was average—you can definitely find better quality elsewhere.

I've travelled in Japan, and this restaurant has the best selection of fish I've found in the Boston area. Expensive restaurants in Back Bay and the South End do not have the selection of fresh fish found at Toraya. Everything is very well done, very fresh, and very thoughtfully presented and served. There is only one chef making the sushi and sashimi, and he is a perfectionist. That's what makes the restaurant so good. People complain about long wait times, but the chef does not sacrifice quality for speed and volume. Some reviewers have pointed out that the restaurant could accommodate more tables, but the owner knows what he is doing. The small dishes from the kitchen are well done and very reasonably priced. The sake selection is small and excellently curated. The staff are friendly and helpful, and kindly worked with my food allergy. I drive a long way to eat at Toraya because it is an authentic, delicious experience.

Quiet restaurant, attentive servers. Care given to food preparation. Well seasoned. Interesting selection.

Date night means fancy sushi night! My bf and I were craving sushi on our weekly date night and decided to try this place. We were lucky to get quickly seated on a busy Saturday night because they only have a few two people tables, two four people tables and one table for six. I felt bad for the big group that was waiting before we got there because we were finished with our meal by the time they got seated. There are many dishes to choose from in the menu besides sushi. They also have main entrees, appetizers and sides and tons of different sakes and alcoholic beverages to choose from. Since it was tough to choose from the menu we both decided on the chefs omakase special. We each got a bowl of warm miso soup to start and a bottle of ice cold sake to share. When our sushi came out we were super excited because it looked delicious! The fish tasted fresh and some had a surprising strong kick of wasabi which surprised me in a good way. The waitress was very attentive and kept filling our glasses of water. We enjoyed the nice relaxing background music as we quickly devoured our delicious meal. This was such a nice treat!

The sushi here is so good! This is a gem and a secret that I wished I knew about earlier. They don't take reservations and it was well worth the wait. So fresh!!! Highly recommend. Compliments to the chef!

Beautiful ambiance. The walls are painted a deep blue and the design from the seating area and furniture to the glassware can be described as serene. The food itself was commendable -- we had the agedashi tofu, the eel nigiri, the otsukuri (a unique selection of sashimi) and a glass of sweet plum wine. Everything tasted fresh! For constructives, The space is only large enough to accomodate like 6-8 parties so a lot of people crowded the waiting area. Additionally I would have liked the server to identify the sashimi upon serving so we would have heightened awareness of what we were trying.

SUCH good fish. Came around 12pm on a Tuesday and the restaurant had ample seating. Our waitress was very kind and the service was great. Had a tempura appetizer and got 2 sashimi lunch between my friend and I which came out to around 52 excluding tip. The sashimi lunch looked small but it came with a miso soup and a cup of rice as well so we left full. The fish was amazing and each piece had such a different flavor from the others which made lunch a really fun experience. Would definitely return! I'm still dreaming about this lunch almost a week later.

This place is adorable and delicious! The sushi is fresh, made to order, and it's not too crowded if you come on a non weekend day for lunch. The only downside about this place was that it took forever to get our dishes, felt like an hour. Parking is street, and the interior can seat maybe 20 so not a large capacity. Would definitely come back for dinner because they have more options!

Finally! After 7 years in Massachusetts we found real, authentic and delicious Japanese cuisine! Beautiful, classy restaurant premises, amazing and efficient service...and the food. I cannot express how happy this restaurant has made me. Having traveled in Japan various times, eating Japanese food in the states leave much to be desired, but Sushi Kappo Toraya is incredible!!!!

A gem!! If you want to feel like you're in a Michelin star Japanese restaurant without leaving too far from Boston, this is it. My Japanese professor recommended this to me. You can tell the focus here is on delivering a quality sushi experience. The fish is fresh and the ambience is calm. Minimalist Japandi style with no background music and hushed speaking. Food is tastefully presented. Chirashi bowl is the way to go for the variety of sashimi. Also comes with miso soup and a generous amount of flavorful sushi rice! The pork belly was excellent as well. Appetizers came out quickly but the chirashi took some time as expected as there seemed to be one sushi chef. Service was attentive. Our tea cups (matcha) were never left empty and they occasionally asked us how things were going without overly bothering us. They also ensured the flow of customers in the restaurant and kept everything neat and clean. Steady flow of customers. I thought it was very thoughtful that instead of cramming additional tables into the area, they left a spacious waiting area with a couch. I think the wait probably would never be too bad as people don't try to overstay and the staff are efficient. They also didn't try to fit different parties into a larger table even though they could have. Really enjoyed my time and will be back!

Almost a hole in the wall spot that wasn't even on my radar. They have simple Japanese dishes that is hard to find anywhere else near Boston.

We waited in our seats for an hour to get our food. The $22 steak dish was small, super fatty, and not that good. The salmon sashimi and the miso soup were tasty. Small disappointments were that my water glass smelled like fish (before eating any!) and my soup spoon was dirty. The food was okay, but not worth the long wait and mediocre service. We won't be back.

Traditional Japanese restaurant in Arlington. Sake Don salmon rice $18 and Sake Ikura Don salmon roe rice $20 come with miso soup, small egg omelet and thin slices of fish. Pretty good. Side dish Tempura $9 is nicely crispy. Limited street parking, may need to park elsewhere and walk over.

Best sushi in the area. Have been here a couple of times and tried different items off the menu - they have all been consistently very good. In addition to sushi they also offer unique a la carte dishes that are a must try. My favorite ones so far are the minced shrimp in lotus root and the agedashi tofu. I honestly think you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. They also offer wine and sake. The restaurant is on the smaller side and they don't take reservations, but it is a worthwhile wait and tables turn over fairly quickly. Service is quick and efficient.

Sushi Kappo Toraya, formerly known as Toraya, closed during Covid and reopened in its new location on December 31, 2021, at 795 Massachusetts Ave, in Arlington, MA. The chef owned Japanese restaurant has had the same chef, Chef Shinji Muraki, since 1999. Toraya is serves up a number of traditional Japanese dishes that you cannot find at your favorite fusion sushi joint. The menu is worth exploring for hidden gems. I would explore the special of the day menu for unique offering not on the regular menu. For our meal, we ordered the fluke sashimi and the little neck clams steamed in sake. The fluke sashimi had delicate flavors while the steamed clams had a nice sake broth. I would say that Toraya uses simple cooking techniques and Japanese ingredients that highlight the protein being served. For appetizers, I recommend tofu and yasai agedashi. This is my husband and my favorite go to dish when dining here. A very traditionally Japanese comfort food kind of dish. We also shared the kinoko no On-salad which offered a variety of sautéed mushrooms on a bed of greens. Sushi/sashimi portions are tiny, reasonable for the price, and with exceptionally freshness. I ordered the omakase sushi set and the omakase sashimi. Both offered high quality fresh sushi and sashimi and came with miso soup. Makis at Toraya are both delicious and unique. I recommend trying the umesisho maki with the dry plum and shiso leaf. This is not your typical sushi. The restaurant also serves up fusion sushis as well if you don't want to venture too far and want to stick to the basic. The soft shell crab maki was a hit for the kids. Customer service was exceptional. Our waitress came by at least a dozen time to check in and refill both our water and tea and collected dishes we finished or scraps left on the table. She even checked in on our kids, perfect for my son, who love socializing with the wait staff and complimenting the chef wherever he dines. The restaurant, being a local favorite, can have long wait times. There is only one chef preparing the sushi for all of the tables so dinner service was at a notably slower pace. Plenty of time to hold intimate conversations with your partner, or in my case, telling my children to stop scooting in their seats. I am not saying to leave the kids at home, since both of my children absolutely love sushi, but they can get restless. When we visited, approximately an hour after dinner service began, the restaurant was already at max capacity with all seats filled as well as the bar seating area. We were able to wait inside of the restaurant. There is an actual sofa and a long bench for waiting patrons so that you are not left standing out in the element. This is a huge plus for parties with children or elders. Overall, just a very lovely traditional Japanese restaurant that you need to try.

INCREDIBLE!! Truly one of the BEST Japanese sushi restaurants that I have ever been to. The chef is so patient and good at this craft. This place is unique to the Arlington area. There wasn't anything that tasted bad here!!

It's aight. Cost too much for food that has too much wasabi . I'm sad. Service was aight. And ambience was good actually.

This is a great place for Japanese food with a lot of "traditional" feel. I have never had anything here that wasn't fresh and delicious. The wait time can be a little long depending on when you show up and service is a little slow... but sometimes things can't be rushed, and it can be part of the experience. The shrimp and lotus dish is one of my favorites at dinner time! A must try. The crab croquette is also full of tasty crab.

I've been a huge fan of this restaurant ever since I was little. My parents and I ate at Toraya back when they were at their previous location. The food is made with care and it is always delicious. The staff are so kind and friendly. I was a picky eater as a kid, and this place always accommodated my requests for simplifying meals. A few weeks ago I had a dish with miso-flavored salmon wrapped around chunks of tofu (sadly I don't remember the name) and it was fresh and salty and perfect. I look forward to having that or something like it on my next visit. I love the space as well. The navy walls and dark wood tables create a calm, intimate atmosphere. I love the buzz of excited chatter from the other patrons and the food-prep noises from the kitchen. It is a treat to sit at the counter and watch the sushi chef create his pieces. This is a wonderful local restaurant that I hope to dine at for many years to come.

Last month, my friend and I went here for an early dinner around 5pm. The restaurant was already packed so we had to wait about 20 minutes before we got our table. We ordered the Tori no Nanbanzuke, Otsukuri, Sirloin Steak in wasabi sauce, and Tofu and Yasai Agedashi. We also ordered a few pieces of toro and tako nigiri and spicy tuna maki. The Tori no Nanbanzuke was deep fried chicken mixed with sliced vegetables in a sweet sauce. The menu said it was served cold so the chicken was even crispy anymore. However, it was tasty. The Tofu and Yasai Agedashi came with mushrooms in a soy broth. The tofu was good. The sirloin steak came medium rare with a side of chopped wasabi. It tasted good but the meat could have been more tender. The Otsukuri came with slices of salmon, mackerel, striped bass, yellowtail, red snapper and surf clam sashimi. The sashimi was fresh. Overall, the meal was good but there wasn't an entree that really impressed me.

A rare Japanese-owned sushi restaurant in Arlington and a very popular spot. It doesn't get much more authentic than this in the U.S., as the food is made with the most fresh and organic ingredients too. The sushi tasted especially flavorful and sumptuous, not quite like any sushi I've had before. Note I haven't visited Japan yet, but it's on my bucket list! The space is a bit small for how popular it was and they don't take reservations; we had to wait a bit for a table, and a continuous stream of people were coming in after us, some of whom had longer waits than us. The reason for this? There are only seven tables and one little counter space in the whole restaurant! A large entrance and waiting area could've easily been made smaller for more tables, so that's one change I'd recommend. The atmosphere was classy and a bit minimal. The service was very good, though it took a while for the food to come, but it sure was worth it when it did.

After several non-Japanese friends said that Toraya is good, I feel I have to try by myself as a Japanese. I was wowed. It is super authentic and delicious. We started with house hot sake: this was great. I love hot sake. For appetizer, we got maguro tataki salad and wakame and sake (salmon). I loved maguro tataki. It was actually first time in the U.S. I had maguro no tataki. I felt like I was in Japan. For main dish I got omakase sushi. This is great variety of fish. I loved toro. It melted in my mouth. Left the restaurant very happily. I will come back for sure!

My husband took me to Toraya for Mother's Day eve. They now have more items on their menu than when they had just opened. There is more furniture in the waiting area also including a comfortable couch. Still a great place for date night, love the interior. Also good for families and groups of friends, or really anybody who loves high-quality sushi.

This is a long overdue review after they reopened at the end of 2021. I was so exciting that they returned after 1.5 years of hibernation during the Covid pandemic. I come here once a week - that tells you something. It's my comfort food place. This is the ONLY place in the Boston proper where you can get the authentic Japanese food. There might be other Japanese food places but, there is no comparison. I have met other fellow diners at the restaurant and we are all in agreement on how special this place is. Great food, great people, and homey place - what else do we need? I love Tofu & Yasai Agedashi, Kinoko no On-Salad, or Shime-Saba for appetizer. I rotate between Chirashi and Omakase Sushi because the chef Shinji does a fantastic job with them. They don't take reservation and at times, they may stop taking take-out order if it gets too busy. Just be patient and when you get a table, enjoy it fully! PS: I love reading few complains by some reviewers here as entertainment. It's fascinating to see how people can be so ignorant.

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.

Got the Toraya Tokusei Bento Box to go for $25 before tax and tip. This place is AMAZING. It's a small storefront in Arlington that has just a few employees. The food is a little bit slow to be made, but it's obviously very fresh and a lot of care is put into making it - I placed an order over the phone at 11:30am right when they open and my box wasn't ready until 12:30, so keep that in mind when planning! I got the Bento Box which was really unlike any other bento I've ever had - tons of unique things that I'd never had before, fresh bites everywhere. I wish I had some descriptions of what things were so I could ask again! Highly recommend this if you're even remotely adventurous of an eater - so many things to try. I got the food to go so I only quickly got to go inside the restaurant. There's less than 10 tables for sure, and with the food being pretty slow to be made I think it might be pretty difficult to get a table at times. That being said, the food is really just SO unique that it's worth a shot if you're on the fence - really amazing and unlike anything else in Arlington or the surrounding area!

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!

They don't have a lot of seating (and it's all quite tight, even though the restaurant has a lot of space), so on Thursday night, the first batch of seats were filled by 5:30 PM. And because they are quite slow, the next seating could take a while, so I'd definitely come when it opens! Overall, I enjoyed the dishes we got: the nama uni (12$) was a little past prime, but still tasty. I really loved the yellowtail in the chirashi (28$); each of the pieces was cut quite small though! The fish was fresh, but not all the cuts were beautiful (the tamago was falling apart, and the salmon had dangly bits). The salmon and tuna maki (8.50$ each) were as expected.

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

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.

I was depressed when the old Toraya closed. Now I am happy again. Been there three times in early 2022 and gotten take-out another three times. Besides the omakase sashimi my izakaya favorites for now: Buta Bara Kaku-Ni, Shime-Saba, Tofu & Yasai Agedashi, and Kamo Rosu (big winner)! Others, I may not have tried (yet) since the reopening. Sapporo is fine as a beer starter. The sake supply is still covid restricted so we usually fall back to the Kimoto. Dassai 45 is available and on my okay list, but I am really waiting for Kubota to be stocked. Kubota is my usual choice at home. News about Kubota: It is available. However, I don't care that much about the DaiGinjo. I find Senju much more enjoyable; best at room temperature and should be a lot cheaper!

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!

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!

Sushi Kappo Toraya finally reopens after a year and a half! As always, the fish is extremely fresh but the prices have gone up significantly and the portions got much smaller. I recommend coming right when it opens as it does get pretty busy and there's only 8-9 available tables. We've tried calling for takeout after 30 mins it opened but was told the wait would be 1.5 hours. This is definitely a perfect date night environment.

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!

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.

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!

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！

They say patience is a virtue. When it comes to Toraya, getting seated is the virtue. Toraya hasn't sold out their morals when it comes to serving to the masses. They keep it as simple as possible, with diminutive seating, a simple sushi chef behind the counter, and 1-2 waitresses who are also servers. We started out with the Agedashi Tofu, which is fried tofu served in a special sauce, topped with scallions and button mushrooms. My GOODNESS! This tofu is perfectly fried to perfection and the sauce makes this appetizer PERFECT! The tofu is tender, yet lightly fried on the outside. Next, we shared the Sushi Moriawase, which is a combination of a simple maki roll and a variety of sushi pieces.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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

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

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!

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.

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.