My wife surprised me with a Christmas gift....dinner at Toro.
She didnt tell me until we parked...and it was quite a surprise!
In order to get to the restaurant, you have to drive behind New Eagle Cafe to the back parking lot. Then, in the back of the rear parking lot, inside next to a gaming store, is Toro.
The bathrooms for the area are separated, so you ask for the key and exit the restaurant.
The staff were very nice and professional. I did not see a lot of staff running around...just a sushi chef, food chef, waitress, and busboy. For a ten seat restaurant, it seemed right.
We were brought water, which was nice, but we were not offered anything else. The couple to our right had what appeared to be flutes of alcohol and hot tea.
We asked for hot tea and were brought hot tea promptly.
We were asked to place our order and we went big. We chose the largest omakase with 3 appetizers and 12 orders of nigiri sushi and miso soup.
Now I assumed since the lesser priced menu item said 9 pieces of nigiri, our 12 orders meant 2 pieces to an order...but in fact....12 orders meant 12 pieces.
So we were excited for our culinary journey, but things didn't go well. 3 other couples arrived (at different times), and it became very clear that they could not handle 8-10 people at once.
Now I know that sounds ludicrous...and please keep in mind this is a new restaurant. I don't expect all the kinks to be worked out right away, but things weren't as you would hope for...
Of those 12 pieces of sushi and 3 appetizers....some were served together. All the food came on 6 plates, not counting miso soup and a hand roll. It took 2+ hours to recieve the all food. Keep in mind that each plate had two to three bites of food on them.
Now, I am a believer in two hour meals, but there were long breaks in between our food...and when each plate is a couple of bites....it seemed like forever to get the next plate.
The food quality seemed good. I was happy with the sushi, even though we were only given one piece of each kind. The only 'freshness' issue I had was the uni...it didn't seem 'ultra fresh'...and the taste was not the 'sweet ocean butter' flavor I'm used to.
The disappointing part was as the 10 seats became full, and all the couples ordered differed omakase menus...things fell apart. The sushi chef lost track of who was getting what....and at one point asked the food chef (in front of the diners) how many additional customers were still coming. Shouldn't you know your guest list beforehand so you know how much food to prepare?
Our plates of sushi became less and less beautiful as the night continued, and I had to take pictures of my wife's food instead of mine, because some of my sushi ingrediens had fallen off and looked messy.
When you order $150.00 omakase, you want to be wowed. I have been fortunate to have some really good meals in my lifetime, and I dont feel a plate of chilled, pre-cooked vegetables with salad dressing should be used as an appetizer for this omakase. Sure, miso soup is a comforting way to end a meal. But for high-end dining, I feel that more could have been done. The food chef for Toro was rumored to be very talented, and I am sure as things continue, the appetizers will improve. I understand that using pre cooked vegetables is a win for timing...but something as simple as plating them in the back of the restaurant, instead of laying a huge platter of vegetables in front of customers...can make a big difference.
When someone spends $300.00 per couple on dinner, you want to feel satisfied and happy. We set aside money and save for our big meals, so it was no surprise that this was my Christmas present. I will definitely be back to Toro to try it again. I feel like this could be a place we frequent because of the intimacy, location, and vibe. I am confident our experience will be different next time. read more