Torarenbo

Added Nov 3, 2009 by CoastalCook of White Rock (11 Reviews)

Most Excellent Japanese Cuisine
First of all, let me begin by saying I have been so over Japanese food. It all tastes the same, same rolls, same sauces, same old rooster sauce on the spicy dishes. I have been eating sushi for at least 25 years and it is just so - bland and boring. Have always avoided it until absolutely necessary. Okay, the DH has a birthday coming up and I book seats at the Gateway Theatre in Richmond. Dinner beforehand of course, he loves Japanese style food and so I surprise him with a trip to Torarenbo with another couple based on the reviews here. From the outside it looks a bit questionable. The inside is decorated nicely with the exception of the wall mounted flat screen televisions which play assembly videos of Japanese infomercials, rolled sushi and other composed foods. That is the only low point. Tables are solid and well set. Service is very good and we were very well treated. We had a few of the regular items - agadashi tofu, squid tempura (best I've ever had), BC roll, tuna/salmon sashimi, etc then a few off the track dishes including the salmon cheek. Unbelievable for only $5.50. The Rainbow Roll was just so beautifully presented we did not want to eat it, but we did and it went down oh so well. Starters, world class ice cold (not frozen) sashimi, robata items, rolls, tempura and miso soups for four including endless tea, 4 large Kirin and one very small sake came to $125. They even gave us a free scoop of ice cream after our meal. Very nice, very well run establishment. I am actually beginning to appreciate the wonders of the Japanese menu again.... When we had arrived at 6 for our weekday reservation there was perhaps 4 tables occupied and when we left at 7:15 the place was full ad waiting. Best to have a reservation.

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Added Jun 20, 2009 by Beatchyvon of Delta (1 Reviews)

Good stuff
Torarenbo is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Richmond with excellent food at a great value. I went there with my family and the 4 of us ate well for under $80.

The service isn't great, but it's not terrible either. The restaurant is small and always packed so it can be a while before you get a seat unless you get a reservation. However, in my opinion it's worth the wait.

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Added May 6, 2009 by apple993 of vancouver (2 Reviews)

Love Torarenbo!
I think this is the best Japanese restaurant in Richmond, I just wish they had bigger space, as it's almost impossible to get in on Saturday and Sunday's nights. It's packed! This alone can tell you how good this place is.
The service is absolutely exceptional; the food is excellent and always very fresh - made right before your eyes. My favourite dishes there are Seafood salad and Torarenbo roll, and also Dragon roll (well, the list goes on and on).
Highly recommend to go there, but it's a good idea to make a reservation if you plan to go on a weekend.

Added Feb 6, 2009 by booju of Vancouver (14 Reviews)

Disappointed, twice
I dined at Torarenbo on two separate occasions; both times I left unsatisfied and disappointed. It's unlikely that I will be back for more.

Food - 2 - We tried a few rolls and they were average at best, and their cooked items didn't fare better. We also gave their sashimi a try and they ranged from good (sockeye salmon) to just okay (amaebi) to downright awful (uni). In fact, the uni that we tried was the worst that I've had in my life, and believe me, I've had my fair share of both good and bad uni or any sashimi. Not only was it not fresh, but it also tasted of freezer stink and rotten fish. We had to return it as it wasn't anywhere near edible. Minutes later the manager brought over a new plate of uni for us to try, and again, the same result. By this point we felt embarrassed for the restaurant and wondered if they even tasted their own food.

Ambiance, Service - 3 - The usual service one would expect from a Japanese Restaurant. Not great but not too bad either. Decor is just okay.

Value - 2 - Food is not expensive but I feel that my money could have been better spent at Hachi or Seto.

Consider yourself warned.

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Added Nov 23, 2008 by sonia99 of Vancouver (3 Reviews)

Excellent food and good value
The food here is excellent. If you want quality, freshness and good service, check out this place. The sushi is excellent. Try their sashimi, nigiri sushi, etc. All their tempuras are perfectly crisp. And their torarenbo rolls are excellent and spicy. One of the best Japanese restaurants we've been to and has become are favorite spot.

Added Nov 8, 2008 by gourmond of vancouver (3 Reviews)

excellent and authentic
Mango cali rolls are to die for. Best chicken karaage in town. Always interesting and authentic sushi and kitchen specials. Great selection of good sake. Don't think previous post knows what they are talking about..owner Taka "Ted" Kawakame is from Hanshin, Japan (This is why their is so much Hanshin Tigers baseball memorabilia on the walls) There is also his 10 year sushi chef "journeyman" papers on the wall behind the bar as well. Some of the waitresses could be more attentive. However, sit at the bar if you can, and try Ted's food and sake recommendations- most authentic Japanese experience in Richmond.

Added Sep 7, 2008 by aregma of Burnaby (109 Reviews)

Pretty good sushi and grilled food
I had an early dinner here tonight and was promptly seated in a near empty restaurant, as they had just opened. My friend and I ordered the mango california roll, salmon roll and a deep fried smoked salmon and cream cheese roll. We also tried their tempura and cold noodle dish as well as grilled black cod which was one of their specials.

Their rolls were above average. The mango roll had quite a lot of mango on it, and the salmon in the salmon roll tasted quite fresh. Their tempura was crispy and light, and their noodle dish was well done. The highlight of the night was their black cod special. It was one of the best tasting black cod dishes I have ever eaten. Would definitely go back for that if nothing else.

Service was a little hit and miss. All the servers seem very friendly, but don't seem to want to do anything unless asked. I had a glass of water empty and had at least 3-4 waitresses look around to see if anyone wanted anything within a 10 minute time span. When I did ask for a refill it was very promptly dealt with.

Would go back to try out their set menu which looked like a good value, as well as their black cod.

Added Jun 28, 2008 by SkyCanEat of Vancouver (2 Reviews)

Great service, Fresh food
I would fly to Japan for authentic Japanese - but Torarenbo is close enough....fresh food, good service. I would suggest you try their sushi and sashimi. Price is reasonable. I would definitely visit again when I crave for sushi. The waitress is amazing. She can explain and also recommend different types of dishes (specials for the day) and also drinks.

Added Apr 14, 2008 by princess_leia of Yaletown, Vancouver (1 Reviews)

Yummy rolls
My boyfriend and I went to Torarenbo with a group of friends last weekend for dinner and I must say I'm impressed with this restaurant.

First the service: there were 9 of us and we asked for 6 separate bills. They were very accomodating, which was nice. Tea was refilled promptly throughout dinner, although after we paid the bill it became a little harder to find the waitress to refill tea.

The food was excellent. My boyfriend and I ordered the mango california roll, Torarenbo roll, rainbow roll, another roll that I don't remember the name of and chicken karaage. They were all very good. I love the mango on the mango california roll. The Torarenbo roll has a nice kick to it. The bill for the two of us came to about $35.

Ambiance is normal I guess for a Japanese place, nothing too fancy there.

Would definitely recommend this place.

Added Feb 23, 2008 by pastamachine of Richmond (37 Reviews)

Among the better japanese restaurants in richmond
I frequent this place once in a while and the food is consistently delicious. What's more, they're priced pretty well too. The nigiri and rolls are all well made, fresh and costs less than many places of comparable quality. Selection is very good, there are usually specials. The lunch combos are a great bargain. The bbq items are flavourful and seasoned right. I've never had problems with service here, efficient and professional. Recommended for people who enjoy sushi.

Added Aug 25, 2007 by gloriasit of vancouver (38 Reviews)

Patiently waiting
I've written a review of their food and service before, however I would like to make a slight change on their service and a FYI for all you readers planning to visit this place.

You either
1. make a reservation
or
2. go in an hour before they close

My friends and I waited for a table for 30 mins when the manager said it would only take 10. When we saw servers setting up a table for 5 we assumed it was our table. When one of the servers took us toward that table, the manager screamed across the dining room and said "THAT TABLE IS RESERVED!".
In this case, why did the manager tell us it was a 10 min wait? Why didn't he tell us "walk-in customers" have the lowest priority and that they will have to wait until ALL the reservation tables are given until we get a seating? I mean honestly, owners/managers cannot be greedy and want to take in ALL the customers that come in when they aren't able to serve at an efficient rate.

Can anyone say I'm wrong?
I don't think I'll be returning to this place anytime soon. Service is important in a food industry, and the experience I had Wednesday night was not impressive.

Added Mar 15, 2007 by gloriasit of vancouver (38 Reviews)

Best Japanese Cuisine I've ever had!
Toraranbo is one of the greatest Japanese cuisine I've ever experienced. I rememeber having better, but that was 17 years ago. Their food was exceptional. We had an order of their Kanpachi sashimi and it's far better than any hamachi. Their servings were generous, and their sushi is presented how it's supposed to be. Not too much rice, and not too big of a slice of fish. Japanese cuisine has been destroyed by Samurai's and other places that serves an enormous amount.
I really enjoyed talking to their manager Gary since he had so much knowledge of every type of fish. Seems like he knows what's going on around the market. As friendly he was, so were the two sushi chefs behind the bar. Although I didn't have an opportunity to actually have a real conversation with them they were really nice. We visited this place just when they were about to close, and they still did our business. I would definently come back to try out their robatas soon.

Note: The reviewer has submitted a more recent review for this restaurant. This review does not affect the overall rating and is displayed for information purposes only.

Added Oct 7, 2006 by cha of Richmond (22 Reviews)

Excellent Japanese Food!
We are so lucky to have Torarenbo in Richmond - this restaurant is so much better than regular Japanese restaurants in downtown. We've been there a few times and always left very impressed. Maki Rolls are innovative and very tasteful. I'm in love with their Chicken Karaage. Appetizers are served in good portion. What's so good about this place is that everything tastes so fresh, and the prices are so low! We were stuffed with dinner and the bill came under $50 - including beer and wine. MUST TRY!

Added Aug 11, 2006 by foodfanatic of South Vancouver (295 Reviews)

Fresh sashimi at good prices.
A great find in Richmond where you wouldn't normally expect to find much in terms of decent sushi. The fish is fresh. The toro, though not the tastiest cut, it's more than decent. At $1.50 a pop, it's not bad at all. The uni nigiri @$2.25 is okay. Nothing really off about it. The saba ($1.50) though lacking in that creaminess I love, is alright. The cooked prawns aren't very appetizing & can be avoided in any form--whether it be in rolls, tempura, or served on rice. The spicy tuna roll ($3.25) is not the awful mushy leftover ends you get from some places. It's actually quite tasty texturally. The mango used in their house roll is about the same as everywhere else that uses mango. Probably the most fresh piece of mango I've had on my sushi recently would be from Yuji's on 4th where you can taste the freshness in every bite as if it was just sliced on the spot to make your sushi then & there. But again, the prices here are really good.

You can hear a constant flow of Japanese conversed between chefs & the customers. At least one assistant chefs, Ken-san, is fluent in both Japanese & Mandarin. The waitresses & floor manager seem to be mainly well versed in Cantonese, Mandarin, & English. Anyone can be made to feel welcome in speaking in any of the above listed languages.

The tempura batter is nice & light. The Corn Cream Corokke (3 pcs @$3.75) seems fairly reasonable. Lightly battered, tasty and creamy inside without being too heavy--goes nicely with the dipping sauce.

The soup base for the udon seems to be kept nice, light, and refreshing, pleasantly absent of additives used for enhancing flavours.

They sell out on some of their daily specials regularly, but there's always something else you can try as their menu provides a good variety.

The room is kept simple/bare but very typical of Richmond & that plaza it's located in. It's kept clean & functional.

The usual credit cards & interac are accepted.

Added Jul 12, 2006 by pastamachine of Richmond (37 Reviews)

Good food, good prices
This place was new so I decided to stop by for lunch and give it a try. I had the beef teriyaki combo for $7.95 which included miso soup, rice, salad, fruit, tempura and sushi roll (2pc california, 3pc salmon maki). The food quality was very decent, portions were quite generous and for the price, it was a bargain. Tempura was alrite, not greasy, with moderate crispiness. Everything was solid and cooked and made well. I didn't try it, but judging from my seat at the sushi bar, the sashimi appeared quite fresh. Furthermore, things are prepared by a japanese chef. The manager and the waitresses were polite and friendly. The restaurant was clean and everything looked neat. I will definitely be back to try more dishes from this place.

Note: The reviewer has submitted a more recent review for this restaurant. This review does not affect the overall rating and is displayed for information purposes only.