Sushi Kappo Toraya Arlington

Toraya in Arlington has opened in its new location on the other side of Mass Ave, fairly close to the old site. Kappo dining is sort of between Kaiseki (very upscale) and Izakaya (very casual).

Free on-street parking. Nice sign!

The inside is clean with nice furniture, and the chef can sort of be seen. Not as visible as before. The interior is way bigger than the old place where the waitress had to move sideways they get around. The lunch Chirashi is gone and won't be missed. In the end, it was minuscule cuts of the very fresh fish. The excellent lunch Bento boxes are also gone, and they will be sorely missed.

Miso soup is included and is served in this beautiful bowl. Still no spoon. Not a fan of miso soup, but I slurped this one down. Nice wooden table.

A selection of DONBURI has been added (Egg omelet, rice and miso soup are included). The takeout lunch menu is way more extensive than the dine-in version. Strange that. I ordered the Sake Don (16). "Salmon over sushi rice". The egg omelet was very light and had something in the middle. Eel perhaps? The thinly sliced salmon was, of course, super fresh. The sushi rice was cooked perfectly and was at the right temperature. It was also appropriately seasoned. This was a very light lunch. 03/08/22

Tekka Don (16). "Tuna over sushi rice". I chose the marinated version, and it was delicious. Don't go if you are starving. Also, be sure to get here before noon; otherwise, it's a really long wait if they are busy.

I asked why the Tonkatsu Don was only available as takeout? We only serve sushi inside. Doesn't make sense to me, but what do I know? Got a parking ticket when I parked close to the corner on the opposite side of Mass Ave. Expensive lunch, this. 03/22/22

Kaisen Don (16). "Assorted fish over sushi rice". I have no clue what most of the fish was, but it was all beautifully presented, and the fish was super fresh. I finally figured out how to liven up the bland Miso Soup. Pour in some of the excellent soy sauce! 04/05/22

Despite being in a much larger space, the number of seats is just about the same as in the old place.

Address: 795 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476 Phone: (781) 777-2142

Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.

-- Pope John Paul II