Japanese Dining

 

 

 

            Are you looking for that one place with a menu that can give you so many options that just may hit the spot on your taste buds? Well if you have a savory liking for fresh fish, cooked or raw, amazing Japanese style grilled food, or just a simple Japanese style dish than I may have found the perfect place for your mouth. I’ve searched and searched for that one location I could call my favorite sushi restaurant because it’s hard to come across, but now I can say I found my spot for sushi. Torigo Japanese Restaurant is located on Jericho Turnpike in Floral Park, New York, which is about 15 minutes from where I live in the Great Neck area.

            I’ve been eating sushi for a few years now, but before that I was like many people, not too fond of eating raw fish. I would get a miso soup, a salad with ginger dressing, and a California roll, which has imitation crab meat inside. Over time I developed a liking for sushi, but finding a restaurant that has reasonable prices and provides the freshest sushi was hard to come across.

            There are numerous sushi restaurants near by my house, but my mother lived in Floral Park and she is the ultimate fan of sushi. She was referred by a local friend to go to Torigo for exceptional sushi, because the place Isono Japanese Restaurant, which is down the block from Torigo, was lacking on tasty sushi on the menu. She tried it out and all she would say was “Raquel the food is so good, I know you’re not a fan of raw fish, but it’s worth a try” She could go to Torigo three to four times a week and still not tire of their food.

            I gave it a shot; I started out as a beginner to the sushi life you could say. My first attempt was “spicy shrimp tempura roll” and a “Las Vegas heat roll”. Now I think you can tell that I have a preference for spicy foods; I’ve been like that since a young age. The rolls were beyond spicy and I loved every bit of each bite. The presentation was phenomenal, the Las Vegas Heat roll, consists of a deep fried California roll, with jalapenos and hot sauce on the top. The shrimp tempura roll is more of an average roll, but always tasteful. It consists of shrimp tempura, which also comes in an appetizer or entrée order, with avocado lettuce and spicy mayo add a little sting to your mouth. Even the average rolls seem to have a special feel to them, rather than a bland taste.

            Over time I came to like sushi even more, I even started to eat raw fish. The only raw fish roll I eat is the “King of Fish roll”, which consists of a shrimp tempura roll with eel inside and topped off with spicy tuna. I can personally say for people who do not like the taste of the sea that this roll is just so good that you do not realize you are eating something from the ocean. I understand that many people do not enjoy the idea of eating raw meat, because of the possible bacteria that could come from it. But I must argue that statement because out of the several dozen times that I have dined at Torigo, I have yet to get sick from any of their sushi.

If, however, you want to be on the safe side, I recommend any of their entrée meat dishes. Sometimes I want a nice salmon or chicken dish, and boy does this place know how to pull off a great looking and greats tasting entrée. The chicken teriyaki walnut and salmon teriyaki dishes are wonderful for a nice filling dinner. They are served with a side of sweet mashed potatoes, which are to die for. The amount of food you receive with any of your entrée’s or just simple rolls, is more than enough to fill you up.

Another thing to top off the excellent meal with a good ending was the dessert. I have heard of other sushi restaurants having “tempura cheesecake”, but I am not a fan of cheesecake. But to give a good review to my audience I taste tested this dessert with a side of red bean ice cream. The cheesecake was so creamy and the tempura on the outside added a nice crunch to each bite. The red bean ice cream was very delicious, but I don’t know what type of ice cream taste I could compare it to. It had its own tasty taste with the cheesecake, not like average vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

When I enter a restaurant the first thing I noticed is how clean the place looks, and the atmosphere I am going to be eating my food in. Once I walked into Torigo, first thing I noticed was it was a small, but nice Asian style looking place. I thought to myself that if it was a weekend would the place have enough space or would I have to wait because of the small size. It did not have the very Japanese style seating, where you sit in a booth, have to take off your shoes, and feel like you’re sitting on the floor. The sushi bar has a few seats, seemed to be a more one on one dining with the sushi chef. Some people may like hearing Asian style tunes playing the background and more Asian feel to the place to maybe bring out the foods ancestry, but Torigo was kind of lacking in that area. There were about ten tables varying from seating for two, to seating for ten. The atmosphere was just simple and calm, nothing to extravagant. There were little kids, teenagers, to senior citizens dinning; there was no strict age or type of customers. It was also very clean, no cockroaches, or dirty silverware, the up keep on the place was very well done.

The wait at restaurants is also another aspect that may annoy some individuals, but I’m pleased to report that there is little waiting during the week, but on weekends it can get crowded at night. The service is fast and the waiters are extremely nice and knew the menu well when I questioned them about a few types of food. They also gave me the average opinion they receive from other customers on certain foods they serve. They keep on top of the tables that they are serving by making sure that everything is okay every so often, therefore they deserved a good tip at the end of the meal.

            One thing about sushi places that I’ve come to notice is that you will order a roll and it will not be that tasty or filling, and the prices somehow are outrageous. Haru sushi is a place by my work place that I’ve tried, and the prices killed the ability to enjoy my food. I ordered two rolls and a salad and for some odd reason my bill was about twenty five dollars. I was in shock but I did not want to make a scene because I guess with the seafood market nowadays, fish prices are high. In contrast at Torigo I must say the prices are extremely reasonable. Entrée’s vary from twelve to fifteen dollars, and they come with a soup and salad along with a side of vegetables and potatoes or rice. The prices of rolls vary from three to ten dollars and trust me the price is more than worth it.

            Now for proof of this place being so excellent I can quote my friend who I got a take out order for, “I do not know if it was because I was so hungry or because the sushi was so good, it had such a delicious taste that I wanted more”. But of course he could not eat it all because he had to share with me. I have not had one complaint from anyone that I have brought to this restaurant besides people saying “Wow I should have ordered what you got.” My dad has complained about this restaurant, not because of the food, but because my brother and I always seem to want to go there.

            I highly recommend this place to any person who is searching for a new sushi restaurant. I know it’s hard to find a place that is conveniently close, with reasonable prices, and fresh fish, but I’m telling you that Torigo in Floral Park serves exceptionally good food, worth every dollar

 

 

“Torigo Japanese Restaurant .” 2006. Argus Computer Consulting, Inc. 6 May 2008 <http://www.torigorestaurant.com/index.php>.