TJ
Tora Japanese Restaurant
Fresh sashimi bowls and sushi in a cozy Boston setting.
3.8
Japanese
$$
Fresh sashimi bowls and sushi in a cozy Boston setting.
Tora Japanese Restaurant is a compact, seafood-forward spot at 20B Tyler St in Boston. Reviews highlight fresh sashimi and sushi, delicious donburi bowls, and friendly service, even as the basement space can feel busy. It's ideal for a quick 1–2 person meal; some guests note ordering hiccups and a hectic vibe in a small dining area.
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Freshly prepared bowls with a variety of sashimi like salmon, tuna, sea urchin, and more over seasoned rice.
Handcrafted sushi rolls and nigiri featuring high-quality fish and traditional techniques.
Small plates such as truffle sesame hamachi and torched scallops to start your meal.
Affordable set menus including soba, nigiri, and donburi options for a quick, satisfying lunch.
Convenient takeout orders for enjoying our Japanese cuisine at home or on the go.
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Overall rating
Ying Xiao
I got off at the South Station and wandered over here. The restaurant is located in a basement with limited space, and mainly serves seafood donburi, making it more suitable for a quick meal for 1-2 . Itadori Don虎杖丼: Sea urchin, salmon, tuna, salmon roe, scallops, octopus, crab sticks, avocado, tamago玉子, and cucumber – a mixed dish, perfect for first-timers wanting to try everything. The sashimi was indeed quite fresh, with a firm yet tender texture, and the open display on the counter showed the restaurant's confidence in its freshness; however, I personally felt the quality could be improved. The sea urchin wasn't smooth enough, and the salmon and tuna were too lean, lacking in fat aroma. The rice itself was also lightly seasoned, becoming dry and less smooth towards the end, and ultimately uninteresting. Finally, I couldn't resist drizzling some shoyu醤油 on top, which instantly elevated the experience. Matcha Cheesecake: Absolutely not recommended. The cheese was too heavy and hard, the matcha flavor was very weak, and the accompanying cream had a very weird foamy texture.
Peter Ayoun
I ordered for take away, the receptionist was very gentil and lot of patience. Restaurant was full in thanksgiving evening and there was a good atmosphere. The food was good, quality sushi and poke. Misu soup was in a cup, not really expected like that.
Stephanie V
Went here from a tiktok recommendation, this place seems to be more for aesthetics rather than service. We did manage to get seating fast, however it took 15-20 minutes to get our order taken after we asked how to order. We over heard two guest ordering at the front, so we wanted to ask if we order at the front and then sit back down.The hostess got rather upset we asked, but we really didn’t know who was a server and who was a guest. None of the servers were wearing uniform only the people behind the sushi bar. They had hoodies on with no company logo. The servers did not refill waters and it was pretty difficult to get their attention. One of the male servers was actually very attentive he sat us down and had given us an extra item we ordered. Other than that, the service was extremely lacking. Presentation of the food was nice. The sushi quality was decent at best. There is a 90 minute dine in time restriction probably due to the small size of the restaurant. The bathroom was in unpleasant condition, someone had left blood on the floor; it was rather gross. Overall, a sub-standard experience to the average recommendation, that we saw online.
bopha peng
I had a delicious salmon bowl and our roll was so good. Servers were nice! My only thing is that the bench against the wall is not the same height as the chairs across from it and it was a little too high compared to the table so it was uncomfortable. That being said it didn’t bother me that much. I’d definitely come back. Our food was great and a good price
Nick S
Tora Japanese Restaurant is a small Japanese restaurant located in the heart of Boston's Chinatown, serving sashimi bowls, sushi, and more. The staff were friendly, though it did seem a little hectic at times. There was a bit of confusion when we ordered, but it was resolved quickly and the food was still brought out on time. We got a couple appetizers to start, and ate from their lunch special menu for the meal. We tried their Truffle Sesame Hamachi and the Torched Japanese scallop for appetizers. the Torched Scallop wasn't really that outstanding, it did come with some garnish but it didn't enhance the flavor, and was a bit disappointing. The Truffle Hamachi was better, with a pronounced truffle flavor that paired well with the fish. For main meals, we got the Akaebi and Hotate Soba, the Nigiri and Makimono, and the Nishiki Don. The Nishiki Don was good, with the fish pairing well with the rice and coming with good portions. The Akaebi and Hotate Soba was good, with the dipping broth being light, though there wasn't a lot of noodles. The Nigiri and Makimono was good as well, perfect amount for a light lunch, with fresh fish and a nice nigiri roll that had good flavor.
