Toratatsu

Wow, it’s like writing a eulogy for a departed friend. Toratatsu was a great place to impress my out-​of-​town guests with the quality of the Japanese izakaya-​style scene in town without the hype and attitude of Hapa Izakaya or the sometimes-​too-​casual Guu. I’m sad to see Chef Kodai Uno leave and I’ll miss the dark red walls.

So sad to see it go. Torotatsu was the best Japanese tapas restaurant in Vancouver. The service was alway fantastic and they were open really late, rare in the westend. The owners decided to move back to Japan after the earth quake to focus on the restaurants they own there. Too bad, you will be missed!

The food is awesome, and it’s just fun hanging out with a bunch of friends here late at night. Wish they would bring back the niku jaga.

No doubt, the Ebi Chili Mayo is amazing. A must try. The other dishes we sampled, along with the drinks, were delicious as well. We’ll definitely be back.

i love toratatsu!
attentive service. relaxing and intimate atmosphere and.
food is REALLY GOOD.
— the sashimi salad: ample amount of sashimi. the salad was fresh and crispy, the fish eggs added a nice touch, and the best part is the wasabi soy vinaigrette dressing.
— aburi shime saba/​house grilled mackerel– seared right in front of you! love this dish. it was gone in 3 minutes.
negitoro tartare/​japanese style tuna tartare with avocado, green onions, served with garlic toast– it tastes wonderful.
ebi chili mayo/​tiger prawn tempura with our original chili mayo, almonds, wonton crisps– they are famous for this dish! a must order.
–cheese tofu/​creamy mascarpone tofu, toasted almonds, a touch of honey, served with baguette– my favorite dish! SO GOOD.
— house made creamy coconut and almond tofu– tastes a lot like panna cotta! the coconut and almond taste is subtle which is nice.
toratatsu is my favorite japanese ikazaya restaraunt in vancouver. its a must try :)

This place is a modern fusion izakaya (Japanese tapas) restaurant.
I really like their décor and especially the red walls. I painted some walls in my home the same color. Good choice.
I was here for a birthday party and had the set menu. My first thought was that I would probably have to order more food and the set menu wasn’t big enough. I was pleasantly surprised when I was actually full for only $ 30/​person. Oh and the cheese tofu was very interesting. I never had it before and I’m not a huge fan of it, but I was glad I tried it. A lot of my friends loved it though, so you should at least give it a try. It is tofu, toasted almonds, a touch of honey and served with baguette.
This place definitely satisfied all my tastebuds, — the drinks were a decent price and I would come back here again!

Fantastic — I really cannot recommend this place enough. Everything we ordered was great but special mentions for the smoked duck and the cheese tofu. Staff were all very friendly as well.

We did the set menu, which was pretty fun because i really wanted that cheese tofu… which i really liked.
in teh scheme of all japanese tapas ive had, this place is a solid pick. its not on my top 5 as i live in Los Angeles and we have a ton of these places… this is better than the average we have in LA.
The set menu is plenty cheap, plenty good, cant go wrong with any items…
and its a lot of food.
flirting with the cute waitresses makes for a fun night as well.

Picture it … red walls, Marilyn Monroe photos, Elvis Presley floating out of the speakers, and a sake/​fresh strawberry smash cocktail? Simple, heaven.
We ordered the chili ebi mayo (it’s a must) and were delighted with the size. Large, tender ebi battered in a puffy coating then slathered in a sweet/​spicy mayo. Incredible. We also had the kakuni (soy glazed pork belly with chinese buns) and two sushi rolls.
The sushi was the only low point — it was hard to tell the difference between the scallop roll and spicy tuna roll … and it shouldn’t have been hard to figure out. Even the waiter was confused when he explained them to us and we remained confused as we ate them. Both rolls tasted the same and neither one was all that spicy.
Regardless, we enjoyed our dinner and would return. As you leave the restaurant, the hostess gave us each a small mandarin orange. A nice conclusion to a fantastic meal/​cocktail!

Still the best izakaya in Vancouver. Home of the famous chili ebi mayo.
Best seared mackarel.
Great prices, jazzy vibe.

It’s been a while since I was here and I’m glad to see it’s so much busier! Maybe a bit too busy :) Definitely a celebratory mood and more bar-​like atmosphere than before.
Loved the fresh fruit smash with soju — tried the mango and the strawberry, both delicious.
The seared mackerel was delicious. Fresh and and not fishy at all. The do a lot of searing at your table. We also ordered the Phoenix roll (spicy tuna) with tobiko on top and they sear it tableside which makes quite an interesting crackling sound as the eggs cook. A dozen fresh raw oysters for $ 16 were a great value — half served with a marinara sauce the rest plain, but with a light soy sauce provided as well.
I loved their kimchi mentaiko udon — very smooth non-​doughy udon noodles. the lettuce wrap came with tasty, fatty short ribs. The soy-​marinated seared hotate were sweet, but the lukewarm temperature wasn’t too palatable for me. We also ordered the tako wasabi — an acquired taste, very slimy and very wasabi served with sheets of nori.
Overall, a great relaxed evening. can’t wait to go back, but I wish they had their Kobe beef dish back on the menu!

I love the thrill of traveling and exploring a new place, but admittedly I feel a pinch being away from the Bay Area with its splendiferous produce, swimmingly fresh seafood and innovative cuisine, for too long. In fact, were to be an earthquake or apocalypse, I’d lament until the moment I cease about not having the opportunity to eat supreme for my last meal on earth.
But as my distinguished hostess, Crystal H, showed me, not in Vancouver. No, no! Not with this stylish, unique little Japanese Fusion izakaya joint that combines quality ingredients with a potpourri of global influences. Not to be missed is their signature ebi chili mayo. Sure, the purists will wrinkle their noses, but can you really argue with deliciously plump shrimp battered into a golden puff and topped with spicy Kewpie? Get jealous, doughboy.
And what about crab and avocado with a mountain of soy fermented seaweed atop mixed greens? Want indulgence? It comes in the form of tuna tartare with a dollop of pop-​in-​your-​mouth caviar. The duck and the service were the only things lacking. Wash it all down with a fresh fruit cocktail, just pick your fruit and base. My John Collins was so real there were seeds floating on top.
And the kicker? It’s just the right mix of moody, hip and intimate. Perfect for a last kiss on earth too!

Please please please bring back the Negitoro Avocado! Oh my heavens, why hasn’t anyone thought up Avo fries before?
This was by far the best plate on their menu, but for some reason they stopped serving it the last time I was there. Perhaps they too believe in «eating perfection in moderation».
The World Famous Ebi Chili Mayo is exactly that. Order a couple for sure with the prawns just barely done. YUM.
From a few fellow Unilocaler’s advice, I will have to try their Buttama dish (Slow braised Barley fed Pork belly in sweet soy braising jus, soft boiled organic egg). I was scared by the thought of pork belly, but have since been assured that when done right, it rocks!
I love their drinks here too. Nothing too complicated. Just pick your favorite fruit (Grapefruit) and a booze (Gin) and they mash it up into a very easy to drink concoction. Warning about trying all the combos… Do it!

A food stylist, chef and friend recommended Toratatsu to me. And I have to agree with the first reviewer, Brian W. — WOW the ebi with chili mayo.
Atmosphere? Check! Great service? Check! Amazing dishes? Check! This place is totally different than King Yo (Nelson and Denman) and Guu on Garlic (Robson, Thurlow). It’s quieter and more refined. You will want to park and walk to it (it’s on the West side of the road). We almost missed it. The doorway is covered by low hanging, traditional black cloth.
I would recommend starting an evening out here. Mix and match a cocktail with real fruits crushed into it. I had strawberry and vodka while my dinner date had grapefruit and gin — both were incredible.
We gorged on Negitoro Avocado — deep fried avocado fries, Saiko marinated sable-​fish and a Ishiyaki taco rice.
After dinner we walked around the corner to Tapastree (Robson and Denman and took full advantage of their dessert menu).

ah, shiru bay, how i miss you.
shiru bay was a wonderful little japanese tapas joint in the heart of yorktown with wonderful, creative dishes. every time we headed up to YVR we’d book a table in advance.
unfortunately, that had to end.
fortunately, we found shiru bay’s little sister restaurant — toratatsu!
toratatsu sports the famous (in my mind) ebi wth chili mayo — sweet shrimp, battered, deep fried, and coated with chili mayo. it’s worth the trip out to vancouver.