toriciya japanese

one of my favourite japanese restaurants in town! i love there aburi sushi platter and skewers. you must check out their daily specialmenuwhen you come here. the service is always impressive here.

hidden gem of a place in the quiet suburbs of the north shore. it looked just like an izakaya straight from japan. there were quite a few tables of japanese people dining, which is always a good endorsement. we got the degustation plus a couple of extra sides. way more food then we can fit in, but i saw the chawanmushi in themenu& i just had to try it! the egg mixture was very smooth & subtle seasoning, just enough to highlight the other meat/prawn in the mix. the dishes of the degustation included a variety of japanese favourites: kingfish sashimi, tempura, wagyu, yakitori skewers, and a trio of sushi. the surprising highlights were the cabbage baked in truffle oil, and the dessert with the fresh strawberry inside the mochi. most of the other dishes were quite good, except for the yakitori skewers and the agadashi tofu (avoid if ordering a la carte). overall a very enjoyable dinner.

this restaurant maintains its traditional japanese vibes from its décor to itsmenuand we cannot fault it! having exclusive opening hours from 6 – 10pm, it is important to plan ahead when visiting this hidden gem! our first dining experience at toriciya was complimented with their “first timers” degustationmenuthat consists almost the entiremenuwith smaller servings (obviously).

to open our palates, baked savoy cabbage was served with truffle oil sauce.  there’s not much to say about this besides that it was beautifully simplistic dish that did just what a starter was meant to do… revving up our appetite!

we were then given the sashimi / sushi set that we couldn’t fault, fish was fresh and they had fresh ground wasabi. this was followed by beautifully crumbed tempura set with mandatory tempura dipping sauce and truffle salt on the side for an extra burst of flavour. the kobe beef steak was cooked medium rare with its distinctive “kobe” flavour oozing out of its fat.

finally the dessert….. it was awesome! since we’ve come back from japan, we have not had the opportunity to indulge in japanese strawberries until now. the mochi / strawberry dessert was a perfect finish to a wonderful dinner amongst friendly staff. definitely will be back!

toriciya is an incredibly little izakaya well hidden in cammeray, in sydney's lower north shore. themenuis extensive, featuring daily specials and a solid degustation menu. for $60 per head, the degustation is good value for money, providing a varied selection of the highlights of the menu. the kingfish carpaccio with jalapeño and yuzu soy is particularly outstanding and easily beats sake's take on the dish. sushi servings are also generous and wonderfully fresh.

in terms of drinks, toriciya has an impressive range of sakes to choose from, and themenuis particularly adept at describing the different types on offer. sake generally comes in 180ml to 1800mls, with the latter giving you the luxury of choosing your own cup. beers and soft drinks are also on offer.

the restaurant itself has a wonderful vibe - decked out in a traditional izakaya style with lovely trinkets and art works spread throughout. the service is attentive and very friendly indeed, which only makes the food even better. this place gives many upmarket, established japanese restaurants a solid run for their money.

this place is well worth the visit - be sure to make a booking and be mindful of the $50 minimum spend per person.

i would have to agree with the disgusting service reviews about this restaurant. we made a booking for saturday night at 8pm. we were late due to a taxi but i called ahead and let them know.
we walked in, we're not greeted but were rushed past by about 3-4 different staff until we physcially had to stand infront of them to be acknowledged that we were standing there. after being seated we were given onemenuto share for 3 people... the staff including the chefs had no interest in us being there. not sure if it was them being racist or just not caring. the atmosphere was terrible, which was odd considering it looked very much the part. what a shame to have to look forward to this, pay for a cab there and be treated like we don't exist. needless to say that we walked out as we couldn't even get the staff to take a drink order. off to wagaya in haymarket with their very friendly, lightening fast service and delicious food instead.

nestled away from the main strip of cammeray’s shops is a little japanese eatery by the name of toriciya. although it’s off the beaten track, toriciya seems to have built up quite a following, as the small space eventually gets packed out on a wednesday night. toriciya’s offering is a simple, homely affair – the basic wooden decor with japanese art on the wall hints at the authenticity of its dishes and you can see the chefs busily at work in the cosy open kitchen where they’re grilling a variety of skewers. they’re also known for their sake, so we order a small jug of warm cloudy sake to try and find that it’s quite strong, but with interesting undertones of rice. cloudy sake, $15 for 180ml we start with a couple of their specials from their handwrittenmenu– the popcorn lobster is a deluxe hit of succulent lobster bits encased in a light batter and paired with an addictive smoky chilli aioli that was quite unexpected in such a traditional looking japanese restaurant. popcorn lobster

it has been over a year since i last reviewed toriciya, and i thought i would see if anything has changed. and whilst the specialsmenuis always changing, the standard of the food is, luckily, still the same. the pickled wasabi leaves have made its way onto the regular menu. the seafood is as fresh and delicious as ever. the skewers of crispy chicken skin are a must and for all those on a liberal diet, the specials of sticky roasted pork belly with all its glorious fat should not be missed. the brussels sprouts were a bit confusing, on the one hand the flavours were nice with the curry salt, but on the other, it was quite a heavy dish. the grilled eggplant was also good but quite bland unless dipped in the soy sauce. it is always interesting to dine out with people that you don't usually eat with, as they choose items that you normally wouldn't. udon, to me, is such a standard, uninteresting dish. but at toriciya, t he clean flavours from the bonito flakes in the dashi and the handma

located amongst a small strip of restaurants in cammeray, toriciya is a hidden gem hidden behind an unassuming facade... overall we had a flawless night at toriciya, filled with authentic well-cooked dishes. the highlights from the night though would have to be the sashimi, quail eggs, kingfish wing and the oven baked cabbage. we did not have a chance to try out their sakemenuthat night, but will have to go back to try and pair some of their extensive sake options with their yakitori menu.

toriffic. after living in cammeray for eigth years and driving straight past the unassuming little entrance at least serveral times a week, little did i know what i was missing out on.
as i walked through the front door i was warmly greeted in true japanese style by what i guess was every member of the staff and shown to my seat for what i later found out to be one the most outstanding feeding experiences at this level.
the waiter was friendly, knowledgeable, always smiling and made me feel most welcome. i was presented with themenuand specials board in which excited me beyond all comprehension with it's traditional and slightly unusual options - i want the lot!
i started with some fresh toro sushi. long, thick and generous strips of beautiful tuna belly lying on a little bed of well formed, well seasoned sushi rice, the way it should be and the complete opposite of those hideous, non traditional takeaway sushi holes that serve sushi with a shaving of aquatic matter sitting on top of some old crusty rice the size of ayres rock.
i asked the person next to me what dish they were attacking, the reply was baked cabbage. who eats baked cabbage? bring it to me i asked with a please. wow, what a delightful surprise and i urge anyone to try it.
port stephens white bait was next in the queue, larger than those delighful little new zealand modules however they are fantasic. a light, very crisp tempura batter constricting a fresh, plump and patient looking fish ready for dunking into a nicely balanced ponzu - highly satisfactory.
black rock cod arrives cooked two ways. one with sake and the other with miso, both of which do not come close to overpowering the flavour of the fish . i have never put anything so perfectly cooked in my mouth - this is a must have dish!
wagyu is next off the press and doesn't disappoint. a marbling score of 7, a little japanese sause which i should have enquired about and little blow torching brings this dish alive - a pleasure to eat and again so well balanced.
my adventure continued with another three dishes all of which were recieved with a standing ovation, if the noises that i was making while chewing were anything to go by one would assume that i was having a truly fine time.
toriciya is a must for anyone that likes a more traditional approach to japanese cuisine. their sake selection appears quite extensive however i am no sake expert. this is a hidden gem and in the words of the iron chef - 'bang the gong it is on'

this is undoubtedly one of our favourite restaurants serving an incredible range of sake and shochu, with the most authentic japanese food you will find in sydney. toriciya is an izakaya style restaurant which is best described as a japanese tapas bar, whereby themenurevolves around enhancing and complimenting the vast varieties of sake and shochu on offer.