Food - I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by the food here. The beef tongue was great. The special sushi rolls are very tasty too. A nice mix of different ingredients. I really liked their Torarenbo Roll.

Service - The servers were very attentive to our needs. They constantly refilled our tea pot. The manager even came by at the end and offered us free ice cream! The black sesame ice cream rules. Didn't get free ice cream the second time though. But that's ok. It was still an enjoyable experience. :)

Value - Good deal for what you get. It's not an amazing deal, but not overpriced. Price is just right.

Ambiance - Again, nothing special here. It's pretty typical. No complaints about the ambiance. Solid.

First of all, let me begin by saying I have been so over Japanese food. It all tastes the same, same rolls, same sauces, same old rooster sauce on the spicy dishes. I have been eating sushi for at least 25 years and it is just so - bland and boring. Have always avoided it until absolutely necessary. Okay, the DH has a birthday coming up and I book seats at the Gateway Theatre in Richmond. Dinner beforehand of course, he loves Japanese style food and so I surprise him with a trip to Torarenbo with another couple based on the reviews here. From the outside it looks a bit questionable. The inside is decorated nicely with the exception of the wall mounted flat screen televisions which play assembly videos of Japanese infomercials, rolled sushi and other composed foods. That is the only low point. Tables are solid and well set. Service is very good and we were very well treated. We had a few of the regular items - agadashi tofu, squid tempura (best I've ever had), BC roll, tuna/salmon sashimi, etc then a few off the track dishes including the salmon cheek. Unbelievable for only $5.50. The Rainbow Roll was just so beautifully presented we did not want to eat it, but we did and it went down oh so well. Starters, world class ice cold (not frozen) sashimi, robata items, rolls, tempura and miso soups for four including endless tea, 4 large Kirin and one very small sake came to $125. They even gave us a free scoop of ice cream after our meal. Very nice, very well run establishment. I am actually beginning to appreciate the wonders of the Japanese menu again.... When we had arrived at 6 for our weekday reservation there was perhaps 4 tables occupied and when we left at 7:15 the place was full ad waiting. Best to have a reservation.

Torarenbo is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Richmond with excellent food at a great value. I went there with my family and the 4 of us ate well for under $80.

The service isn't great, but it's not terrible either. The restaurant is small and always packed so it can be a while before you get a seat unless you get a reservation. However, in my opinion it's worth the wait.

I think this is the best Japanese restaurant in Richmond, I just wish they had bigger space, as it's almost impossible to get in on Saturday and Sunday's nights. It's packed! This alone can tell you how good this place is.
The service is absolutely exceptional; the food is excellent and always very fresh - made right before your eyes. My favourite dishes there are Seafood salad and Torarenbo roll, and also Dragon roll (well, the list goes on and on).
Highly recommend to go there, but it's a good idea to make a reservation if you plan to go on a weekend.

I dined at Torarenbo on two separate occasions; both times I left unsatisfied and disappointed. It's unlikely that I will be back for more.

Food - 2 - We tried a few rolls and they were average at best, and their cooked items didn't fare better. We also gave their sashimi a try and they ranged from good (sockeye salmon) to just okay (amaebi) to downright awful (uni). In fact, the uni that we tried was the worst that I've had in my life, and believe me, I've had my fair share of both good and bad uni or any sashimi. Not only was it not fresh, but it also tasted of freezer stink and rotten fish. We had to return it as it wasn't anywhere near edible. Minutes later the manager brought over a new plate of uni for us to try, and again, the same result. By this point we felt embarrassed for the restaurant and wondered if they even tasted their own food.

Ambiance, Service - 3 - The usual service one would expect from a Japanese Restaurant. Not great but not too bad either. Decor is just okay.

Value - 2 - Food is not expensive but I feel that my money could have been better spent at Hachi or Seto.

Consider yourself warned.

The food here is excellent. If you want quality, freshness and good service, check out this place. The sushi is excellent. Try their sashimi, nigiri sushi, etc. All their tempuras are perfectly crisp. And their torarenbo rolls are excellent and spicy. One of the best Japanese restaurants we've been to and has become are favorite spot.

Mango cali rolls are to die for. Best chicken karaage in town. Always interesting and authentic sushi and kitchen specials. Great selection of good sake. Don't think previous post knows what they are talking about..owner Taka "Ted" Kawakame is from Hanshin, Japan (This is why their is so much Hanshin Tigers baseball memorabilia on the walls) There is also his 10 year sushi chef "journeyman" papers on the wall behind the bar as well. Some of the waitresses could be more attentive. However, sit at the bar if you can, and try Ted's food and sake recommendations- most authentic Japanese experience in Richmond.

I had an early dinner here tonight and was promptly seated in a near empty restaurant, as they had just opened. My friend and I ordered the mango california roll, salmon roll and a deep fried smoked salmon and cream cheese roll. We also tried their tempura and cold noodle dish as well as grilled black cod which was one of their specials.

Their rolls were above average. The mango roll had quite a lot of mango on it, and the salmon in the salmon roll tasted quite fresh. Their tempura was crispy and light, and their noodle dish was well done. The highlight of the night was their black cod special. It was one of the best tasting black cod dishes I have ever eaten. Would definitely go back for that if nothing else.

Service was a little hit and miss. All the servers seem very friendly, but don't seem to want to do anything unless asked. I had a glass of water empty and had at least 3-4 waitresses look around to see if anyone wanted anything within a 10 minute time span. When I did ask for a refill it was very promptly dealt with.

Would go back to try out their set menu which looked like a good value, as well as their black cod.

I would fly to Japan for authentic Japanese - but Torarenbo is close enough....fresh food, good service. I would suggest you try their sushi and sashimi. Price is reasonable. I would definitely visit again when I crave for sushi. The waitress is amazing. She can explain and also recommend different types of dishes (specials for the day) and also drinks.

My boyfriend and I went to Torarenbo with a group of friends last weekend for dinner and I must say I'm impressed with this restaurant.

First the service: there were 9 of us and we asked for 6 separate bills. They were very accomodating, which was nice. Tea was refilled promptly throughout dinner, although after we paid the bill it became a little harder to find the waitress to refill tea.

The food was excellent. My boyfriend and I ordered the mango california roll, Torarenbo roll, rainbow roll, another roll that I don't remember the name of and chicken karaage. They were all very good. I love the mango on the mango california roll. The Torarenbo roll has a nice kick to it. The bill for the two of us came to about $35.

Ambiance is normal I guess for a Japanese place, nothing too fancy there.

Would definitely recommend this place.