Ed. note: While we support social distancing and we're all for waiting out the COVID-19 quarantine, we also want to help our restaurants keep going any way we can. One of those ways is by ordering takeout, so we've launched this new feature, the Dining-In Diaries. Enjoy!
I hadn’t paid a visit to Tori Tori ever since the Mills Avenue yakitori house and cocktail bar was declared the Top Table of 2019. On March 20, just a few months after the accolade, Tori Tori’s space had been closed to the public and I just so happened to be the first in line on that day they went takeout only.
My order was ready when I arrived and after a couple of pumps from the hand sanitizer dispenser, I was off.
So how did those skewers hold up by the time I made it back home 15 minutes later? Splendidly, I must say. The binchotan-grilled chicken skin crackled; the prime-grade beef was still warm and plush; the king oyster mushrooms were a mouthful of firm. I hadn’t tried their Japanese fried chicken (served with garlic Kewpie mayo) until now, and I’d order it again in a chicken heartbeat. Order five skewers and they’ll throw in some stellar fried rice and stir-fried veggies with your order.
Their booze-to-go options include $10 cocktails like whiskey sours and Raspberry Berets, Japanese beers, three different types of sake, and a host of red and white wines. Chef-owner Sonny Nguyen says he’ll be restructuring the menu in the coming days with entree-sized Japanese rice box sets. You’ll find me first in line. (Tori Tori, 720 N. Mills Ave., 407-735- 0999, toritoripub.com; takeout only; 4-9 p.m. daily)
— This story appears in the April 1, 2020, print issue of Orlando Weekly. Please follow CDC guidelines and Orange County advisories to stay safe, and please support this free publication. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you news on how coronavirus is affecting Central Florida. Please consider making a one-time or monthly donation. Every little bit helps.
