I wanted to do a low key dinner for my mother this year. Coincidently, I started a new job on the same day and had to work late that day. Thankfully, near my mother there is a great restaurant called “Toto.” There is also a Soba Toto near east 42nd st, however, this Toto focuses on Japanese skewers done amazingly well.
Toto
251 West 55th St
New York, NY 10019
Sophear, Danny, and Ryan joined my mother to celebrate her birthday. We love the tsukune, here, which is the chicken meat balls. I’m not a big chicken meat ball fan, but this is so juicy, soft, and seasoned (I get it with just salt, no tare (sauce)) that this is the primary thing I get whenever I come here. I also ordered my mother some smelt, hearts, chicken livers, etc… Sophear and Danny ordered some potato salad and the gyoza dumplings are delicious and went over really well.
It’s the cheapest, but if you are not famished, it’s a great place to get a la carte meal tappas style. Also, Ryan loves their donburis (with chicken and green onions). It’s definitely worth checking out. We got lucky and didn’t have to wait at all to seat 5 people. However, in the past, we’ve waited close to 30 minutes. I always walk away when there is an over 1 hour wait. I think it’s getting better.
(Pictures from top to bottom, left to right:
Smelt, liver, mostly eaten potato salad, eringi mushrooms with bonito flakes, three different types of onigiri (cheese flavored, soy sauce flavored, and miso flavored), and green tea cheesecake with red bean sauce),
