We are very excited about the upcoming opening for Tori Tori Pub located in the Mills 50 District, an area that has lately become a hot spot for bar hopping and late night grubs.
Brought to us by chef/owner Sonny Nguyen of Domu (Domu Dynasty) and restauranteur Johnny Tung of the Bento Group, the new Tori Tori concept is a modern Japanese izakaya with an open fire yakitori grill, with a special focus on their craft cocktail menu.
The exterior is accented by a metallic facade on the roof that was part of a City of Orlando’s Small Business Facade, Site Improvement, and Adaptive Reuse Program grant.
Partner Johnny Tung tells us the sheet metal was perforated by hand, with each hole having a different size that causes a special light effect as you view it at night. It’s gorgeous to look at and definitely reminds me of something you might find in New York City or Miami, yet it is something unique to Orlando.
Inside, the centerpiece is a gorgeous bar, which takes up almost 75% of the space.
Towards the back – there is a semi-open kitchen where guests can watch the chefs and cooks prepare the yakitori skewers over an open flame and an area for sushi hand roll making. Love the smokey char on the yakitori skewers here.
There are also banquette style dining booths for couples or small parties on one side of the wall, a lounge / sofa area, and outdoor seating with games.
Some of my favorite bites from a recent friends and family preview included the lightly fried chicken karaage, garlic crab fried rice, chicken skin yakitori skewer (think crispy chicken fat bacon), chicken oyster yakitori, fried tempura corn balls, and the okonomiyaki pancake topped with bonito flakes.
Tori Tori’s philosophy is “ichigo ichi” – to live in this moment, as if it may never happen again (possibly, the Japanese version of “YOLO”?).
Below is the initial bar and dining / food menu for Tori Tori:
Here are Some of the New Dishes and Cocktail Drinks we ordered at Tori Tori:
Overall, I can foresee Tori Tori being very, very popular and changing the face of the Mills 50 District – almost like a changing of the guards of the older generation to the new.
They are currently in soft opening and will be open to the public in the next few weeks, check their website and sign up for notices: http://www.toritoripub.com
Tori Tori Pub
720 N Mills Ave
Orlando, FL 32803
