01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Toraya’s white-miso motsu-nabe can be simmered for different lengths of time, a distinctive feature of the restaurant. The menu offers a light version simmered for 18 minutes, a standard version for 20 minutes and a rich version for 22 minutes, so diners can ask for the style that suits them. The special broth is prepared from natural ingredients over at least 10 hours, then simmered with domestic offal and vegetables. Some diners have remarked on the gentle sweetness of the white miso; others describe enjoying the chance to adjust the flavour with condiments such as yuzu pepper, Japanese pepper, chilli pepper, white sesame and bonito flakes.
Staff cook the hot pot through to the end, making their preparation part of the meal. Those who want more offal can order an extra portion. Pork hot pot is also available for diners who do not care for offal.
Choose rice porridge, champon noodles or shichimi udon to finish the hot pot. Rice porridge takes in the savoury broth; champon noodles are described as having the flavour of wheat; and the udon comes with peppery shichimi and grated yam mixed with dashi. The choice gives the meal a different final note, and diners who have opted for the udon have also shared that they enjoyed it with the condiments.
For a dish before the hot pot, options include beef tendon dressed with Kujo spring onion, grated daikon and mayonnaise, then coated in thickened ponzu, as well as tendon and egg simmered for 6 hours and served with yuzu pepper. There is also a rolled omelette topped with a sauce rich in meat flavour. Together, these dishes offer a range of ways to round out the meal beyond the hot pot.
For dessert, try warabi mochi with the deep flavour of brown sugar, toasted kinako and kuromitsu syrup. Diners who have enjoyed the hot pot have mentioned the dessert’s soft texture and fragrant kinako; it makes a fitting choice for a meal that ends at an unhurried pace.
Sake is served in small, single-serving bottles of 300 ml, and the menu says that some labels are available chilled or warmed. Eikun Junmai, from Kyoto, is described as a sake suited to drinking with food, making it an option to enjoy alongside the hot pot and other dishes. Dinner reservations are accepted, and booking is recommended.
