Good food with plenty of vegetarian options. Staff was friendly. Service was a little slow but thats likely a problem most places these days
Erik V.
This was a DoorDash order so we had it at home. We ordered curry ramen with homemade spicy paste and extra noodles, two pork bao, one shrimp bao, and chicken chasu Don. The bao were excellent. Everything but the ramen was a little dry. The curry ramen was delicious. Definitely more curry like than broth but it was flavorful. My biggest gripe though was I never got the homemade spicy paste. It was $2.15 for 1oz of this stuff and it would have probably made the curry ramen shine. So I literally didn't get what I paid for. And that sucks. It's small but still can ruin the whole experience. DoorDash won't let me give the restaurant feedback so I'm doing it here. And sadly this is the 2nd day in a row (2nd one not from here) something was wrong or missing. So to this and all other restaurants that do takeout, please check orders. It sucks so much to not get what you pay because the restaurant isn't at your house to make it right.
Keng L
We arrived before 6pm and were able to get an outside table. Service was ok. One has to flag down our waiter or someone to get service. Ordered the Torino salad, a kids chicken meal and 4 different rolls. Salad came with sesame dressing on the side. Rolls were very good. The premium sake flight was good.
Emily M.
Good food, a solid meal. But not lifechanging.
TravelsNTreasures
While exploring Wilmette, my daughter and I decided to stop here (only because it had less people). Service was pretty timely and Kaden, our waiter, was very attentive. We ordered the pork and vegetable ramen. I loved the noodles, I could have eaten a plate of them all by itself. The miso broth was also flavorful. Checkout was extremely easy (scan to pay). Thanks for the great meal!
Dae K.
A ramen place in the Downtown Wilmette area came as a fresh experience for me. Ramen places I enjoy are rather far from where I live, and this one being so close was a great start. This place has been open for a while yet I still couldn't give this place a try. I finally did and am glad I was able to. Something I highly advise is that you make a reservation because this place can be very busy. My group was lucky and was able to get outdoor dining. I cannot comment specifically on the decor since I dined at a patio, but overall, the place looked nice and presentable. It was a weekend so very packed, but I thought the establishment was doing just fine. The waiter assigned to my group was very pleasant and helpful when questions were asked, giving us plenty of time to look through our menus as well as letting us know that he'll be available whenever we were ready. We had karaage as our appetizer to start. This is a Japanese Fried Chicken, and I thought it was pretty good. Wasn't the best I had but it was up there so was satisfied with it. We each ordered a bowl of ramen to our liking, and I ordered Kitano ramen. It is ramen that has miso, pork, and chicken broth with a nice-sized chunk of pork chashu and half a soft-boiled egg on top. I won't call this ramen very authentic as it had corn, but it was still good! The noodle tasted fresh and had a nice texture with just the right amount of chewiness - I think ramen noodle with some chewiness is better than overcooked ones as they'd then just feel like an instant noodle. The chashu chunk was very nice. I'm more used to the sliced chashu, but I thought the way they gave me a long chunk of pork chashu was also nice. I was able to take a bite of it every couple of bites of noodles I had, so it was great. The egg was done as it should be, so overall, was quite pleased with the dish. If I had to point out one thing, I think it would've been better if it was a bit less salty. I think this comes down as more of a preference than how ramen should be, so if you typically like broth that was a bit stronger on the flavor, I think you'd appreciate it. We also ordered a salmon roll, and that was great too. Torino is a ramen place and while ramen isn't a cheap item, I'd look forward to coming back to this place since it's so close by as well as having a great flavor and reasonable pricing. A great serviceperson left me a positive impression so great job overall!
Joan K.
Although the food was good and the service was good, I couldn't give it a 5 star because I felt it was very overpriced for the portion size. I ordered the Katsu curry and was very disappointed to just see THREE small pieces of Katsu.. everything we had was good but the price was just too high. It was also hard to find parking surprisingly even though I went on a weeknight.
Snow P.
It was a new restaurant for us an we like the ramen, bao, and donburi. Really good flavors and nice environment.
Kirsten F.
Tan tan ramen with tofu instead of pork - holy F. I'm picky with my ramen but this was some of the best I've had! The sesame tahini within the broth is heaven. We also had the agedashi tofu, edamame, winter ramen, and a salmon sushi roll. Next time I'm in Evanston I will absolutely be making a stop back *drool*
Hanna C.
My husband and I visited Torino Ramen this past Monday evening after our kids gave it rave reviews. We were warmly greeted by Phil, who seated us immediately even though we had no reservation. He explained the menu to us and made some suggestions that turned out to be delicious. The food came quickly and the presentation was very artistic. I tried the mango veggie roll, which was a novel sweet accent on a super fresh roll. My husband has the spicy crunchy roll, which he loved, but his favorite was probably the shrimp served like a lollipop! The music was pleasant, but low enough to allow for easy conversation, which is important to me. Phil was exceptionally attentive without being annoying. In fact, he acted more like an owner than an employee! It was a wonderful meal in every regard!!
Here's what you need to know: wow! That Omakase sushi quality and preparation. Also, the pork Katsu cutlet. Just wow! It's been a while since I was truly impressed with the quality of the proteins and it far exceeded my expectations. My wife and I hit it up for date night on a random Friday and ordered a Yuzu ramen bowl, pork katsu rice curry curry bowl, some appetizers, some cocktails and wine, and the omakase sushi selection. The seaweed appetizer was fine - out of a box for sure so won't critique that - same can be said for the Katsu curry - definitely from a boxed mix. Everything else was very, very good. My wife absolutely loved the ramen and I also thought it was very good. The highlight for me was the omakase and the pork outlet that came with the curry and rice. These 2 dishes really took it to that 5 star experience for me. The pork cutlet was melt in your mouth tender while perfectly crispy and crunchy on the outside. And the best kind of tempura crunch - delicate and flaky without ever being heavy. PS: the value of the Omakase is insanely good at $25 The wine and cocktail happy hour specials were inviting too but very small pours :) Overall, loved the vibe and quality of the restaurant. We spent $105 for 2 people
Naomi A.
I really wanted to post a good review but. Although the service person was extremely nice the service lacked some basic consideration .Do not bring out entree for one person and let he rest wait for 10 minutes, Also appetizer are usually supposed to be served first. The food was far from expectation, Poke ball had nothing but rice, fish and cucumber . Really ? Boring boring boring and disgrace! They do try but I regret leaving 129 dollars for what?
Christopher D.
I had a nice visit at Torino Ramen this evening. I did not have reservations and the establishment was busy. I was able to sit and eat at the bar right away. This was my first visit. I noted that the parking was not available immediately adjacent to the restaurant, but I needed to park several blocks away. I was recommended to go to Torino by staff at the Double Clutch Brewery when I asked their recommendation between Torino and Ramen Time. I'm glad I did & the parking wasn't a deterrent. My bartender was very friendly and he helped me very soon after sitting down. I also ordered a local craft brewery Pilsner that was very good. They also have some unique Japanese beers that are more rare (and pricer as a result). The bartender also helped me pick my ramen. I said that I liked a thicker richer broth and he recommend the Sammy. It had chashu, bok choy, scallions and other toppings; all was fresh and tasty. I was very impressed with the quality of the broth & they brought a chili oil without flakes on the side. I like being able to control the spice. The noodles were good but standard. Overall, a satisfying bowl and worth the visit. I really thought my bartender was a great server and we struck up a brief conversation about beer and local breweries. He took ownership in his care and service to his patrons. I'd recommend a visit & left feeling full and satisfied with my ramen.
Mari D.
Okay honestly as a Japanese person in Illinois, I will tell you how hard it is to find good ramen and Japanese food. This place does it justice and may honestly be the best ramen place on the north side. I like ramen-San down in the city but I live too far. The broth is so juicy and delicious with great umami and the toppings are so flavorful. It's decently affordable and has a great atmosphere
Evie B.
My experience at Torino Ramen was unsatisfactory. After ordering four baos as an appetizer my girlfriend and I had to wait 25 minutes to receive our appetizer. The waitress gave me a bad recommendation of what ramen to order so I ended up not enjoying my meal. The service was slow and lackluster. My girlfriend and I asked for a minute to consider dessert options, but our waitress never returned until we flagged her down 15 to 20 minutes later. We then learned that the staff had made an error with our bill, thinking that we had already paid. We sat in the restaurant for an additional 20+ minutes while they tried to figure out the bill situation, only for them to make us pay the full price of the meal, not offer any apology, and not provide us with any complementary dish or service to express their remorse. Overall food was good but not better than you can get at other ramen restaurants. Service was bad.
Good food with plenty of vegetarian options. Staff was friendly. Service was a little slow but thats likely a problem most places these days
This was a DoorDash order so we had it at home. We ordered curry ramen with homemade spicy paste and extra noodles, two pork bao, one shrimp bao, and chicken chasu Don. The bao were excellent. Everything but the ramen was a little dry. The curry ramen was delicious. Definitely more curry like than broth but it was flavorful. My biggest gripe though was I never got the homemade spicy paste. It was $2.15 for 1oz of this stuff and it would have probably made the curry ramen shine. So I literally didn't get what I paid for. And that sucks. It's small but still can ruin the whole experience. DoorDash won't let me give the restaurant feedback so I'm doing it here. And sadly this is the 2nd day in a row (2nd one not from here) something was wrong or missing. So to this and all other restaurants that do takeout, please check orders. It sucks so much to not get what you pay because the restaurant isn't at your house to make it right.
We arrived before 6pm and were able to get an outside table. Service was ok. One has to flag down our waiter or someone to get service. Ordered the Torino salad, a kids chicken meal and 4 different rolls. Salad came with sesame dressing on the side. Rolls were very good. The premium sake flight was good.
Good food, a solid meal. But not lifechanging.
While exploring Wilmette, my daughter and I decided to stop here (only because it had less people). Service was pretty timely and Kaden, our waiter, was very attentive. We ordered the pork and vegetable ramen. I loved the noodles, I could have eaten a plate of them all by itself. The miso broth was also flavorful. Checkout was extremely easy (scan to pay). Thanks for the great meal!
A ramen place in the Downtown Wilmette area came as a fresh experience for me. Ramen places I enjoy are rather far from where I live, and this one being so close was a great start. This place has been open for a while yet I still couldn't give this place a try. I finally did and am glad I was able to. Something I highly advise is that you make a reservation because this place can be very busy. My group was lucky and was able to get outdoor dining. I cannot comment specifically on the decor since I dined at a patio, but overall, the place looked nice and presentable. It was a weekend so very packed, but I thought the establishment was doing just fine. The waiter assigned to my group was very pleasant and helpful when questions were asked, giving us plenty of time to look through our menus as well as letting us know that he'll be available whenever we were ready. We had karaage as our appetizer to start. This is a Japanese Fried Chicken, and I thought it was pretty good. Wasn't the best I had but it was up there so was satisfied with it. We each ordered a bowl of ramen to our liking, and I ordered Kitano ramen. It is ramen that has miso, pork, and chicken broth with a nice-sized chunk of pork chashu and half a soft-boiled egg on top. I won't call this ramen very authentic as it had corn, but it was still good! The noodle tasted fresh and had a nice texture with just the right amount of chewiness - I think ramen noodle with some chewiness is better than overcooked ones as they'd then just feel like an instant noodle. The chashu chunk was very nice. I'm more used to the sliced chashu, but I thought the way they gave me a long chunk of pork chashu was also nice. I was able to take a bite of it every couple of bites of noodles I had, so it was great. The egg was done as it should be, so overall, was quite pleased with the dish. If I had to point out one thing, I think it would've been better if it was a bit less salty. I think this comes down as more of a preference than how ramen should be, so if you typically like broth that was a bit stronger on the flavor, I think you'd appreciate it. We also ordered a salmon roll, and that was great too. Torino is a ramen place and while ramen isn't a cheap item, I'd look forward to coming back to this place since it's so close by as well as having a great flavor and reasonable pricing. A great serviceperson left me a positive impression so great job overall!
Although the food was good and the service was good, I couldn't give it a 5 star because I felt it was very overpriced for the portion size. I ordered the Katsu curry and was very disappointed to just see THREE small pieces of Katsu.. everything we had was good but the price was just too high. It was also hard to find parking surprisingly even though I went on a weeknight.
It was a new restaurant for us an we like the ramen, bao, and donburi. Really good flavors and nice environment.
Tan tan ramen with tofu instead of pork - holy F. I'm picky with my ramen but this was some of the best I've had! The sesame tahini within the broth is heaven. We also had the agedashi tofu, edamame, winter ramen, and a salmon sushi roll. Next time I'm in Evanston I will absolutely be making a stop back *drool*
My husband and I visited Torino Ramen this past Monday evening after our kids gave it rave reviews. We were warmly greeted by Phil, who seated us immediately even though we had no reservation. He explained the menu to us and made some suggestions that turned out to be delicious. The food came quickly and the presentation was very artistic. I tried the mango veggie roll, which was a novel sweet accent on a super fresh roll. My husband has the spicy crunchy roll, which he loved, but his favorite was probably the shrimp served like a lollipop! The music was pleasant, but low enough to allow for easy conversation, which is important to me. Phil was exceptionally attentive without being annoying. In fact, he acted more like an owner than an employee! It was a wonderful meal in every regard!!
Restaurantji Recommends
Here's what you need to know: wow! That Omakase sushi quality and preparation. Also, the pork Katsu cutlet. Just wow! It's been a while since I was truly impressed with the quality of the proteins and it far exceeded my expectations. My wife and I hit it up for date night on a random Friday and ordered a Yuzu ramen bowl, pork katsu rice curry curry bowl, some appetizers, some cocktails and wine, and the omakase sushi selection. The seaweed appetizer was fine - out of a box for sure so won't critique that - same can be said for the Katsu curry - definitely from a boxed mix. Everything else was very, very good. My wife absolutely loved the ramen and I also thought it was very good. The highlight for me was the omakase and the pork outlet that came with the curry and rice. These 2 dishes really took it to that 5 star experience for me. The pork cutlet was melt in your mouth tender while perfectly crispy and crunchy on the outside. And the best kind of tempura crunch - delicate and flaky without ever being heavy. PS: the value of the Omakase is insanely good at $25 The wine and cocktail happy hour specials were inviting too but very small pours :) Overall, loved the vibe and quality of the restaurant. We spent $105 for 2 people
I really wanted to post a good review but. Although the service person was extremely nice the service lacked some basic consideration .Do not bring out entree for one person and let he rest wait for 10 minutes, Also appetizer are usually supposed to be served first. The food was far from expectation, Poke ball had nothing but rice, fish and cucumber . Really ? Boring boring boring and disgrace! They do try but I regret leaving 129 dollars for what?
I had a nice visit at Torino Ramen this evening. I did not have reservations and the establishment was busy. I was able to sit and eat at the bar right away. This was my first visit. I noted that the parking was not available immediately adjacent to the restaurant, but I needed to park several blocks away. I was recommended to go to Torino by staff at the Double Clutch Brewery when I asked their recommendation between Torino and Ramen Time. I'm glad I did & the parking wasn't a deterrent. My bartender was very friendly and he helped me very soon after sitting down. I also ordered a local craft brewery Pilsner that was very good. They also have some unique Japanese beers that are more rare (and pricer as a result). The bartender also helped me pick my ramen. I said that I liked a thicker richer broth and he recommend the Sammy. It had chashu, bok choy, scallions and other toppings; all was fresh and tasty. I was very impressed with the quality of the broth & they brought a chili oil without flakes on the side. I like being able to control the spice. The noodles were good but standard. Overall, a satisfying bowl and worth the visit. I really thought my bartender was a great server and we struck up a brief conversation about beer and local breweries. He took ownership in his care and service to his patrons. I'd recommend a visit & left feeling full and satisfied with my ramen.
Okay honestly as a Japanese person in Illinois, I will tell you how hard it is to find good ramen and Japanese food. This place does it justice and may honestly be the best ramen place on the north side. I like ramen-San down in the city but I live too far. The broth is so juicy and delicious with great umami and the toppings are so flavorful. It's decently affordable and has a great atmosphere
My experience at Torino Ramen was unsatisfactory. After ordering four baos as an appetizer my girlfriend and I had to wait 25 minutes to receive our appetizer. The waitress gave me a bad recommendation of what ramen to order so I ended up not enjoying my meal. The service was slow and lackluster. My girlfriend and I asked for a minute to consider dessert options, but our waitress never returned until we flagged her down 15 to 20 minutes later. We then learned that the staff had made an error with our bill, thinking that we had already paid. We sat in the restaurant for an additional 20+ minutes while they tried to figure out the bill situation, only for them to make us pay the full price of the meal, not offer any apology, and not provide us with any complementary dish or service to express their remorse. Overall food was good but not better than you can get at other ramen restaurants. Service was bad.