TORA Eatery Bar - Windsor

We came here and it was very quiet, it did pick up throughout the night however. Tora serves up a fusion of various Asian cuisines with some daring combinations. Our beverage of choice that night was a very dry sake which we shared amongst ourselves.<br/ <br/ We started off with their baby octopus skewers which was a fantastic snack, some nice browning and textually firm, the hot BBQ sauce gave it a little heat. We also got a small plate of roasted eggplant topped with spicy sesame sauce, fried shallots and coriander. I feel like I can do no wrong with eggplant, it's creamy and addictive.<br/ <br/ I really enjoyed their coconut ceviche which was a mixture of kingfish, grapes, tobiko, chilli, coriander and red onion. It was sweet and milky with a hint of spice all served alongside some cassava crackers which were pretty robust.<br/ <br/ Their rice noodle ragu gave me mixed feelings, whilst it had been inspired by a pappardelle with ragu it didn't particularly hit the same notes. Whilst I'd prefer the rice noodles to be more firm this had the consistency similar to cheong fun, perhaps that was what they were going for. The braised pork with peanuts, chilli oil, tare sauce and shallots made for a decent pairing to the starch.<br/ <br/ Their take on the agedashi tofu was topped with Thai basil chicken which worked quite well. Whether or not it still classifies as an agedashi tofu without the dashi broth is open for debate.<br/ <br/ We also had their crying tora, I'm guessing it's their variation of the crying tiger. It's an unusual combination of hanger steak and watermelon topped with cucumber relish and surprisingly it worked! It's almost like a beef salad, the dressing being nuoc nam for that umami and the steak was well cooked medium rare and tender.<br/ <br/ We finished off with a couple of their desserts (it was their only ones), their Japanese cheesecake with green tea ice cream was decent but nothing to write home about. Their banana fritter with coconut ice cream felt a bit icy but upon closer inspection concluded that the icy bits were something else (not sure what). The bananas had nice caramelisation to them and were soft all the way through.<br/ <br/ For the most part we enjoyed the creativeness of the food but dessert was where they played it a bit too safe. The restaurant seemed to be lacking a bit of ambience (we sat downstairs) but that very well may depend on the patrons that night. Worth a quick inspection and wasn't too hard on the wallet.

This restaurant is a fantastic find - I've visited a few times now. The food is consistently delicious, with the corn fritters being a standout. The atmosphere is cool and the staff are attentive without being pushy. The only thing I probably wouldn't order again is the Bao. I will definitely be returning.

The food at this restaurant was incredible! I regret not taking photos of all the dishes because I devoured them too quickly. The corn fritters were an 8/10, the grilled octopus a perfect 10/10, and the edamame with spicy BBQ sauce a solid 9/10. The wakame salad was a bit too sweet for my taste, so I'd give it a 5/10. The miso salmon and ceviche were both an 8/10. I can't wait to return to this place!

Tora Eatery Bar is a delicious spot to check out I. Windsor for their Japanese and Thai inspired food. They focus on sharing plates which aren’t too big so you can order quite a bit to share!<br/ <br/ I loved their roasted eggplant dish which was simple, yet super flavourful with their spicy sesame sauce. The coconut ceviche was really light and refreshing, and went so well with their cassava crackers.

I had a fantastic dining experience at this restaurant that offers a blend of Thai, Japanese, and Taiwanese cuisine. The flavors were well-balanced and delicious, the service was excellent, and the modern ambiance made it an ideal place to enjoy a meal. Some standout dishes included the Katsu pork bao, roasted eggplant, and kingfish ceviche. This restaurant has me looking forward to my trip to Japan in November!