Toro Toro Restaurant is a gem in the heart of Washington DC located at 1300 I ST NW Washington, DC. It’s not on a street that gets a lot of foot traffic, so if you aren’t paying attention, you might walk right past it since it’s hidden amongst a few office buildings.
My cuisine experience started with my fantastic server Dylan that was super sweet and very knowledgeable about the menu. The story of how he came to work at Toro Toro moved me and solidified the great feeling I felt when I first walked in. When he moved to DC, he spent a day walking in and out of many restaurants applying for jobs with no real luck. Just when he was about to give up, Toro Toro caught his eye, so he walked in to inquire about a job. They sat him down to interview him, fed him while he was there and then hired him on the spot. Almost a year later, he is still there and very happy. That speaks volumes to me.
Let’s get into the food!
Toro Toro has a “Free Flowing Unlimited” tapas deal that is a big hit, and it immediately became my fave as well. It’s $39 per person, add carne for $10 and add drinks for $20. The menu has so many amazing dishes to choose from, so this deal is perfect if you have a taste for a few things. I let Dylan take the wheel and bring me out a mix of different customer favs and his favs. I tried about 11 different dishes; all plated beautifully and very mouthwatering.
He started me off with these small little bread rolls made of yuca, tapioca powder and mozzarella baked in the middle. They were so good, he could have kept bringing them out all night, and I would have been ok with it. These little delicious round pieces of heaven are also gluten-free so a double plus!
Next, we jumped right into the menu and started with the “Antojitos” section of the menu which means “little cravings” so I would say that translated to appetizers. I had the House Guacamole: avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, served with pickled chilies and tortilla chips or you could have it with banana chips.
Next was the “Crudos” section which means “raw or uncooked,” and he brought out two dishes from that section, Ceviche Nikkei, and Peruvian Ceviche. I loved both dishes because they tasted very different. The Ceviche Nikkei had more of a sweet taste, made with ahi tuna, ponzu, grilled pineapple, red onion, avocado, sweet potato and served with banana chips. The Peruvian Ceviche was a little more savory, made with sea bass, Leche de Tigre, red onion, avocado, tomato and cancha corn.
Next was the “Soups & Salads” section and he brought out the Heirloom Tomato Salad, made with burratini cheese, watermelon, red pepper and black garlic. Very different but all of the ingredients paired extremely well.
We moved down to the “Cocas & Masas” section, and he brought out a Wild Mushroom Flatbread, arugula, goat cheese, caramelized onions and truffle oil. The flatbread was very light, crunchy and tasty.
In the next section, “Wok” I had three different dishes that were all so good, I could have pitched a tent and camped out in this section for a while lol. The first dish was Lomo Saltado which is a stir-fried beef filet made with chifa sauce, peppers, onions and shoestring potatoes. The 2nd was Crispy Shrimp made with a crispy batter, Aji Amarillo aioli, and pickled chilies. The third dish was Bacon Brussels Sprouts, I had it without bacon, but it didn’t take anything away from the dish, it was still delicious.
The final section was “Grill” , so I tried the Mojo Pork Ribs, plated with plantains three ways and pickled papaya habanero sauce. I am not a lover of pork, but if you are, this is a good choice. I also tried the Yucca Fries from the “Vegetables & Sides” section of the menu; served with a chipotle aioli garlic sauce.
Dylan wrapped my fantastic dining experience with a special presentation that resulted in one of the best desserts I’ve had in a while. First, he cleared my table and wiped it down, then he brought out this transparent sheet and laid it in the middle of my table. He walked away and came back with a dessert called the La Bomba which is this chocolate mold shaped like a bowl and inside of it was cream cheese mousse, seasonal sorbet & ice cream berries, and fresh strawberries. He next asked me if I wanted to see why it was named La Bomba. Before I could finish saying yes, he picked up the mold and dropped it on the transparent sheet. It burst open like a bomb, then he sprinkled chocolate cookie crumbs on top and then drizzled caramel vanilla bean cream anglaise over it to top it all off. It was a masterpiece that you could eat, so I dug right in, and it was perfect!
My full experience at this fantastic Pan-Latin gem was perfect from beginning to end. Listen to me! Please, please, please DO NOT leave DC without stopping into Toro Toro and trying a few things off of the menu. You will regret it if you don’t.
www.eattorotoro.com
Instagram: @torotorodc
Naomi is a stylish, adventurous traveler. She’s a bit of a daredevil that loves excursions. Those that know her, call her a shoe connoisseur. She is also obsessed with music and has a playlist for just about any mood. She’s a foodie that loves a good vegetarian/vegan spot. Want to know where she is headed next… stay tuned to find out!
