Get ready for another world-class restaurant in Downtown. Latin chef Richard Sandoval plans to bring his Toro Toro restaurant, a blend of pan-Latin styles and flavors, to 1300 Eye Street. His Toro Toro restaurant in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was voted the best new restaurant in that emirate this year. So we’re all in for a treat—we just don’t know when; there’s no word yet on an opening date. The restaurant, named for a town in Bolivia and also opening in Miami, offers tapas and upscale cocktails, Latin wines and sugarcane spirits. The menu is divided into sections that read “From the Sea,” “From the Land,” and “From the Garden” and features items such as ahi tuna, braised lamb shank and an arugula salad with goat cheese, caramelized shallot and truffle oil. The Downtown restaurant will occupy 12,320 square feet.
Meanwhile, the Japanese influence continues to permeate Chinatown. The owners of Daikaya (705 6th Street), the ramen noodle shop opening this winter with a separate upstairs izakaya—a casual drinking spot that also serves food—plan to roll out Kiji Club, a Japanese cocktail bar. Expect Japanese whiskies and snacks at the 600 F Street location. Other Japanese restaurants in Chinatown include SEI (444 7th Street), Momiji (505 H Street), Ming’s (617 H Street), and Asian Spice (717 8th Street), which also serves Malaysian, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, and Korean fare.