One of the Mississippi Coast’s most highly anticipated restaurants opens its doors to the public on Friday, and it’ll be the first upscale Asian dining experience in Bay St. Louis.
Toro Sushi & Sake is the brainchild of brothers Jourdan and Field Nicaud, who hired executive chef Lauren Joffrion to create a one-of-a-kind menu that focuses on flavor, unique pairings and family-style meals.
The Nicaud brothers, who are Pass Christian natives, own many restaurants on the Gulf Coast and have traveled the world trying new cuisine. Their love for sushi and Korean fusion inspired the modern restaurant with a second-story bar overlooking the beach.
I got a chance to eat at Toro with three good friends before the restaurant officially opened. Here’s what it was like.
Guests are greeted by a sleek dining room with bright blue sushi bar. Tables are spaced well, and almost every seat has a view of downtown Bay St. Louis or the beach.
The menu is stunning. You can fill up on small plates like a wagyu “taco,” which is more of an open faced sushi roll, edamame or Joffrion’s homemade egg drop soup topped with chili oil. The tuna tartare comes with housemade truffle chips and is topped with a cured egg yolk. Don’t skip the pork belly bao buns topped with fresh peanut, a delicious Asian glaze and pickles.
The house-made egg drop with chili oil and pork belly bao buns at Toro Sushi & Sake in downtown Bay St. Louis.
The sushi is fresh, topped with housemade sauces and served on wood planks. The spicy tuna roll was a favorite among guests at the pre-opening dinner on Thursday.
The standouts are the family-style meals that are designed to feed four to six people. The Dan Dan noodles have sweet and spicy pork along with sticky sauce, fresh herbs and caramelized onions.
The wagyu fried rice with a cured egg yolk and caviar at Toro Sushi & Sake in downtown Bay St. Louis.
The wagyu fried rice is topped with fresh caviar to balance the richness of the beef. And a showstopper is the eight-piece Korean fried chicken, which is served crispy and piping hot.
Bar manager Ashton Senn has programmed a unique cocktail and mocktail list, including a lychee mojito, traditional daiquiri with matcha, and an espresso martini with rose water.
Toro Sushi and Sake is likely to cement itself as a restaurant for celebrating milestones and enjoying a meal with out-of-town friends.
A trio of sushi rolls, including mango tango, spicy tuna and California, at Toro Sushi & Sake in downtown Bay St. Louis.
A bonus is that the kitchen will be open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays if you have a late-night craving for a good meal.
And don’t forget to take a picture with the graffiti art sign on the second floor.
Toro Sushi & Sake
108 Court St., Bay St. Louis, 228-460-0208
Wednesday and Thursday from 3-9 p.m.; Friday from 3 p.m. to midnight; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The tuna tartare, served with truffle chips, at Toro Sushi & Sake in Bay St. Louis
Toro Sushi & Sake in downtown Bay St. Louis
The Dan Dan noodles at Toro Sushi & Sake in Bay St. Louis
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