the experience that conquers from calm

By Flavia Tomaello, https://flaviatomaello.blog/, Instagram @flavia.tomaello

There are times when the history of a cook is confused with that of the dish he prepares. In the case of Leonardo Pisani, creator of Toroyaky Sushi Premium, this union seems inevitable. “It’s me,” he says, when asked what the name that has been tattooed in the memory of sushi lovers in the North Zone for more than fourteen years represents to him.

After touring bars, restaurants and events for more than a decade, Pisani decided to take a step that has nothing to do with expansion, but with returning to the essentials. Boulogne, his hometown, saw him grow and now welcomes him with a space that condenses everything he learned: a closed-door restaurant for just 14 diners, where every detail was thought out as if time stopped when you crossed the door.

«We felt that it was time to have our own space where we can control absolutely all the details: the food, the music, the atmosphere. Toroyaky needed a place that represents him completely,» says Leonardo, with the serenity of someone who finally finds his rhythm.

The new Toroyaky Sushi Premium Boulogne opens only three nights a week – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. – and each of those evenings promises a complete experience. A white fish tiradito inspired by the beaches of Ipanema, free premium sushi, and a complimentary dessert that works almost like a final caress. But reducing it to a menu would be unfair: what happens there is more ritual than dinner.
«I want the diner to stop. To disconnect from the rhythm outside and connect with the moment, with the flavors, with the history of each dish. To leave with the feeling of having experienced something, not just of having eaten well.»
The story of Toroyaky began in 2011, when Leonardo, then part of one of the most recognized sushi chains, decided to take his proposal to the bars of the North Zone during his free days. Sushi, at that time, was still an exotic and expensive luxury. He set out to do the opposite: to make quality Japanese cuisine at a reasonable price, without sacrificing technique or respect for the product.
«Premium sushi is a form of respect. For the product, for the technique and for the customer,» he defines. «I personally select each raw material, prepare with attention and serve with love. It is a chain of care that cannot be broken.»
That philosophy, today, has a home of its own. The space in Boulogne feels intimate, with warm lighting, soft music and an aesthetic that favors calm. «We wanted each person to feel part of something unique, away from the hustle and bustle. With only 16 diners, everything becomes more cared for, more personal,» explains Pisani.
The service also bears his signature. Leonel Candia, friend and colleague from the beginning, welcomes and serves diners with the complicity of someone who knows the story behind each dish. His sister Oriana and his girlfriend, Génesis, complete the small team that supports this dream. «Today there are two of us in daily operations. We understand each other just by looking at each other. That connection is transmitted in experience,» confesses Leonardo.
Every night, the chef seeks to turn sushi into a story: one that speaks of seasons, textures, humor, travel and memory. «Each dish has a reason for being. It could be because of the raw materials of the moment or because of what I want to convey. I like to think that people feel the same as I do when I go to a pizzeria: emotion,» he says, and smiles.
Perhaps that is the key to the new Toroyaky: emotion. In that moment when the flavor stops the clock and turns a dinner into a story to remember.
«I learned that shortcuts don’t get you anywhere,» reflects Pisani. «Cooking is a learning in motion that never ends. The important thing is to be genuine, always.» Thus, in a quiet corner of Boulogne, sushi became an experience to be had.