Latin-Asian fusion restaurant opens near Coligny Beach SC. What’s on the menu?
The Coligny Beach area has added yet another restaurant, but don’t go expecting your typical beach eats.
TôRō, which comes from the minds behind Chez Georges Bistro and Bar on the South End of Hilton Head Island, is serving up Latin and Asian street fare, from chicken fajita tacos to charred shishito peppers. It opened last week in the shopping center across from Coligny Plaza on North Forest Beach Drive.
George Casalicchio, the owner of TôRō and Chez Georges, said he and executive chef and partner Eric Golden wanted to open a casual spot, where guests could come in from the beach. Chez Georges is an upscale French restaurant open for dinner only.
“It’s a fun, vibrant place where you can pop up anytime of the day to take a break from the heat that’s about to hit us full force, have a great refreshment and have a fun tasty dining experience,” Casalicchio said.
Golden, also executive chef at Chez Georges, said the inspiration for the menu comes from his upbringing in San Diego, which has a significant Latino population, and his half-Korean heritage.
“I had a lot of love for all types of Asian food, not just Korean food, as I was growing up,” Golden said. “When I wrote the menu, I was trying to combine the flavors of Asia into dishes like carnitas tacos, combining two things together.”
The name, too, Casalicchio said, represents the fusion of cultures.
“Toro in Japanese for that spelling is reflected in the logo — it means tuna,” he said. “We see in the logo the belly of the bull is a tuna. And then toro in Spanish … is a bull. So it’s blending many cultures together to make a fun, exciting, really delicious experience.”
What’s on the menu
Casalicchio said the most popular items so far have been the poke bowl ($19), prepared with ahi tuna, salmon sashimi, rice and tamarind-soy vinaigrette, and the ceviche (market price), made with local seafood, sweet potato, corn, citrus marinade, avocado, plantain chips and tortilla chips.
For between $14 and $17, diners get two tacos and a side. Taco flavors include al pastor, bulgogi — Korean barbecue beef — and fried garlic shrimp.
For $59, you can “take the board by its horns,” and get four orders of tacos and three sides.
House sides, which range from $3 to $4, include refried black beans and coconut sticky rice, and premium sides ($6 to $7) include street corn and guacamole.
For dessert, choose from mochi, tres leches cake and chocolate pot de creme.
Cocktails include the “1902,” with rum, pineapple, lime and chipotle; the “True Blue Highball,” with vodka, Japanese distilled liquor, blueberry, thyme, lemon and soda; and the “843 Berry Bomb,” with tequila, strawberry, lemon and black pepper. They’ll set you back $9 to $11. Sake, beer and wine are also available.
The cocktails are all made with fresh juices, Casalicchio said: “High-fructose corn syrup is not a thing here.”
Visit TôRō
TôRō occupies the space that used to hold Crave by Daniel’s, which closed during the pandemic last year.
Reservations are accepted for parties of 10 or more. Call (843)-931-8676.
TôRō is located at 2 North Forest Beach Drive #107 and is open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
This story was originally published May 23, 2021 at 8:00 AM.
