Ootoya Chelsea

Food is well prepared, fresh, and tasty. Service very professional. Large space with bar and table seating. They have a second floor which we do not like to be seated in as it gets warm and service is not as attentive. Be sure to order the chestnut dessert, they run out pretty quickly. The interior is nice however the lighting could be better as they mostly use white vs warm lighting. Highly recommended.

Very authentic Japanese cuisine. The menu has such a wide variety of options ! I didn’t try the sushi. I’ll try next time… I recommend the Ootoya Yosenabe which contains multiple fish and meats. Delicious and varied. Very efficient and friendly service.

Good deal on lunch set and food was delicious. Bright and clean inside and staffs are friendly. Good portion on the entree in the lunch set. It comes with Japanese white rice, miso soup, house salad, and a side of Japanese vegetables.

Ootoya is a nice place for Japanese comfort food, but I would not recommend any of the sushi or sashimi here. First, the good: the miso black cod is buttery and flaky. The a la carte mini curry was solid — warm, sweet, and comforting. A great deal for only $6. These dishes gave me a good impression and I would return here for the hot bowls, cooked fish, and maybe even noodles. Now, the bad: the crispy rice sushi was an abomination. The two layers of rice (one being regular rice and the second being crisped rice) made the sushi terribly incohesive. I could barely pick up the sushi in one piece. Worse, some of the crisped rice pieces were soggy. The fish were of a fine quality, but it was hard to overlook the strangeness of their take on crispy rice. And now, the meh: the toro salmon sashimi ponzu appetizer was fine, but ultimately pretty disappointing. It’s described as seared fatty salmon sashimi, so I was expecting a melty, buttery experience. Unfortunately, it was more like fully cooked salmon in ponzu — tasty, but not at all what I was expecting.

Ordered their Teishoku sets. Always feel homey - service and food has always been consistently great. Quality of their food is top. Only thing we noticed is that tip is not included anymore (used to be). Their iced genmaicha and iced sencha was great on a hot day. They even refill the teapot , so that was pleasant.

Beautiful atmosphere & great food. I had the lunch special “Gindara Miso Set” that comes with fish, rice, miso soup, salad, and two side dishes. Fish was cooked to perfection and melted in my mouth. Definitely recommend.

The lunch menu was good! We were able to walk in on a Saturday around noon. A well balanced meal when you want a healthier option. The staff was attentive and we overall had a good experience.

Great sets. We ordered a set for kids that arrive to the table on a shuttle spacecraft. My sons loved it.

Food is well prepared, fresh, and tasty. Service very professional. Large space with bar and table seating. They have a second floor which we do not like to be seated in as it gets warm and service is not as attentive. Be sure to order the chestnut dessert, they run out pretty quickly. The interior is nice however the lighting could be better as they mostly use white vs warm lighting. Highly recommended.

Very authentic Japanese cuisine. The menu has such a wide variety of options ! I didn’t try the sushi. I’ll try next time… I recommend the Ootoya Yosenabe which contains multiple fish and meats. Delicious and varied. Very efficient and friendly service.

Good deal on lunch set and food was delicious. Bright and clean inside and staffs are friendly. Good portion on the entree in the lunch set. It comes with Japanese white rice, miso soup, house salad, and a side of Japanese vegetables.

Ootoya is a nice place for Japanese comfort food, but I would not recommend any of the sushi or sashimi here. First, the good: the miso black cod is buttery and flaky. The a la carte mini curry was solid — warm, sweet, and comforting. A great deal for only $6. These dishes gave me a good impression and I would return here for the hot bowls, cooked fish, and maybe even noodles. Now, the bad: the crispy rice sushi was an abomination. The two layers of rice (one being regular rice and the second being crisped rice) made the sushi terribly incohesive. I could barely pick up the sushi in one piece. Worse, some of the crisped rice pieces were soggy. The fish were of a fine quality, but it was hard to overlook the strangeness of their take on crispy rice. And now, the meh: the toro salmon sashimi ponzu appetizer was fine, but ultimately pretty disappointing. It’s described as seared fatty salmon sashimi, so I was expecting a melty, buttery experience. Unfortunately, it was more like fully cooked salmon in ponzu — tasty, but not at all what I was expecting.

Ordered their Teishoku sets. Always feel homey - service and food has always been consistently great. Quality of their food is top. Only thing we noticed is that tip is not included anymore (used to be). Their iced genmaicha and iced sencha was great on a hot day. They even refill the teapot , so that was pleasant.

Beautiful atmosphere & great food. I had the lunch special “Gindara Miso Set” that comes with fish, rice, miso soup, salad, and two side dishes. Fish was cooked to perfection and melted in my mouth. Definitely recommend.

The lunch menu was good! We were able to walk in on a Saturday around noon. A well balanced meal when you want a healthier option. The staff was attentive and we overall had a good experience.

Great sets. We ordered a set for kids that arrive to the table on a shuttle spacecraft. My sons loved it.

This place is a fantastic choice for high-quality Japanese cuisine, offering a wide variety of dishes--from sushi and sashimi to udon, soba, gyudon, and more. There's truly something for everyone on the menu. The service here is excellent, and the atmosphere is charming. The restaurant is spacious, making it ideal for larger groups. I'm looking forward to sitting at the bar next time to watch the chefs in action. The chirashi bowl was a standout--simple yet delicious, with perfectly textured rice that complemented the fish beautifully. However, the dessert box didn't quite hit the mark and was a bit underwhelming, so I'd skip that in the future. Overall, it's a great spot that I'm excited to revisit and explore more of their menu!

I've been to the location near Union Square a few times (as well as some in Asia!)) but finally had the chance to give this branch a try recently. Our group of 3 didn't have a reservation for a weekday dinner, and it was surprisingly busy, but fortunately they were able to squeeze us in for some seats at the counter. I ordered the oyako ju, which comes in a small box with the grilled chicken/egg/onion over rice. The chicken was cooked very nicely, tender and juicy, and the savoury flavours of the sauce/broth went well with the egg and rice. My friends ordered the sukiyaki nabe and tonkatsu curry, both of which were delicious also. The sukiyaki nabe was really filling (had a bunch to take home afterwards!) and the beef in particular was super. Overall, the meal here was very consistent with my experience at the other location in terms of quality and service (and price, of course), which I'm always pretty happy with! Will definitely be back again.

I came here for lunch on a Saturday with a group of four. We sat upstairs, which was fun because you could look down and see all the dishes of diners on the lower level. To start, we got the truffle eggs. These were very tasty and had the perfect amount of truffle flavor. For my main, I had the vegetable tonyu nabe set. It was quite light and not the most flavorful. I thought the broth would be rich, but it had a fairly subtle taste. I enjoyed the mushrooms, but the other veggies were mushy and bland. The set came with a choice of rice and a salad. I got the multigrain rice and enjoyed the heartiness. The miso ginger salad dressing helped to elevate an otherwise simple serving of lettuce, tomatoes, and other greens. Overall, I didn't quite leave satisfied, but others might have better luck with their meat and seafood offerings.

This was our second time dining at Ootoya, but our first time at the Chelsea location. This location had a nice cozy feel but it's bigger than the Time Square location. They had a special limited time menu and we ordered the Chicken miso katsu nabe(Autumn Gozen Set), and from the regular menu we ordered the Kami Jibuni Nabe. The chicken katsu nabe was excellent, had a distinct miso flavor. There wasn't much broth, but there was a side of miso soup that made up for it. I had the Jibuni (Duck) nabe again and it was just as delicious as our first time. Our server was so nice and attentive; came by and refilled our tea so often. Overall, I loved our visit. I will definitely come to the Chelsea location again.

Was hungry and needed lunch and Ootoya was right in front of me so why not? Off the bat they got my order wrong even after reporting it back to me and the place was fairly empty so no excuse for being busy. I ordered the Chawanmushi special received it plain, and then the Salmon Saikyo Yaki set the salmon has more than I cared to count bones in it. Which I'm shocked about because I have this sort of teishoku regularly elsewhere and at max maybe one bone. Unfortunately the quality of this place has really fallen so I won't be returning back anymore.

I have eaten at ootoya a few times that this place deserves a review. The service here has never been a disappointment. In my most recent visit, we came in a party of 6. For starters, we did the sushi oshizushi, ootoya futokaki roll, and potato croquettes. The sushi oshizushi tasted so fresh, and it's a must-have. If you're a lover of fried chicken, I would also recommend their karaage. I wasn't a big fan of the roll and croquettes For entrée, we ordered, tonkatsu udon, washu beef sukiyaki, and steak ju, all which were fulfilling to eat. The udon tasted smooth, and the broth in the udon tasted so rich. In my opinion, the steak ju is one of the most delicious entrée to order. Note, make sure to sign up for their loyalty program so that you can earn rewards for various food redemption on your next visit.

Came here for lunch during restaurant week. Was surprised they gave us the restaurant week menu on a Saturday as it is for weekdays only typically. They had three different sets: $30, $45, and $60. All three are three course prix fixe, with the main differences being the 2nd course. I chose the $45 course. The first course was Assortment of Appetizers, which included chicken truffle pintxos, salmon sashimi salad, and eggplant sesame sauce. The second course was Yosenabe & Bara Chirashi Don. The third course was the Original Matcha Anmitsu. This was a green tea ice cream served with Uji-matcha jelly, yuzu jelly, red beans, rice cakes, drenched in soy milk. Overall this was a solid deal and was filling.

Definitely gives the same comfort as it did many years ago. You can never go wrong with any of the dishes. Crispy rice was a bit weird, I knew it said on the menu that it was a soft-crunchy hybrid.. but still a bit off. Everything else was excellent!

Food is good, staffs are friendly but their sake price is insane...a market price $60 bottle is priced $200 there...just eat there, don't pay 3 times more for the drinks.

Tasty, fresh sashimi bowls. The small size was $24, while the regular was $40. My friend and I both got small don bowls with a Karage appetizer. It was enough for two girls, but you'll have to get the regular size if you're hungry. It is pretty pricey, hence the four stars. Otherwise, the interior design of the restaurant is beautiful. We went at 6pm on Tuesday night, only 30 minutes after opening. Come 7pm , it got a lot busier and packed.

My Sunday night dinner experience at Ootaya was excellent. I made a reservation a few days in advance, and the restaurant team was kind enough to call me a few hours ahead to confirm my dinner res + head count. Although my party had some hiccups with getting to the restaurant (one person was flying into the country and making it past customs), the service team was very accommodating to the situation. I can't guarantee that they can make an exception for all future diners, as this popular Japanese franchise can certainly get busy and space is limited in NYC. But their combined temperament was nothing short of fantastic! In terms of food, we ordered an assortment of things like the katsu ju, bara chirashi, pork tonkatsu over soba noodles, shishito peppers, and the 10pc futomaki roll. I give special props to the tenderness and freshness of the sushi, and to the delicate texture of the rice and seaweed used in the futomaki roll. I do prefer my pork tonkatsu to be a little thinner as opposed to thick, though I guess I did get my money's worth then, huh? Please visit Ootaya Chelsea when you can!

I had a wonderful experience at Ootoya!! I think the lunch sets are such a great bang for your buck. They also have so many options in terms of entrees. We opted for the noodle sets, which had options for sashimi rice bowls! I had the Small Kaisen Don with Seiro Cold Udon. This was superb!! I think it was the perfect amount of food, the fish was fresh, sushi rice was nicely seasoned, and the udon had a bouncy texture. Each set menu also comes with a little side salad and some more veggies. You end the meal with a nice, hot cup of green tea. It was a super generous portion and left us feeling satiated. It was so surprising to me that there was no wait on a Sunday around lunchtime. This spot is also really big, so there's lots of available seating. The waitresses were so kind as well. They had us write a little wish on a piece of paper that they attached to a bamboo tree. I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of this spot. I really want to try some of their hot foods as well!

Came upon this place haphazardly since it was around the corner and the place we originally chose had too long of a line so it wasn't my first choice and after this experience I can see why there's no line here. This place has beautiful ambiance, truly a perfect place for a date or an intimate 1:1 with a friend or group of friends. The menu has a variety of different food to choose from that all look great. Alcohol options are plenty! My only qualm is cost of food relative to quality and the long awaiting despondent service. This is the kind of place that if a server walks by that's not your server, they'll ignore you, roll their eyes and not even both to grab your server. Came on a dead Saturday night, barely anyone there and it took forever to flag down our server. Came in a group of 5 and by the time the 5th persons dish came out we were all done with our food. I got the salmon set (can't remember what it's called). It was very okay, not that significantly different in what you can make at home, but the plating was really pretty. The appetizers (we got the beef thing and homemade tofu) were better than the main course! Maybe it's something that I ordered. Anyway sake took forever to get, by the time we got our sake it was the end of our meal and there was barely any communication from our server as to what the heck was taking so long - and as I've mentioned before, no server would bother helping since it's not their territory. Overall, beautiful ambiance, but overpriced for food quality and mid service.

The food here was amazing! I've been here once a couple years ago, when they served soba only. They've expanded their menu to include sushi, udon, and rice sets. My partner and I enjoyed everything we ordered. The salmon sushi was a delicious appetizer to start with and the sushi was good quality. We were most amazed by the grilled fish rice set - the fish was cooked to perfection, it was super soft and easy to eat. The fish was seasoned with some sort of sweet glaze. I also really enjoyed the cold udon set. It was a hot day out, and it helped cool me down. My partner says the udon doesn't have much flavor, but sometimes that's what I seek in food - I need simple food that won't overwhelm my tastebuds.

I came here on a Friday night with my friend. We dressed to go out afterwards but felt a bit overdressed given the ambiance - I'd say the dress errs towards the more casual side haha. We were pretty slow to order but our waitress was super kind and patient with us. Food wise, the menu features a variety of options from sushi to curries. I ordered the katsu toji. I was not expecting the portion to be this big - it was MASSIVE. The curry featured fried pork, eggs, and onion in broth, contained in a huuuge bowl. It also came with a side of rice, radishes, and miso soup for a $5 add on. I was really stuffing myself in ordered to finish this meal. It was very yummy.

Easily my favorite restaurant in the area. I've been here a couple of times for team events and the experience is always 10/10. So far I've tried the following dishes, all of which were delicious :) -Saba Dinner Plate - Grilled salted mackerel, grated radish and white rice. Authentic stuff! Be careful with the bones in this one. Otherwise, very good. -Washu Beef Katsu Donabe Curry - Soooo good. Breaded beef + veggies in Japanese curry served with rice. Super filling. -Beef Potato Croquette - The best app! These are my favorite. Everyone who has tried them loves them. -Karaage - Fried chicken + a garlic soy sauce. Another great app option and crowd-pleaser. I haven't tried the sushi yet, but I can't wait to! Definitely will order next time I visit. Good selection of sake. Love the atmosphere and decor as well!

I went here for Restaurant Week last year with one other. We sat upstairs and there was a nice view of the rest of the restaurant. The service was fine. It's $45 for 3 courses or $60 based on our choice of main course as the appetizer and dessert were the same per course. I think the $60 one was beef based last year or something similar. For drink, I went with the matcha yuzu amasake for $12. Amasake or spelled correctly amazake is a sweet drink made from fermented rice. I found the drink too sweet without enough bitterness from the matcha or much flavor from the yuzu. I wouldn't get it again. The first course was listed as an Assortment of Appetizers. This has yellowtail sashimi with an original plum sauce, cucumber, daikon radish, and salted kombu. There was also a mizuna salad listed with tomato and vegetable dressing. The sashimi was soft and of good quality and topped with the soft shredded daikon. The sauce was light and there was a bit of crunch from the cucumber/radish/kombu. The salad was fine. It was tasty though a bit light. The second course was Gindara Saikyo Yaki or grilled black cod marinated in Saikyo miso. It was served with premium Japanese rice, miso soup, broccoli rabe ohitashi, housemade yuzu daikon pickles, and wakame with hijiki seaweed. The black cod was tender and slightly sweet from the white miso with the skin having a slight crisp. The ohitashi refers to the rabe being slightly blanched with soy and it had a nice texture without much bitterness. The daikon had a good texture but without much yuzu and the wakame with hijiki had a good sweetness and nuttiness. The soup was pretty normal outside of the good tofu. It was a tasty albeit small main dish. The third course is listed as Original Matcha Anmitsu. This consisted of green tea ice cream served with Uji-matcha jelly yuzu jelly, red bean, rice cakes (or shiratama dango,) and soy milk. The ice cream had some good bitterness and I liked the texture of the jellies. The red bean had some sweetness along with the soy milk and the rice cakes had some chewiness. It was tasty and very lightly sweet as expected for the dessert. Restaurant as per their other locations is solid. The portions are a bit small for the price but the flavors are solid. Upper 3/low 4.

Came here with a party of 7 on a Wednesday night. Place was pretty crowded but we had a reservation so we got seated right away. We ordered the chicken karage, salmon, and beef potato croquette appetizers. They were pretty good but not outstanding. The food itself was very average, I ordered the katsu ju and it wasn't super amazing but also not bad. It was also a little hard to flag down any servers, they seemed to be very busy but never really checked in our direction either. Definitely a more romantic type vibe for dates rather than large parties but not bad if you're looking to check out Ootoya for the first time.

I got their grilled fish lunch set - loved that it came with a little bit of everything and was very filling. Def recommend for a healthy, well balanced lunch!

This place always has been my "go to" place whenever I don't know what/where to eat. You can definitely go there with group of friends or solo. Great atmosphere, staff is friendly, food is always great! As a native Japanese background person, so glad they opened here in United States.

It's such a shame that a restaurant with so much potential has fallen short of my expectations. The lack of freshness in their fish and the unenthusiastic service were both significant letdowns.

Back in the days when this restaurant was new and hyped, we used to come here often for weekend dinners with family and friends. We loved the set menu as well as the a la cart. Our kids loved the yakitori. Unfortunately, a lot has changed since Covid. Menu set has become limited in option. The quality of food is just not there anymore. For example, my go to order is the pork katsu set. The pork tasted bland and the crispy layer doesn't exist anymore. My katsu came soggy on the bottom. Yup, you read that right. Soggy! That is sacrilegious for pork katsu standard! I always order my dinner as a set, which would come with miso soup and little pickled side dishes (all that has changed). They used to make their miso soup with chunks of chicken, pieces of daikon and some mushrooms. Not anymore!! Miso soup now is just soup with to miso and slivers of seaweed. What a disappointment!!

Decent option for a variety of Japanese dishes, but ultimately overpriced for the food and experience you get. There's a discount with Seated but I wouldn't come back otherwise. It's fairly easy to get reservations and there were several empty tables on a weekday dinner. Our group of 4 was seated upstairs on a balcony where it was extremely dark - we had to turn on a flashlight to take a food photo - sparsely decorated, and out of the way which led to infrequent visits from the waiter. The experience in the main dining room I expect is better. Food quality is good, but portions are small.

We came as a party of three. Although the service was lovely, be mindful that this place is heavily leaning towards Asian fusion as opposed to authentic Japanese cuisine. For example, the Ootoya Mazemen was a cold sesame sauce udon dish. The flavor profile was mild; nothing offensive or particularly outstanding. However, other spin-off dishes were not as palatable. The "Crispy" sushi sets (we ordered the "Crispy Dream") were horrid: the thick layer of fried rice crispy completely overtakes the flavor of the fish. 6 out of the 11 pieces we received were not whole pieces of cut fish, but processed chunks. The menu does not address this in its pictures or descriptions. The quality of the fish is dubious. For 65 dollars, it is definitely not worth it.

Great lunch set spot! I came here with a friend on a Saturday for lunch/brunch and we reached ordered a teishoku set. I got the katsu toji set which came with white rice, miso soup, homemade pickles, salad, and a salad dressing of your choice. Highly recommend looking at the menu ahead of time before arriving at the restaurant because there are so many choices! For lunch, there's rice sets and noodle sets to choose from. Once you pick the main entree for your lunch set, you can go with the default items that come with it or modify or add additional items. It definitely took me a while to decide what to order. Having been to Japan recently, the food here of course is not the same. But overall it's a great Japanese lunch set spot with so many choices. The interior design is really cool with plenty of high top and regular table seatings. Highly recommend for a filling and hearty meal!

The food was delicious. I recommend trying the crispy rice. The staffs were extremely friendly and helpful.

I unfortunately didn't take any pictures because I inhaled the food as soon as it was placed in front of me. The service was very fast and friendly and the ambience is relaxed and inviting. I ordered the gindara miso set, edamame, a roll (can't remember the name) and a genmaicha green tea. Everything was incredible and authentic. I can't wait to return!

Love the food here! We enjoyed the egg omelette appetizer, the homemade tofu, the pork katsu set, the sushi bowl, and even the decaf tea (I forget the name but it was the second to last on the list). Easy to make a reservation. One of our favorites!

The crispy rice sushi wasn't my thing. Fish wasn't the best. The marinated cod was thumbs up. The bartender was awesome. Service was okay.

FOOD - pretty comparable to japan katsu toji - very fire. loved the consistency of the egg in it and the broth tasted very authentic. the katsu was okay, not the best I've had and kinda chewy. overall the flavor was really nice and best eaten w rice sukiyaki - this one was a bit saltier imo. I didn't have much of it though but it was p good PRICE - soooo expensive. and they make u pay extra $5 to get it as a set (as it shoulve been already). the portion is fairly large but not humongous. definitely not worth the price imo SERVICE - normal AMBIANCE - dark luxurious vibes

I've been here couples times and i've never disappointed. I ordered yosenabe set and it was very comfort and tasty. The service was fast and friendly.

Absolutely loved the ambience at this restaurant: upscale, classy, and tranquil. Perfect for an intimate yet casual lunch. And with friendly service to boot. We arrived at ~1pm on a weekday and managed to snag a table up front. The back section, which was where we would've preferred to be seated at, was unfortunately full. There's also a 2nd floor which was vacant so probably only open for dinner? The food we ordered was good overall. Katsu toji was a delicious pork katsu in a sizzling soy sauce-based broth with egg and onions. The katsu wasn't crispy though since it had been soaking in the broth. Beef sukiyaki nabe was a nice blend of ingredients in a tasty broth but somewhat expensive for what it's worth. Absolutely loved the Salmon oshizushi! Salmon sushi presented 3 ways! All 3 were so fresh and melt in your mouth. We also wanted to order the Unagi ju but it wasn't available so we settled for the Steak ju instead. The steak was tender but the marinade was slightly salty. Best to mix it in the rice that comes with it. All of the lunch sets come with a choice of rice, sauce, miso soup, and salad. Although the Japanese premium white rice comes at no additional cost, it was very good and a great rice option if you don't want to pay extra. The ginger miso, yasai vegetable, and dijon sesame mustard mayo sauces all had the perfect sour taste. Overall this was an excellent dining experience with great food in a wonderful environment. It was kind of overpriced though but definitely worth it for the ambience, especially for special occasions.

Servers were really friendly, seated right away. We had reservations via Yelp. Food: Ordered 1. "KOJI Boosts your well-being" Japanese Wagyu Sukiyaki Gozen features fermented seasoning ends 2/23/2023! It was delicious however the reason why it "lost one star" was there was a bone found in the salmon. Maybe it was the cut of the fish. However, overall all it was delicious! The salmon from the appetizer was better than the meal maybe because it was cut in smaller pieces with dressing. 2. Noodle set with Katsu Ju, kake soba with matcha soymilk ranch. Ordered small (option for regular and small, $6 difference) and noodles were $5 extra (choices are udon or soba). It was delicious! It comes with dressing. You can order appetizers for additional money. Overall, this is a great! Would recommend coming here! Atmosphere is nice! Also, I would recommend signing up for loyalty rewards if you plan of coming here again!

Yum but icky service... I came here for dinner on a Friday with reservations at 5:45 (we came in around 5:55), really excited for good Japanese food, as I had good experiences from past visits. I was surprised immediately how rushed the waitress was to get our drinks order when we barely sat down. They also reminded us right at the beginning that they were very busy and we had 90 minutes...the restaurant had just opened at 5:30 and it was barely half full. They had a special "Valentine's Day"/February drink special with strawberry puree, so I decided to get one with cold sake mixed with in-so good! My friends also got the other special drinks, which were equally delicious. We also decided to get the curry katsu hot pot and pork donburi set. I loved that you can customize all their dishes in so many ways and add additional toppings, to your liking. The katsu hot pot was delicious, and I especially loved the presentation of everything. I would have absolutely given them a 4 or 5 stars for the ambience and food, but again throughout the entire time they kept rushing out. Even when I was not done with my food, they asked if I was done. And as soon as the last member finished their food, they rushed in and provided our checks to us. We signed the checks around 7:00pm. I understand the importance of keeping to the appointment, but really the service was disappointing today.

Fun spot to go with groups. Authentic Japanese food. But my fried chicken in soy sauce dish wasn't that flavorful. Lots of menu options and friendly staff but felt overpriced for what it was Follow me on TikTok @rynelly for more NYC food recs!

Came here during restaurant week awhile back and loved it! Ordered the lunch course at the time and the bowl was so filling and everything tasted so fresh. Also liked the udon to balance out the good and the ambiance was also amazing

4.5 / 5.0 - Ootoya is one of the most authentic Japanese restaurants in the city. In Japan, it is known as more of a casual chain, but in NYC, it is more upscale and the atmosphere is more sophisticated. This week, I went with my bf for date night and had a lovely dinner. We both ordered the Ootoya Classic Gozen ($42+), which was pricey but came with a variety of tasty dishes. - Choice of sushi (Salmon Oshizushi, Salmon Avocado Roll or Unagi Cucumber Roll) - Ootoya original soba noodles with sea urchin - Silky homemade tofu with salmon roe - Crispy herb pork tonkatsu with fresh cabbage - Grilled Japanese butterfish marinated with soy sauce and koji - Yuzu daikon pickles For sushi, I chose the Salmon Avocado Roll, but would recommend the Salmon Oshizushi, which my bf ordered. It wasn't as much food as we'd expected, but it was nice to be able to try a bit of everything. Pre-pandemic, Ootoya had been a no-tipping restaurant, but it seems that has changed now. It was nice that at the end of the meal, they served us tea. Hope to be back again soon.

Ootoya is always a favorite of mine. Great food and great location and interior. Their lunch set is really worth the visit and very reasonable priced.

It was my first time and won't be my last time. The service was friendly. The food was fresh and tasty. The atmosphere was chill.

Make reservations online! We came for dinner on Sat at 5:30pm (right when they open). Nice cute ambiance inside. Good date spot. Fabulous service, our waitress was so nice and helpful!! The foam beer she recommended was absolutely delicious and refreshing! I also tried thesapporo light beer because I like light pale beer. We got a salmon avocado roll to share- 6 pieces and it was packed with salmon and avocado. This was $10 and it was very fresh! For our entrees we got the Katsu Toji (fried pork with egg and some soy sauce broth) and the Washu Beef Sukiyaki Nabe. The food came out super fast. I really liked the Katsu Toji, the sauce paired well with the rice. I would come back and get this again. The Sukiyaki was good but the broth/sauce was on the saltier side. The average cost of the entrees were about $30. The rice and miso cost $5 extra. I think the rice cost $4 so the miso was $1. My bf got the green tea ice cream, it was about $3.50 for one scoop. They also gave us complimentary green tea after we finished our main entrees. We got the tonkatsu curry to go (the curry didn't have potatoes just fyi) and pork seemed on the smaller side. I thought it was decent but kinda pricey at $26.

Good for lunch, not so much for dinner. They have easy last-minute reservations and plenty of space. The traditional Japanese here are homey, comforting and very standard. They do a great job with the chawamushi.

Food/Drinks: We got the Bara Chirashi Don Lunch Set as well as the Washu Beef Sukiyaki Nabe Lunch Set. Both were extremely filling and delicious. The Bara Chirashi Don has an amazing array of flavors in the bowl from the different fishes and elements at play. We got the Kake Udon with that and it was warm and comforting. The saltiness of the dashi broth seems to work well with the fish. The Washu Beef Sukiyaki Nabe has a great balance between sweet and savory which I particularly like. It was packed with flavor and also tasted very comforting. I will say that the sets are on the pricier side but it's definitely worth the money. Honestly, just sharing one Washu Beef Sukiyaki Nabe Set would've been enough for us, but we enjoyed trying both sets. Service: The waiters were all extremely welcoming and kind to us. They as well as other employees check up on us often to make sure everything is to our liking. They give wonderful recommendations and have the menu memorized like it was the back of their hands. The food also came out fairly quickly which is always a plus. Overall, we enjoyed interacting with the staff and the service was wonderful. Ambiance: I specifically loved the decor of the restaurant. The elements of the woodwork and the paintings were beautiful. It had a very elegant feel to the place and I enjoyed how calming the restaurant was. Whoever was in charge of decorating did amazing.

We love the Japanese food scene in NYC and there are so many options. One big difference I see personally is a Japanese restaurant run by Japanese peeps vs by Chinese and/or Korean peeps. Now, I must admit there are very good Japanese restaurants run by non-Japanese but you typically get a more authentic experience via the all-Japanese route. Ootoya is one of those places. There are dishes you don't really see in your typical restaurant like all the yosenabe and hot pot like dishes. We also love the rice dishes like the katsu don, etc. Ootoya is on our list of go-to Japanese restaurants when in NYC. It's not a cheap meal by any stretch but consistently good.

Tasty and delicious - their original mazemen was unique as the flavor and texture were complex. The crunchy tempura was the perfect compliment to the chewy noodles, and the sauce was the perfect blend of miso and umami!

Beef potato croquette were probably the highlight for me- good crunch, substantial fixing, and good sauce. Agedashi tofu was nice and simple, comforting appetizer. Salmon avocado roll was ok, I'd probably stick to sushi-specific restaurants for the simpler rolls (did not try their other offerings). We tried salmon tonyu nabe, broth was lighter than expected, flavor did not exactly stand out. Salmon seemed slightly overcooked (or maybe less fatty). The katsu toji was also just ok, also seemed underseasoned. Nice decor and good presentation on all of the dishes.

Food: food was average for a Japanese Izakaya (even though it is not an Izakaya). We started off with Shishito Fry and Beef Potato Croquette. Both were not bad but nothing to write home about. I would give a slight edge to the Croquettes. Our mains were Soba and a hot pot (Kaasan Ni). We got the large Soba and it was still quite small. The hot pot was also fairly small so make sure you order appetizers with your meal. Flavor of both were fine but there are much better in city for the price point. Service: service was good. We were helped quickly and timing between dishes was thoughtful. Ambiance: interior is cute, with a Japanese feel. The place is busy but not overly loud. I would say the ambiance is biggest pro of this restaurant.

The Ootoya yosenabe was soo delicious. The broth is kombu and fish based and was very flavorful. It came with udon and everything just mixed so well together. The Katsu toji was a little disappointing for me. I think the broth was a bit overpowering for the Katsu. But overall I would really recommend this place for lunch! It definitely filled my cravings.

Went here for restaurant week (my friend and I got one $39 + one $59 fix prixe to share btwn us two) and the food was great but service was realllyyyy slow (I'd give it 3.5 stars overall but rounding up to 4). I think the sukiyaki gozen ($39 set) was great, esp for a cold day and had lots of flavor but I personally liked the unagi set ($59) more. It came with multiple small dishes with eel - I didn't really like the eel egg omelette bc it was cold with not much flavor but the main eel+rice dish was my fav savory dish. The portion of eel itself was huge and caramelized perfectly. Dessert might've won for me though bc it was my fav type of semi-sweet, lightly creamy asian dessert. It was some sort of matcha ice cream with soy milk drizzle, mochi, red bean, and matcha jelly (sounds basic like what you could get in a boba store but it actually tasted amazing). Regarding slow service, it took us 15 min to get seated after arriving at our reservation time bc the host wasn't there and then ~45 min after ordering we finally got our 1st appetizer. Then 30 min before getting the 2nd course, etc. Overall, it took about 2.5 hours before we finished with the check and left :/ The employees were very kind though, it was probably just understaffed.

Ordered the Katsu Toji, because it was recommended by both help and my friend, and I guess this place may be known for its Katsu? BUT... not gonna lie, I was kind of disappointed. Pros for Katsu Toji: I like how flavorful the broth is, and the custard egg was perfect with the onions and the broth. Cons: the Katsu was wayyyyy too over cooked and tasted dry it would have been perfect if the meat was more tender We also ordered a mini Kaisen don, and there isn't anything special about it. It just tasted like fish over sushi rice. Definitely don't think a small kaisen don is worth $20 Ambiance: place is cute with a nice ambiance. Seems like a good date spot! I do like the decor Service: waitress was nice and attentive