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    Ootoya Union Square

    4.0 (475 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    OOTOYA UNION SQUARE ATMOSPHERE

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    We had the delicious Gozen Course.
    Karen N.

    Mom and I finished watching a movie at Regal Union and were starvin' like Marvin. We took a chance to do a walk in at the Union Square location. The host was so nice to seat us right away without a reservation. The decor is very nice, and the courses were so delicious. We will be back for more!

    Freddyc M.

    Delicious udon and temaki. Worth it to go for lunch so that you can have a special including both meal options.

    Gindara miso
    Matthew H.

    Ootoya is always one of my classic go-tos in the area. Price point can be a bit high, but the food is always so fresh and delicious :) Some highlights I've had: -- Katsu ju is one of my favourite dishes here. The pork is very tender and flavourful, and while the broth keeps it from being very crispy, it doens't get soggy at all. The dashi can make the rice a tad salty, but overall it balances quite nicely against the savoury pork. -- Oyako ju is similar and also a great choice. Other than the yummy chicken, the lightly sweet onions paired really nicely with the mix of fried chicken and egg. -- Yosenabe has such a variety of fresh meats and veggies. The pork belly and beef slices were delicious, but do note that the broth has a much fishier (strong mackerel) flavour throughout, if that's not preferred. -- Tori shio koji was a very tasty option. Portion sizes were a bit small, I thought, but I really like how the lightly salted preparation of the chicken really brought out a lot of the natural flavours of the meat. -- Gindara miso was so yummy. The fish is very soft and fresh -- not too heavy or oily -- and the miso flavour is a lovely complement to the slightly smoky grilled flavour. I think the price point does tend to be a tad high. The teishoku sets are often nice because I do like to have rice with these mains, but it can be a bit pricier than I'd have expected. Nonetheless, my meals here are always very delicious, and I will definitely be back soon!

    Lauren D.

    I got the Autumn Gozen set to share with my toddler and it was incredible. She loved the salmon and rice while I enjoyed the sukiyaki. I loved all the little sides that it came with like the miso soup and the sashimi was really fresh. It's a lot of food for one person and you could tell it was high quality. I also ordered a side of edamame, which was just OK but cooked well. Service was great and food came out fairly fast. They have a ton of seating inside. I'd come back! Great Japanese restaurant!!

    Laura F.

    It Was just ok. Can't say it was the best Japanese meal I had but it was adequate. For what you get for the money , there wasn't enough value there. Best part was the dessert trio. I will say the ambiance was relaxing , had a nice vibe.

    Katsu Toji Nabe "Teishoku set"

    Used to love the old Ootoya. Too bad way too much has changed over the last years. Yes, it's NYC, but the katsu nabe price of $29 can't be justified because it was just alright. This is a heavy, salty soy based broth - It forces you to "upgrade" to a teishoku for another $6 for rice, and this upgrade is essentially just ONE piece of okra cut into 3 pieces and a lazy miso soup. Maybe an additional small vegetable side or a side salad would make this an actual "upgrade"? If not, how about being a little more generous with the okra? Not even asking for a chawanmushi here (which they used to give as a side dish)

    Green Tea Ice Cream
    Mandisa N.

    Came in on a Friday wanting to take advantage of their Restaurant Week lunch menu. It was $30 for two courses. The entrée was a beef katsu curry and the dessert was a scoop of matcha ice cream. For $30, this was overwhelming filling, delicious and 100% worth it. The curry was so flavorful and there were so many different vegetables in there, along with a lot of egg. Who could say no to more protein? It comes with a side of white rice, a salad with dressing, miso soup (loved the tofu in there) and okra. I equally enjoyed the matcha ice cream. I believe a common problem with matcha-flavored foods is that if the proportions aren't right, you really are just eating grass - but this was perfect. Very light and a great way to close out the dish.   I did briefly peruse their menu and they seem to have some other generally good lunch deals that I would love to come back and try! Definitely give this place your time and money. It's hearty, delicious and totally worth it!

    Arigato Gozen
    Isabel H.

    I've been visiting Ootoya for many years now and it is consistently a great restaurant to dine in. The staff is always friendly and the atmosphere is clean and cozy. On this occasion, we came when they had their anniversary special the arigato gozen. It included a selection of fan favorite dishes (sashimi, grilled fish, pork tonkatsu, unagi chirashi. The quality of their food is always top notch. We also got the katsu toji set. Their set meals with pork are really good and is usually a go to for us.

    Angel G.

    It might be because we were there in the middle of the week for lunch, but it was nice coming to a restaurant that was pretty quiet! Very much Japanese style sets where it's more for one person rather than sharing. The portion size was great ! We both got the regular size but I'm sure if we had gotten the small, it would have been just as filling. The only complaint I have was that the rice we had for the salmon oshizushi was a little too warm and too much -- fish to salmon ratio was a little off but the salmon itself was delicious. The toro melted in your mouth I would have given 5 stars if it wasn't for the warm rice

    Yasai Curry Set,  Homemade Tofu
    Vishnu G.

    Very good with a solid number of vegetarian options. I had the yasai curry teishoku set with hijiki rice and matcha ranch dressing. The curry was flavorful and barely spicy, the rice had the perfect texture, and the miso soup, okra, and salad made for great accompaniments. The salad dressing was pretty mild - the green color is good for novelty, but I might choose a different dish next time. I also tried the homemade tofu. There was nice subtle flavor from the ginger and scallions, and paired well with some added soy sauce. The tofu itself was incredibly creamy and rich. The meal worked out to around $35 with tax and tip, which is expensive, but is also an enormous amount of food. Everything took a while to prepare, so I wouldn't come here if you're in a rush.

    Debbie K.

    Nice reprieve from the rain. They specialize in Japanese hotpot. We came during lunch. They have a noodle lunch set or a hotpot lunch set. The hotpot lunch came with a small salad, miso soup, miso okra, and white rice. The noodle lunch set gives you a choice of noodles, a small donbori bowl, small salad, and miso okra. Good value for taste and service.

    Sandy J.

    Otooya was pretty good, with a wide variety of options. I reserved a table early for a weekday night, but it didn't seem necessary since there were plenty of open seats--though weekends might be different. I got the classic chef-recommended mazemen, but I have to say, I was a bit disappointed. The minced meat was so finely minced and sparse that it barely tasted like meat at all. To my surprise, the dish was also cold--I'm more used to hot dishes, so it wasn't really a satisfying meal for me. That said, the ambiance was great, making it a nice spot to catch up and chat. The service was also solid--the server was really attentive with water refills. Maybe this dish just wasn't for me, but I'd be open to coming back and trying something else!

    Uni tofu
    Jessica Y.

    This review is very delayed, but I came to Ootoya in March for their Arigato Gozen Set to celebrate their anniversary. It was super easy to make a reservation for a Friday night dinner and it was relatively quiet. The set was a fun way to try a lot of dishes, although the uni tofu we started with was probably my least favorite. The interior is well decorated and I appreciated how spacious it was. Thy have some other nice sets on their menu so I will probably come back here to try their regular menu next time I'm craving Japanese food!

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    Katsu-Hama

    Katsu-Hama

    4.0(1.8k reviews)
    1.8 miMidtown East
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    I am a sucker for delicious Katsu and you'll struggle to find better than Katsu-Hama. Katsu-Hama…read morehas a quaint, Japanese vibe in a small but comfortable dining area. It's not especially big, so you may have a bit of a wait if you frequent right at lunch or in the evening but whatever amount of time you have to wait it will be well worth it. Service is top tier but you come for the food. They have a varied menu with a lot of options so if you're bringing a buddy that isn't up for Katsu, they'll have plenty to choose from. The Katsu is the star and I think what sets this place apart is that they offer Berkshire pork katsu as an option. Arguably some of the best pork, it's great to have the option if you're looking to heighten the experience. I love their pork katsu and go nuts over the chicken katsu curry. It's super crispy, slightly greasy but never off-putting. And it's served with the most delicate and delicious cabbage slaw. I could eat a mountain of this it's so good. Highly recommended.

    This place is a bit hard to spot, but it's on the same side of the street as the sorta famous (50…read moreyears +) Phil's Stationery. Katsu-Hama is about two doors to the Left of Phil's, and has minimal, very discreet signage. I got some tonkatsu...I forget the exact type, but it was essentially the most fatty of the tonkatsu offered. It came with cabbage (with a sesame ginger type dressing), daikon radish (with some type of sauce on top), and the standard sauce for the tonkatsu, along with some crushed sesame seed and hot mustard. I'd have to say...the tonkatsu was quite good....not quite as sublime as my favorite tonkatsu place in Tokyo...but still, very, very good. The dish also came with a bowl of miso soup (good, and not overly salty) and a bowl of white rice, which I considered the most disappointing part of the meal. The rice seemed a bit dried out...not moist.... All in all, an excellent meal. I'd definitely come back.

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