Ootoya Union Square
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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!!
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!
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!
lovely teishoku lunch sets! it's very customisable: you can choose which rice and toppings, and add small appetizers. my favourite is the salmon saikyo yaki and rice with salmon roe or curry! the salmon sashimi was fresh and tasted delicious! the desserts are also wonderful, i love the warabi mochi and green tea ice cream. it's not too sweet!
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.
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.
beef croquette 8/10 - this was pretty good. good shareable porkatsu 7/10- decently good but not really worth the price. it doesn't exactly taste authentic. the katsu should have really come with rice and miso soup. what didn't make sense was 1/2 katsu as a side is $8 but the pork katsu with a side salad is $24 which doesn't really make sense pricing. steak 7.5/10 - better than the porkatsu but also not good enough for the price. meat was not as flavorful as expected or could be overall i wouldn't come again. The service wasn't the best either.
i know the pic doesnt look as good but i promise it doesnt do it justice... the cod is AMAZING. Truly a 10/10 and everytime i go i have an amazing experience in terms of service. It has very cute calm vibes; great to bring a friend, a date, family or even for a solo date. Seating made so its fit for all types!!
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
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.
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.
Delicious udon and temaki. Worth it to go for lunch so that you can have a special including both meal options.
I always come back to Ootoya. Even though I heard it's like the Olive Garden or whatever chain restaurant equivalent in Japan, I love how they brought it over to NYC. From the outside, the storefront is subtle but walking in it's massive. There are plenty of staff and the service makes you feel like it's Japan. The menu isn't the largest which means they're cooking to order. Food wise ordered a variety from the grilled mackeral to the Washu Beef Sukiyaki Nabe Set to the Curry Udon. My favorite was for sure the curry udon, I love how rich the broth was and how it coated so well with the crispy chicken katsu. The beef was also super sweet and yummy with plenty of options inside from tofu to mushrooms to vegetables. The mackeral was the least favorite since the fish was a little fishy but overall loved all of it and the sides they all came with. Overall, wish the dishes were less sweet (though that's what makes it tase good) but love the portions, service - will be back. read more
7 months ago
This is a great place to dine after a date night at the movie theater on a cold, winter evening. We were seated quickly in the bar area. We ordered the large tonkatsu soba noodle and the tonkatsu curry, and both were very flavorful. The service was impeccable. I would definitely return. Note that they also have a rewards loyalty program. read more
11 months ago
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! read more
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!! read more
2 months ago
The salmon was great but the cold Udon did not go over well with our table or the ones around us. The language barrier caused a little bit of an issue. The gyoza (pork) was really good. The fish on the Gozan was filled with bones. Worst part-one bathroom. read more
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! read more
1 year ago
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! read more
lovely teishoku lunch sets! it's very customisable: you can choose which rice and toppings, and add small appetizers. my favourite is the salmon saikyo yaki and rice with salmon roe or curry! the salmon sashimi was fresh and tasted delicious! the desserts are also wonderful, i love the warabi mochi and green tea ice cream. it's not too sweet! read more
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. read more
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. read more
beef croquette 8/10 - this was pretty good. good shareable porkatsu 7/10- decently good but not really worth the price. it doesn't exactly taste authentic. the katsu should have really come with rice and miso soup. what didn't make sense was 1/2 katsu as a side is $8 but the pork katsu with a side salad is $24 which doesn't really make sense pricing. steak 7.5/10 - better than the porkatsu but also not good enough for the price. meat was not as flavorful as expected or could be overall i wouldn't come again. The service wasn't the best either. read more
4 months ago
i know the pic doesnt look as good but i promise it doesnt do it justice... the cod is AMAZING. Truly a 10/10 and everytime i go i have an amazing experience in terms of service. It has very cute calm vibes; great to bring a friend, a date, family or even for a solo date. Seating made so its fit for all types!! read more
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 read more
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. read more
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. read more
5 months ago
Delicious udon and temaki. Worth it to go for lunch so that you can have a special including both meal options. read more
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! read more
5 months ago
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) read more
1 year ago
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! read more
The restaurant is super pretty. I asked the waitress if I should get the Toji set or the beef broth one. She was really nice and recommended the beef broth one. The price is also incredibly good with the quality you get in the city. Amazing service, food and decor. Love it. read more
5 months ago
I wanted to check this place out due the high reviews. It didn't meet my high expectations at all. First of all the service wasn't that great. Maybe because there were only a few servers during a weekday? The people next to our table were complaining and said, "Why is this location so slow?" You shouldn't ask for waters to be refilled. It should just be done asap. So one of them got up and went to all the servers at the bar to fill the glasses up. At least they knew all the dishes like the back of their hand. The chef recommendations weren't that great. I couldn't eat a lot of stuff off the menu as it was fried. I was quite disappointed. Service and food were subpar. For the table, we ordered the Bara Chirashi Don, Mazemen, the Toro Salmon Sashimi Ponzu, the Ootoya Futomaki Roll, and the Dessert Box. I liked the dessert box out of everything that was at the table. read more
Yummmm This is my favorite spot to get Japanese food in NYC. This establishment has been here since Covid - there's a lot of seating especially during lunch time. I usually get the salmon meal with multi grain rice and onsen tamago with salmon roe. The food is delicious This place is a great for a solo meal or for sitting down with friends. Highly recommend if you're in the area! read more
Food (3.5/5) - Food was decent - I got the tonkatsu as a teishoku set which was a lot of food but with smaller portions - Thought it was pretty good/decent. No complaints other than portion sizes given the price point Service (5/5) - Very friendly service - No complaints Ambiance (5/5) - Casual, good for large groups read more
Great japanese spot with lots of options - I just came back from Japan and feel like the breadth of choices are great! I got the Salmon Tonyu Don and thought it was really healthy, nourishing and light. I added salmon roe and it was really tasty. One downside is it doesn't come with rice, which was surprising. Service is fast, responsive and open to explaining all the options. On a Monday night, it was mostly empty and not too loud. read more
Got the autumn special! Kinda salty/overly sweet for me, but decent for vibes and space! Think you can get a better bang for your buck elsewhere. Service was fairly quick, and all the waiters were very kind as we ended up yapping for an hour or so after eating. read more
I go to Ootoya often but this was my first time at this location and it still is amazing! My friend opted in for their $30 Restaurant Week set which came with a Matcha Curry. She said it was delicious and didn't taste much different from regular curry. I did their general lunch teishoku set. The Tonkatsu Curry Set is so good. The pork katsu is fried well and juicy inside, with a rich and thick Japanese curry over a bed of white rice. I also love that the set comes with miso soup, salad (with your choice of dressing), and carrots. I also added on Onsen Tomago, which is the runny egg for dipping my pork! The service is wonderful. There is also lots of space inside and it was easy to get a table for two on a Sunday afternoon without making a reservation. read more
I really wanted to like this place. First time trying and read pretty good reviews. Came for the RW experience. My friend did the $45 set and I did the $60 set. Steak and eel rice: This was good. It was flavorful but not too much rice. Steak could've been more tender. 3.75/5 Mushroom and buckwheat noodles: This was simply but pretty good. No complaints but also nothing special. 4/5 Chirashi don: This bowl had tuna, salmon, and some other fish in here with masago, cucumber, etc. It was small but I think it's fine because it was served with the hotpot. The fish could've been fresher. 3/5 Hotpot: This was a lot of food in this pot but the fish was overpowering. Loved the beef and pork pieces and the udon but the makeral (?) had bones and was so fishy that I couldn't finish it although I don't like to waste. 3.6/5 Appetizers: This was served in a small trio tray. The eggplant was marinated in something that didnt suit our taste. The salmon was solid. The chicken on bread seemed out of place and tasted like tuna to us. Not a huge fan of these. 2/5 Dessert: Huge fan of matcha so this icecream was yummy but didn't care for the matcha jelly and yuzu jelly (it had a minty aftertaste). The mochi pieces in this weree really chewy and soft. 3/5 There was also a huge delay in getting us the dessert and we had to follow up to get it (but no delay and no need to notify us with the check since they plopped it right down pretty fast). Overall, maybe I would've liked it if I ordered non RW sets? Not sure but wasn't exactly happy with the taste here. read more
This was the perfect Japanese restaurant that serves traditional and what I would describe as authentic Japanese cuisine. Everything was pretty clutch. The crispy rice was puff rice and was not the typical fried cube of rice. The steak ju was probably my favorite. The steak katsu curry bowl was also good. read more
3 years ago
Came in for a large group dinner and service handled it well. Food is a bit expensive for what it is... but fairly good. Wish there were more sushi options. read more
3 years ago
I came here with my friends during restaurant week. Everyone doesn't need to order from the restaurant week menu which is nice. I was the only one who ordered from the restaurant week, they had three options and I went with $60 Washu Beef Steak Ju Gozen. It was delicious, literally as I was eating I was doing my little happy dance. Just melts in your mouth, soo juicy I would get it again. Ended the course with their matcha anmitsu which was so creamy. My friends ordered from their regular menu. Honestly, everything was delicious like we finished everything. read more
On a Saturday afternoon, this place felt peaceful. I was able to read a little of my book before my food came. I felt comfortable dining by myself as others came to do so too. Service was efficient. I liked the crunch to the colorful sushi pieces. Second time going to Ootoya, but different branch. The lunch experience was more my cup of tea. Would continue to dine at Ootoya. read more
2 years ago
The food was amazing - fish fresh (both grilled and sashimi) beef tender - the Washu Beef Sukiyaki was my favorite, full of flavor. Service was very attentive. Not much decor, very basic and simple. The tables around us did not order the 10yr special anniversary 'Arigato Gozen' menu like we did, their dishes looked good, will be back to try the other dishes from the main menu. read more
I visited Ootoya during restaurant week and got the $45 set out of the three options available. The set came with a small set of appetizers, a large main course meal with washu beef sukiyaki nabe, sashimi, a poached egg and a homey miso soup and a matcha dessert. The presentation was excellent and the food was prepared with a lot of love. I dipped my beef in the poached egg and found that it went so well together. The sashimi was also really good and fresh. I've had this place bookmarked for a while and so glad I was able to stop by during restaurant week as it exceeded my expectations. The interior of the restaurant is beautifully decorated and the staff were both attentive and kind. I look forward to visiting again in the future to try other items on the menu. I used yelp to reserve in advance and i'm glad I did because even on a weekday, it was quite busy. Recommend everyone to try it out if you're looking for some delicious Japanese food. read more
Came here for restaurant week and got the $45 set and it was delish! The set comes with an assortment of 3 appetizers, a main course, and a dessert. The main came with their washu beef sukiyaki nabe, three kinds of sashimi, poached egg, premium rice and homemade miso soup with a side of homemade pickles. The food was prepared very thoughtfully and felt like a homemade meal. The sashimi was also super fresh. The dessert they gave, matcha oshiruko was the perfect finish to the meal. As I was already stuffed from the appetizers and main course, I liked that the dessert was not super heavy. All in all, a wonderful experience. I came here on a Monday afternoon and surprisingly the restaurant had quite a bit of people. It wasn't packed though and there was still seating available since the restaurant interior is very roomy. We had a reservation and they had a seat ready for us right when we walked in. The service was stellar, and I want to give them 5/5 just for how attentive their staff is. Can't wait to come back and try other items on their menu! read more
It has been years since I've been to Ootoya and it's just as good as I remember it. Came for lunch for their awesome sets. I went with the beef sukiyaki nabe set and my wife went with the pork katsu. We also added chawanmushi and potato croquettes. This was a good refresher for us to come back more often. The service was great, the food was delicious, and the presentation was perfect. We'll definitely be back moving forward. read more
2 years ago
I stopped by for a friend's birthday dinner and what a great choice it was! I've always wanted to try it. The table got the chirashi, beef sukiyaki nabe, sushi, steak ju set, and matcha dessert. Every option was delectable, and I would 100% come again. The service was also really great and attentive. The ambiance was intimate and enjoyable as well. read more
Made a reservation using the Seated app to get some rewards back! If you don't use it, send me a DM and I'll give you a referral link so you can start earning!! Overall the food was good though the appetizer portions are very small and stingy. The edamame was barely enough for two people to share and the sweet potato fries were definitely not worth $10. We ordered iced and hot oolong tea and it looked like a double shot lol. Why so stingy on tea? Overall the meals definitely hit the spot. We ordered the crispy sushi to accompany our meals and they were ok. I think you'd really need to be into the crispy rice to enjoy it. I ordered the steak ju bowl and really enjoyed it but again felt it was about $10-15 overpriced which seemed to be the theme of the night. Again, the food was good but many of the portions were a bit undersized. The entrees itself were well portioned, but some definitely felt like it could have been a few bucks cheaper here and there. Food was good, I don't believe the value was here. Worth at least one try! read more
This is a 5+ star rating! Don't mind my excitement in this review but everything was impeccable. We made a reservation to dine here and we aimed for a breakfast sort of meal. The meal seemed fresh and it definitely tasted as fresh as it can get. We cleaned our plates. And if the nato isn't for you then give it We will definitely come back every year. It's also very nice inside. Next time I'll request to be seated elsewhere. read more
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