We planned to come to Ootoya few months ago and decided to visit the one in Time Square which was sadly closed (But the website at that time still said it was open). This time, we finally visited the one in Chelsea. We arrived as soon as arrived (no reservation). Now I understand that it's better if you have reservation because the restaurant gets busy easily. I noticed lots of family with children visiting the restaurant as well. We ordered the tonkatsu and the summer special that comes with the appetizer and we added the dessert with additional charge. The food was delicious!!! The service was fast. The restaurant ambiance was pretty calm. I'd definitely come back again read more

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Even smaller portions than before. Half the menu is gone. I go back once in a while. Now is just bad. They used to give you a lot now it's even less than before. Even the agedashi tofu was kinda sour. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Really enjoyed this spot. An elevated izakaya Japanese restaurnt focused on bento-box style dinners (teishoku) and sushi in a sophisticated but not stuffy location. I came here around 6 on a Monday and there was no wait and plenty of space. I sat at the bar and was provided with their menu with some specials, drinks, with the regular menu available via QR code. If it wasn't a Monday, I would have liked to try some of their drinks. I got the tofu, the koji chicken meal, and salmon sushi. All were excellent. The tofu is great. It's unusual to find homemade tofu and while this isn't the best I've had, it's clear there it is close in terms of how silken smooth it is and almost melts in your mouth. I do wish they served dashi shoyu versus regular soy sauce with it but that's a minor complaint. The salmon sushi set was pretty good. I had some rice which wasn't cooked properly and that brought it down a notch. The flavors were good though and I thought each one stood on its own. I finished with the koji salt chicken set. If you don't know about koji, you're missing out. It's a fermented seasoning that adds flavor and tenderizes the meat. I think they could have used more koji (typically you use twice as much koji versus salt) but it did produce a tender chicken and I appreciated the crunchiness of the skin. The salad dressing was nice and tangy and the sauce they gave was great on the rice. You don't see koji chicken much so I enjoyed eating this dish although next time I'll want to try their saba or salmon dishes. Definitely will come back again! read more

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Absolutely get the miso cod - so buttery and delicious. The Karage wasn't fried or crispy - so a point off. But get the miso cod! You can't go wrong! read more

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Really solid Japanese restaurant in Chelsea! Perfect lighting, which makes it a good option for date night. Service was fast and friendly. - Salmon nabe set: 10/10 (creamy salmon nabe with veggies, rice, and miso soup. Perfect to have on a cold winter-y night) - Dessert box: 10/10 (great selection of Japanese dessert. I especially loved their cheese cake!) read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Salmon nabe - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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I like to come here for their lunch menu. The sets always come with a side of rice, salad, and a miso soup which makes for a heartwarming meal. The only reason I give Ootoya 4 stars instead of 5 is because it's so expensive. I think if the menu was just $3-5 less for every item, it would be very worth it. The fish I got was cooked well though and you can customize your set by adding in toppings to your rice or choosing your salad dressing. There's a bar seating area which I usually sit at when I eat here solo, but they also have tables for 2 or large parties. The staff always do an excellent job serving customers here too! read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Toro Salmon Sashimi Ponzu - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Overall: nice little place was able to get a reservation of 8 quickly on a saturday at 8pm Service: attentive, came towards the later end however still helpful Inside: No music, spacious, comfy dim dining Food: the katsu is a solid set the best item on it was the okra! Very comparable to other katsu spots read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Katsu - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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we love Ootoya and dine here often, the food is consistently great and its got cool minimalist Japanese decor. also it's oddly it's one of the most kid / baby friendly restaurants we have been to in Manhattan, our daughter loves it. they not only have high chairs, but a thoughtful, healthy, (and cute!) children's menu, one offering even comes in a mini airplane. plus they have children's utensils, cups and very kind waitstaff :) the menu is huge, and our favorite items would be the salmon oshizushi, chanwanmushi, katsu toji, udon, and pork kimchi nabee. one offering i wouldn't recommend is their crispy rice sushi. it's not your normal crispy rice sushi where it's fried, i believe it's regular rice topped with puffed brown rice and for me the combination doesn't work. other than that Ootoya is great and is easy to get into, they take reservations but welcome walk ins as well. read more

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I wanted to like Ootoya Chelsea -- the vibe was calm, the staff was friendly, and the service was responsive. But the sushi? Big letdown. I ordered a sushi platter that included uni, and the moment it hit the table, I had a bad feeling. The uni looked wrong, and when I tasted it... ugh. It was super fishy and unpleasant. I brought it up and the server explained it might be due to the season. They did the right thing by taking it off the bill, so I give them that. Would I come back? Maybe for cooked items like the beef croquette (which was tasty), but definitely not for raw seafood. If you're picky about sashimi, be careful. read more

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Food - 4/5 This is a solid spot for some Japanese food that isn't ramen, udon or gyoza. Love the variety on the menu and how the katsu is perfectly cooked. Service - 4/5 Super friendly service and staff. Ambience - 4/5 Cozy environment. Cute spot for a date or a just dinner with friend or family. Not sure if it's the best spot to bring little kiddos. read more

We went right when they opened because we did not have reservations. They presented us with a specials menu, drink menu, and appetizers menu. the matcha martini was delicious - it was very smooth. any matcha drinker would enjoy this. the sweet potato sticks were yummy and my father and i enjoyed the salmon oshizushi - three different preparations of salmon sushi, two pieces of each. there are many upgrade options for the meal set with rice combinations - I chose the salmon roe. I prefer the Chelsea location over the USQ because of the atmosphere. It's also cool they have two levels. The wash rooms are also clean and single stall. read more

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The family came here for lunch before going to an event that is a block away. The orders were chicken matcha curry, cod fish with rice, and a kids platter. The cod fish was cooked perfectly and flavor was subtle yet delicious. The matcha curry was rich and creamy and chicken was juicy. The kids platter has a nice variety of items and they were all very good. The server and I believe manager were very attentive and friendly. The restaurant is spacious and the ambiance is great for couples or family alike. We will definitely be returning to try other items on the menu. read more

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Delicious as usual and very baby friendly. Service was exceptional - they brought utensils for the baby without us asking and was interacting in such a patient and friendly way. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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I came here for dinner one evening and had a great time! The interior of the restaurant is spacious and there's lower level and higher level seating. Service was really polite and fairly quick. I got the katsu and the nabe and both were super good! The katsu was crispy and you could upgrade to a set with rice and some sides. The nabe was comforting and full of protein. One thing that I did feel though was that the portions were a bit small for the price. We also got a matcha dessert that was delicious! A bit on the pricey side (for the portion size) but delicious food. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Matcha dessert - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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very pretty restaurant between 4th and 5th avenue. the menu isn't very complicated which is a nice thing, not too many decisions to make and it seems like everything they make, they do well. it's very quiet and elegant inside so it's a good place for a nice sit down dinner. prices are pretty normal for the area but overall a good value. I would come back. read more

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Walked in at 7 on a Saturday night and was seated quickly at the back bar. Service was friendly, swift, if not a little "upselly" -- though I appreciated the nudge to the iced mug Sapporo on a warm summer evening. DD enjoyed the Katsu set, sauces were very flavorful. Anmitsu was the first we've had outside of homemade...very unique and loved the combined flavor and mouthfeel. Appetizers were disappointing for the price ($7 for mini cucumber) Karaage did not have much meat to it compared to Izakaga Mew. All in about $80 with tip. I might try again when lunch is less expensive or during restaurant week. PS - hot pots, fish but not sushi looked to be the go to items. read more

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{Overall: 3.75; Food: 3.75} Ambiance: 3.75; Service: 3.75 Ootoya is a solid spot when I want Japanese food and a menu with a lot of variety. With several areas of bar seating, it's also a good place for solo dining. Some of my favorites are: - Salmon Oshizushi - Washu Beef Sukiyaki Nabe - Salmon Tonyu Nabe (I didn't think I would like a Japanese cream-based soup, but I really enjoyed this one! It's not too rich) - Tonkatsu Curry One drawback of Ootoya is that it's on the pricier side for what it is. For example, the tonkastu curry is $27. That being said, the consistency, variety and pleasant ambiance makes it an easy choice for dinner. read more

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. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Oyako ju - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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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. read more

Fun environment with friendly staff and interesting decor. Like the variety and dishes placed in front of you. The theme is a Japanese breakfast set, with the star of the show being the black cod which was nice and flaky with a touch of sweetness to it. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Grilled black cod - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

An excellent little gem with some incredible values on the menu. Worth it for the simple and lovely $3 chawanmushi alone. The house tofu is creamy and earthy, though the bonito flake I was given on the side was stale and flavorless. The pressed saba was disappointing--barely pressed, hardly held together when lifting it from the tray to my mouth? And didn't measure up to Raku... but perhaps my standards were just too high. Dessert was another pleasant surprise: they have anmitsu! Very minimally sweetened, with soy milk instead of syrup. Ambiance is casual, with a lot of young kids on a Friday evening, both in the dining room and at the bar. Overall worth it for the egg custard alone, and I'll be back when I'm in the area again, hopefully with a fewer tantrums from fellow diners next time. read more

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Great menu with a lot of options, strong meal-sets, good appetizers/small plates. Good selection of sake, cocktails that are thoughtfully curated to complement the menu. read more

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! read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Wish tree | IG & TikTok @territheplatypus.eatz - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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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. read more

Came here for restaurant week and I think this was a perfect meal! So much food and the service was impeccable! My favorite is definitely the truffle egg - great and unexpected flavor combo that was unreal! We had the $45 meal and it was great! Accompanied by some sake and green tea was just *chefs kiss*! read more

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We had a reservation for the weekend and I was able to be seated first. The service was friendly and I liked that there was plenty of space between the tables. I got the gindara miso teishoku set. The cod was very soft and buttery. It was enough food for me, but I did find it a bit expensive, especially since the sides were small and just okay. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - gindara miso cod - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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! read more

Ootoya Chelsea - curry with beef - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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. read more

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I love this place. 5 solid stars. I only wish they had a full bar. Great old school Japanese food. Sukiyaki 5 star. Double meat - incredible. Curry 5 star Tonkatsu 5 star Chirashi 5 star Great service great spot!!! read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Autumn Set- Chicken Miso Katsu - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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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. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Tori kurozu an set $23, got multi grain rice and yam - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Homemade Tofu, just tasted like uncooked silk tofu from Trader Joe's - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Best Japanese food I've had in the US in a long time....! Everything I ordered tasted like eating back in Japan. We ordered the Saikyo Yaki with Hijiki rice, several sushi rolls, karaage -Japanese fried chicken, oshi-Zushi (pressed sushi), Zaru-soba, cucumber salad and Warabi mochi. Everything was delicious and I was sad when my food was gone! They get very busy so go early make sure you make a reservation! read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

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Cold soba was very good and the special saba but service was not very good - forgot my tea and didn't come back.

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. read more

Ootoya Chelsea - Katsu Toji - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York