Ootoya - Union Square Reviews Summary

Category: Authentic Japanese restaurant New York

Address: 41 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003, USA

Phone: +12124734300

Rating: 4.3
based on 123 reviews.

Food Quality

Pros:

  • "Excellent food at this place."
  • "Karaage was excellent."
  • "The pork tonkatsu was fried well and was excellent with the accompanied ponzu sauce."
  • "The beef quality was really good."
  • "The tenderness of the chicken was absolutely phenomenal."
  • "The food was great and had great flavor, exactly like the locations in Taiwan and Japan."
  • "The salmon was fresh and paired well with the tofu and vegetables."

Cons:

  • "It is the most overpriced food I have ever paid for, for what it is worth."
  • "Very underwhelming and I waited 30-40 minutes to receive this small dessert."
  • "The soup was too salty and there was a strong fishy smell so I wouldn't recommend it."
  • "Both curry and rice were cold in some parts and lukewarm in other."
  • "The TEBASAKI and ASU BUTA wasn't worth it to me for what they were."
  • "The pork cutlet katsu was mushy instead of crispy."
  • "The taste of tuna was bit off."

Service

Pros:

  • "Service is good and friendly."
  • "Our servers were quick!"
  • "Service was super nice."
  • "Service is top notch - the entire waitstaff works as a team."
  • "Service was attentive and friendly."
  • "The staff was super nice and friendly."
  • "Staff is very professional."

Cons:

  • "It took over 15 minutes even for the waiter to bring our table water let alone take a drink order."
  • "Service was poor with a long wait to take the orders, no follow-up after serving."
  • "The restaurant was very understaffed. Three servers seemed to serve 30-40 people."
  • "Waitress also messed up order even after confirmation."
  • "The check took forever during lunch and they seemed adequately staffed."
  • "The service isn’t that great, always asking us to take the food away while we haven’t even finished yet."
  • "Ordered and waited over 40 mins with no food arriving."

Atmosphere

Pros:

  • "Ootoya Greenwich itself has an upscale atmosphere."
  • "Great spot of a warm, authentic experience with great food and good conversation."
  • "Very good vibe."
  • "Great decor, open dining area that's not too loud."
  • "It has an amazing ambiance."
  • "Decor is beautiful."
  • "Atmosphere is great and the interior decor and design is beautiful!"

Cons:

  • "The ceiling was very high and the atmosphere was basic, not bad by any means, but not inviting or cosy either."
  • "It was somewhat uncomfortable eating on the street as the car parked right next to me did not turn off the engine for a while."
  • "No AC when I visited on July 22. So all customers ate their lunch while sustaining 90 degrees temperature inside this place."
  • "Atmosphere, meh. Sitting at the bar facing a closed grill with unused equipment sitting around."
  • "The tables are close together and it can get very loud here."
  • "Walking inside you feel instantly transported you to a restaurant in Japan, the atmosphere is peaceful."
  • "The ambiance is very soothing and relaxing, with airy high ceilings."

Pricing

Pros:

  • "Upon first brush you may feel the price is a little expensive, but give it a go and you’ll come to learn that the service, portion, flavor, and plate ware makes it all worth it."
  • "I find the meal sets are a terrific deal."
  • "Prices adjusted for tip so it's not as expensive as you'd think."
  • "This is a no tip restaurant with reasonable prices."

Cons:

  • "Found the value a bit subpar for the price points."
  • "Prices are expensive - as all Japanese food is in New York - compared to what you would pay for the same meal in Japan."
  • "No tipping is a small reason why the prices are a bit higher."
  • "It's quite overpriced compared to the relative pricing they charge in Asia."
  • "The reintroduction of tipping system makes it kind of expensive."
  • "At current prices Ootoya is bad value and not worth going to."
  • "Would recommend trying this place, but not if you are on a budget, the bill was $40 per person."

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