Cydonie Brown

The restaurant is very close to Bryant Park. The food was okay, though my soup could have used a bit more spice. My group enjoyed the soups from the “Nabe” selection. Maybe next time I’ll try the mini sushi variety.

+3

ivan garcia

This place is very authentic, coming from someone that has been to Japan a handful of times. My party all got the pork or chicken tonksu so I cant comment on the rest of the food but as I looked around it also appeared very nice. The vibe was chill and relaxed woth amazing staff making sure we were well taken care of. If your in the area i highly recommend this spot.

Anna

Ootoya in Midtown is my go-to spot for authentic Japanese set meals in a cozy atmosphere. I enjoyed everything about our visit. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and felt like a comforting Japanese home-cooked meal. We ordered a kids’ meal for my toddler, and he absolutely loved it! The food came in a rocket-shaped plate, which made the experience fun and exciting. The seating can be a bit tight depending on where you’re placed, but it’s manageable. A great spot for anyone craving authentic Japanese flavors with a warm, welcoming vibe.

mag huang

Fantastic 100/10 food! Miso fish was super nice. Pork with egg was also great. Highly recommend this place, taste pretty authentic

Marcel Ramos

I've had unagi (eel) quite a few times but the unagi at Ootoya was spectacular. It was well cooked and tender. The rice portion was just enough to satisfy and the sweet soy sauce gives it the classic touch. The salmon sashimi was tender and flavorful with hints of citrus. The warabi mochi was made in house and was soft and slightly chewy. The brown sugar syrup at the bottom was a little too strong for my taste but the mochi was delicious. The mochi was definitely more delicate than what you can buy at the Japanese grocery store. Everything I ordered at Ootoya exceeded my expectations. I would definitely go there again and try other things on their menu.

Shiki

First meal in NYC. Waited for 5 minutes and sat on a bar table on Sunday night. Recommend Washu beef sukiyaki nabe (added a onsen tamago), Katsu toji with chicken, and beef potato croquette. All of them are tasty, and I feel it worthwhile to add rice to make it a set (really good Japanese rice). Paid 90 (before tax and tip) for 2 people, but in general I feel it a bit pricey though (but maybe that’s reasonable price on time square… I’m not sure) No one added water to our table so I feel the service could be improved.

Albert K

Great fish dishes here. Tons of different menus make it a bit confusing but that means more choices. Good sake options and various smaller dishes. Miso fish was my choice and a great one.

+12

Rachel Caitlin

Always love this place. Go early as no reservations for this location and it gets PACKED. Slightly limited menu at lunch ca dinner but you still get everything you could want! Always busy but some of the best food you could ever have. Any of their locations are great but this is the one i go to the most. They are also great at not rushing people during the meal but everyone is cognizant that there is usually a line of people waiting for a seat. Highly recommend truly some of the best Japanese food ever.

+8

The experience was decent overall. None of the flavors were especially memorable, but everything was executed to a solid and reliable standard. The restaurant feels like a place where you can find a wide range of options depending on what you are in the mood for, and the dinner wait was not particularly long The set meal I ordered was beautifully presented, with layered bowls arranged across the entire tray. Before the food was even tasted, the visual presentation was already enjoyable. I tend not to appreciate dishes without plating unless the flavors are truly outstanding, and Japanese cuisine usually satisfies this expectation In terms of the food itself, the beef was cooked to a good doneness, and the eel was rich and glossy. The variety of small side dishes helped refresh the palate throughout the meal. The miso soup worked well to cleanse and balance richer flavors, while the kimchi tofu soup was comparatively ordinary and left little impression, though it was also much more affordable

Jenn L

This was my 1st visit to their Times Square location and I also haven't been to Ootoya in a hot minute. I stopped by for a birthday lunch and was seated at the counter. QR codes on the table needed to be scanned to view the menu but I think they also had physical menus as well. The Yosenabe Teishoku set had a kombu broth with 3 different kinds of fish, pork slices, beef slice and udon noodles. Talk about a lot of food! The okra side that it came with had a sesame dressing which I wished they offered refills for. The salad was just okay for me, the dressing was a bit tart for me. The miso soup was also pretty good with 2 small pieces of tofu and a few pieces of wakame. The star of this whole meal was definitely the hot pot. The first fish had quite a lot of bones but the meat tasted clean and was tender and flaky. The salmon was also pretty tender and definitely not overcooked. The third I wasn't too partial with because of the slightly fishy taste. The beef was just okay for me as I enjoyed the pork a lot more. More than just a boiled taste, perhaps the pork was seasoned but it was my favorite part of the hot pot. With some udon noodles at the bottom of the hot pot and a giant bowl of rice, this set meal was definitely very filling. 2nd visit: I tried the Kaasan Ni set. Onions were stewed till soft and paired well with the egg and katsu pieces. Next time I'll have to give the beef sukiyaki a try.

Noelle

freshness of sushi/bowls is generally not the best, but this is otherwise the place to go for japanese comfort food.

Hsin-Roe Pan

The food itself is top tier. I got the butterfish set and each dish was finely crafted with its own flavorful essence. The salad and radish have a more subtle flavor, but the punchy tang of the salted fish and soaked tofu balls balance it out. All I’d say is it’d be perfect if my data or wifi worked inside. The waitress also forgot my soup spoon lol

Jean Ng

We enjoyed the tasty food every time we visit any Ootoya. I do wished the grated yam could be a little more than just a dollop on top the rice. A good choice for pre show dinner if looking for good Japanese food.

+1

Qiaoyi Chen

Loved this restaurant. But feel like the price are much higher than before. Today I am checking my photo from last year? The same sukiyaki set for 35$, now sukiyaki itself is 35, if you want the set, that is 6$ more. And the old set used to contain salad, now it disappears. Taste is still good. Service is okay for me.

Writing this hurts my heart as a Japanese person. I’ve been here several times before, and this was the first bad experience. I sincerely hope this isn’t the new norm. I ordered the Nabeyaki Udon lunch set. The miso soup was watery, and the bowl smelled like a dirty washcloth. The udon broth was also watery and full of brown foam and residue, giving it an unpleasant fishy taste. In Japanese cooking, this brown foam (aku) is carefully skimmed off while simmering so the soup remains clean, clear, and flavorful. Leaving it in completely ruins the taste. To make matters worse, I found a piece of plastic bag in the soup that was about 5 inches by 1 inch. I felt sick. I will not go back there anymore.

Sylvia Chen

I lived in this city for more than 4 years and went to Ootoya union square countless times. But this time, I had a very disappointing experience at Ootoya in Times Square, primarily due to the service. We arrived earlier and placed our order around 1:30 PM for two set meals and two small appetizers. I had a 2:30 appointment, so we were slightly mindful of time. Given my previous experience at Ootoya union square, I was pretty confident I could make it. By 1:50 PM, nothing had been served—not even the appetizers—so I asked a male server to help check. He went to the kitchen and told us it would take about five more minutes, so we continued waiting. By around 2:00 PM, still nothing had arrived. We then asked another female server for an update. To be clear, I was not asking her to rush the food or have it served immediately. I simply asked if she could check with the kitchen and let us know approximately how much longer it would take, and mentioned that even bringing the appetizers first would help. Instead of checking, she began lecturing us. She said that if we were in a hurry, we shouldn’t have ordered set meals and should have ordered “faster, pre-made dishes.” She then emphasized that their dishes—especially fish—require very delicate preparation and stated that each dish takes at least 15 minutes. At that point, I told her we had placed our order around 1:30 PM, so it had already been over 20 minutes. Rather than going to the kitchen to check on the order, she chose to walk to the cashier, pull up the order on the screen, and return in a condescending manner to argue that our order was placed at 1:35 PM, not 1:30 PM. The five-minute difference is irrelevant—even by her own record, 25 minutes had already passed by 2:00 PM. What stood out was that her priority seemed to be proving the customer wrong, rather than helping resolve the delay. I eventually got my food around 2:08pm. Shortly afterward she took an order at the table next to us. When they ordered sushi, she suddenly raised her voice and said in a sarcastic tone, “Just so you know, sushi takes a looong time—around 20 to 25 minutes. Are you okay with that?” This felt less like a helpful warning and more like a passive-aggressive remark clearly directed at us. I came here to dine, not to be lectured or ridiculed. Food quality aside (ironically, the fish soup we eventually received had a noticeable fishy smell), basic respect, accountability, and professionalism matter even more. The attitude and professionalism of this staff were completely unacceptable. With service like this, I will not be returning, and I cannot recommend this location.

Shan F (Jack)

I had a very disappointing experience at Ootoya in New York today. I ordered the Washu Beef Sukiyaki Nabe set, but the pot itself looked dirty and unwashed for a long time, which was very off-putting. The broth was overly sweet, the beef was tough and dry, and the scallions were just old green leaves. The grilled salmon tasted unfresh with a strong unpleasant smell, and the ikura (salmon roe) seemed like it had been sitting for 2–3 weeks — overly salty and fishy. The sashimi was far from fresh, the color already looked off as if the fish had dried out, and even the wasabi was darkened. In Japan, Ootoya is known as a casual, affordable spot for decent Japanese comfort food. But here in New York, the portion is small, the quality is poor, and the price is shockingly high — $50 for a set like this is unacceptable. Honestly, I don’t recommend coming here. This experience was far from what Ootoya is supposed to represent, and it’s disappointing to see Japanese food culture presented this way.