Ootoya

Ootaya Restaurant is a great, reliable choice if you're heading over to Daiei Mall. It's popular -  on weekends and many evenings it will be busy and may have a waiting line.

Ootoya store front

The name Ooto - 大戸　－ means the main door at the front of the house. Each of the separate Kanjis mean big (大) and door (戸)  and shop (屋)

Upon getting there you'll be seated immediately if there is room or just add your name to the list. English will work just fine.

If you're dining solo there is a nice counter area in the middle of the restaurant to seat you.

Sign in and counter area

Ordering is a snap from their Japanese menu with pictures or English menu. The English menu did not show the salads but you can see them on the Japanese menu or on a small triangle paper stand-up menu on the table. Hot tea comes with the meal along with refills, but the drink bar is a good choice at a good price.  Ootoya has many individual items and a good selection of set meals. Take a look at their menu online here at their website.  The menu links are on the top right. It's a good idea to learn the katakana and hiragana, but at least learn to recognize "menu" -　メニユ--  

If you have food allergies, at the bottom of each menu page on their site is a link to the allergy information page. You can translate that page and/or you'll have to line up the menu item with each line item.

Char Grilled Horse Mackerel

Each set meal comes with your choice of rice size - small, medium, or large. The wait staff has taken the time to learn those English words so getting through that will be easy. The meal also comes with miso soup, shredded lettuce/cabbage with dressing, and some pickles such as daikon.

Fried Shrimp

Lettuce with tofu, seaweed, and dried seaweed

Chicken with Vegetables in a tasty sauce

English Menu

 Ootoya specializes in traditional home cooking, like the way mom would make.  They concern themselves with fresh ingredients, nutrition, and balance according to their website.

They are a chain restaurant so be on the lookout for their signature blue sign. 
Next time your in the Big Apple, check them out - they have a shop there too and are opening a second in Times Square. 


Remember to bring your Daiei parking ticket and get it validated at the restaurant.