I had the classic pork shoulder ginger pork set meal. It had been so long that I couldn't remember what I had last eaten, so I decided to go with the ginger pork set meal. I topped it off with potato salad and changed the miso soup to a vegetable barley miso soup. I wanted to try both brown rice and white rice, so I had a small portion of each, with a topping of bonito flakes on the white rice. The ginger pork was delicious with the crushed ginger on top. The potato salad tasted like it was store-bought, so I don't think it was necessary to order it. The vegetable barley miso soup was too sweet for my taste, as it was made with white miso. I love bonito flakes on rice, so that was really tasty. The server later brought an egg yolk and said it was for the bonito flakes, which cost only an additional 70 yen. I was skeptical, but I appreciated it. Overall, the potato salad and vegetable barley miso soup were disappointing, but the bonito flakes on rice were worth coming back for. The brown rice was just regular brown rice. I will definitely visit again in the future!

This is a restaurant I have already visited twice. The waitress this time was a seasoned woman. She moved quickly and efficiently, which was great, but I felt a bit overwhelmed when she rapidly asked about the amount and types of rice. It was around 2 pm and the place was somewhat less busy, so I wish she could use a bit more polite language like "May I help you?" or "What would you like?" Also, when I asked for no green onions, she promptly accommodated my request and even inquired if I wanted the onions removed altogether. However, the restroom downstairs seemed to have a lingering odor and flies, which was a bit off-putting. When I took off my mask to eat the food, I noticed a sewage-like smell, which was disappointing despite the delicious food. I hope they can take some measures to address this issue. Overall, I feel like the restaurant is just a few steps away from being excellent.

When I'm out and feeling hungry for some Japanese food, I like to visit Ootoya. It's conveniently located near Nakano Station. I enjoy their Chicken Miso Katsu set meal, which I don't usually eat at home. The dish is served in a pot-like container, keeping it piping hot for a long time.

Located along Nakano Street, I knew of its existence but had never entered before. Suddenly, I felt like going to Ootoya, so I visited for the first time. Going downstairs into the restaurant, despite the old building, the interior was bright and clean, exceeding my expectations. I ordered the Ootoya lunch, a signature dish. It had various ingredients and was reasonably priced, satisfying my hunger.

It had been a while since I visited Ootoya! It was dinner time on a Saturday, but we were seated right away (*^^*). There were so many menu options to choose from, but I was really hungry so I decided to go with the hearty ginger pork. It was delicious! However, I was still a bit hungry afterwards, so I regretted not getting extra rice or maybe ordering more cabbage. My companion ordered something like sweet and sour pork, which looked really tasty, so I think I'll try that next time.

Lunch visit. There is a Ootoya in Central Park, but it tends to get crowded during lunchtime and I don't really like being seated alone, so I traveled to this location. I ordered the "Black Ginger and Chicken Meatball Japanese-style Hot Pot for 950 yen" that my friend recommended as "delicious". I asked for a small amount of rice for a 20 yen discount. You can choose between white rice and five-grain rice, but I regretted choosing five-grain rice last time, so I asked for white rice this time. The hot pot had a soy sauce-based soup with vegetables and tofu, but the meatballs weren't very tasty, and I felt that a miso flavor would be better for these ingredients. The burdock and ginger rice was also not particularly delicious. The restaurant is located underground, not very spacious, with many counter seats, giving off a student town vibe. It was empty when I entered, but after 12 o'clock, there was a queue. There were three staff members, but they seemed too busy to attend to customers. The food was served slowly, and I thought they should consider narrowing down the menu.

A chain restaurant located about a 3-minute walk north of JR Nakano Station North Exit, on Nakano Street. It's in the basement of a building just a little past Yoshinoya. I visited for lunch on a holiday. I arrived around 12:40 and since I was alone, I was seated right away, at the counter of course. After looking at the menu, I decided to order the "Mushroom and Seafood Ankake Hot Pot Rice" (980 yen) which was a new menu item starting from September. When ordering, they asked me about the type and amount of rice, so I requested normal serving with multigrain rice. The dish took about 15 minutes to be served. The hot pot was really hot, so be careful, they warned me. It seemed like the seafood had more impact than the mushrooms. It came with miso soup, bonito flakes, and pickles. The taste was a bit of a shock as it was more like a Chinese-style rice bowl than a Japanese-style ankake. I wished it had more varieties of mushrooms like shimeji. The ingredients included shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, shrimp, Chinese cabbage, clams, carrots, onions, and green onions. The shrimp was firm and tasty, and there were about 4 pieces. There were a lot of clams as well, but their taste was overshadowed by the strong ankake sauce. It took me quite a while to finish the hot dish due to its temperature. The portion size was just right for a normal serving. The miso soup had wakame seaweed and a decent amount of it. Overall, the taste was okay, but it was not what I expected. If I come back, I would choose a regular set meal from the menu. Also, I noticed a college-aged girl sitting next to me who was eating a ginger pork set meal but left almost all of the shredded cabbage and potato salad untouched. I thought it was a waste and wondered how she could skip eating vegetables. Anyway, I paid with PayPay. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the well-known chain restaurant Ootoya! Lately, the quality of frozen food has improved significantly, and I've been hooked on a series where rice and side dishes come in one tray from a certain manufacturer. I was curious to see whether eating at the restaurant or having frozen food at home is a better deal. I tried the "Pork and Vegetable Miso Stir-Fry Set Meal for 840 yen"! It was a delicious dish of cabbage, bell peppers, and pork stir-fried with miso and spicy flavors. First, the price - the frozen series usually costs around 300 yen, and even with a cup of miso soup, it's still under 500 yen, so the frozen food wins in terms of price. In terms of portion size and satisfaction, Ootoya wins hands down. As for the taste, the pork and vegetable miso stir-fry I had this time may still be unbeatable by frozen ingredients, especially with leafy vegetables and miso, but the seasoning of frozen food is already at a restaurant level, so don't underestimate it! However, the hospitality of the staff at the restaurant, despite being busy, is something that cannot be replicated with frozen food. Ultimately, while frozen food is convenient, dining at the restaurant provides a higher level of satisfaction. So, I'll stick to having frozen food for dinner after 8 pm when the restaurant is closed (laughs). Thank you for the meal!

I used to love Ootoya and frequently visited it. I always thought it was much better than Yayoiken. I believed that Ootoya made their dishes from scratch while Yayoiken used ready-made ingredients. However, when I recently visited the Nakano branch, I was shocked. The Chicken Okaasan Nitsuke set meal was supposed to be served hot, but parts of it were lukewarm. Wasn't Chicken Okaasan Nitsuke supposed to be made by simmering freshly fried chicken? Maybe my memory was too idealized. I was disappointed after eating a Chicken Katsu that lacked the crispy texture because it seemed like it was reheated. I'm not sure if they cut costs after being acquired by Colowide or if it's just the way they prepare dishes at the Nakano branch. I will try another Ootoya branch to confirm.

It has become a staple for me for lunch. I ordered the black vinegar sauce with sablefish and oyster fry at Ootoya. It's a place where women, men, elderly, and families can easily enter. The deliciousness of the food cooked inside the restaurant is something I hope they can maintain in the future.

Hello, this is Numao. I'm in Nakano for work. After finishing my first appointment, it's lunchtime! I planned to explore a local famous restaurant, but ended up here at "Ootoya Nakano" (laughs). However, I have always loved Ootoya since I lived in Yokohama. Despite some ups and downs (mysterious), the food is delicious. It's been a few years since I last visited, but I will order the menu I always used to get. Numao's Ootoya staple menu: Shimahokke set meal with extra rice and grated yam, and I'll add a side of pumpkin croquette. The hokke is thick and juicy! It's amazing with the subtle spiciness of grated radish. I sprinkled a little soy sauce on the grated yam rice. If I could order just the grated yam rice alone, I would be satisfied, it's that good! And the pumpkin croquette, a crispy delight that brings out the sweetness of the pumpkin. It's delicious even with sauce. As a personal wish, I hope they bring back the shrimp cutlet, green onion, and fried tofu with plum-flavored salad that used to be on the menu (laughs). The consistent deliciousness never fails. Thank you for the meal.

I see. Even at night, the 'Ootoya Lunch Set' (780 yen including tax) seems to be a limited menu at this store. It seems like the menu can vary depending on the store. So, I ordered the above dish at this store. If you ask for less rice, you get a 20 yen discount. The set includes pumpkin croquette and fried chicken. The portion size is not that big. The pumpkin croquette was sweet and the coating was crispy, surprisingly tasty. The fried chicken had a topping of grated daikon radish, so the crispy texture of the coating was lost, but it was still soft and decently delicious. It would have been better if it was a bit juicier.

Although it is a chain of health-oriented set meal restaurants, I really love Ootoya! When I can't decide on lunch, I always look for an Ootoya. Especially the location in Nakano has efficient and friendly staff, which is why it's my favorite. Today, I had grilled mackerel with multigrain rice. The miso soup was upgraded with plenty of vegetables, and it made me feel healthier just by eating it! The taste was consistently delicious. However, I'm a bit concerned about the recent subtle price increases. It's getting a bit pricey! It's tough for a budget-conscious salaryman like me. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

On Sunday afternoon, my wife and I visited this restaurant located along Nakano-dori near the north exit of Nakano Station. It was our first time at Ootoya. We descended the stairs to the underground entrance. The restaurant was quite crowded around 12 o'clock. The seating area had dim lighting. The walls were tiled, with white-painted blocks higher up. I wish they had brighter lighting to give a cleaner feel, as the atmosphere was a bit of a mood dampener. The service was efficient, with two South Asian (Nepalese) female waitresses working diligently, which was impressive. We ordered the following dishes: - Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) set meal with rice 990 yen We chose normal rice and the tonkatsu was surprisingly thick and satisfying. There was a large piece of kelp under the cutlet, which was a nice surprise. - Chicken and vegetable in black vinegar sauce set meal 880 yen We opted for normal portion of multigrain rice. The dish had a strong flavor, with the black vinegar sauce coating the ingredients well. My wife said "the rice goes down easily" (laughs). The customers included young couples, local ladies, and elderly couples, creating a diverse atmosphere. It didn't feel like a place for romantic dates, at least not in our concept of a couple (laughs). Total: 1,870 yen Thank you for the meal!

I went to Ootoya and had grilled saury. It's surprisingly difficult to prepare a decent meal by myself, so I'm grateful for Ootoya's help. It was delicious. I've already tried saury. Next up are pear, grape, and salmon. Looks good! I've conquered the "autumn flavors" list: 1. chestnut, 2. saury, 5. pear, 7. grape, 8. ginkgo, 9. sweet potato, 10. salmon. Ootoya Nakano Kitaguchi branch, Tokyo, Nakano-ku, Nakano 5-66-4 Nakano SHK Building B1F. ★★★☆☆ 3.07. Budget (dinner): up to ¥999.