Ootoya
Submitted by admin on January 20, 2011 – 1:46 pmNo Comment
Had dinner at Ootoya, a casual Japanese restaurant chain with outlets in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, HK, Indonesia and more recently, Singapore. I’ve seen the outlets in Tokyo, but it never really occurred to me to try them out, especially with no dearth of excellent food options there.
Interior & Menu
With its discreet and minimalistic frontage, Ootoya could well be mistaken for an upclass Japanese restaurant. But walk in and be greeted by a casual, almost cafe like amostphere complete with shouts of Japanese greeting and a long U shape table (a little like a teppanyaki table except that this one doesn’t have a chef standing in front of you preparing food) and small “semi private” rooms for those who have a bigger group (which we were lucky to get).
Stuff that I didn’t eat
Charcoal Grilled Pork with Special Sauce ($16)
To be honest, how exciting can grilled pork get? But I was quite taken aback by how well Ootoya grilled its generous pieces of hog – Relatively tender with grilled lines to show for it and a flittering taste of charcoal smokiness. Coupled with plump, mildly sticky rice grains, it made for a wonderful combination.
Banana Parfait ($8)
I am rather skeptical about Japanese desserts as they always seem to prefer form (aesthetics) over substance (might be a misconception). Ootoya’s Banana Parfait sought to realign that misconception with a surprisingly good and sweet ending to my meal. The parfait didn’t come across as too gelatin and sat on a bed of azuki beans which hinted of coffee. 2 small slices of banana and sponge completed the picture.
Overall I spent about $28 for a wonderful dinner inclusive of free flow green tea. Well worth the money in my humble opinion and definitely worth a revisit.
Final Verdict:
Ambience:7/10
Service:7/10
Food:7.5/10
Value for money:7.5/10
Overall:7.25/10
Address: #B1-057 Suntec City & #08-12 Orchard Central
Contact: 6884-8901 (Suntec) & 6837-3718 (Orchard)
Opening Hours: Daily: 12pm – 9.30pm
Website: http://www.ootoya.com
