Ōtoya Mitaka South

(4.5÷5 stars)
Unilocal 100 Challenge 2015 — ⁹⁶⁄₁₀₀; Countdown ⁶⁄₁₀!
Õtoya is a chain of family restaurants featuring traditional Japanese lunch item plates and sets that are very reasonably priced but high in quality. This location is a good representative of the chain, in general. However, as you’ll see with chain stores/​restaurants, the experience is definitely YMMV due to the location, clientele and staff.
One could even theorize that these differences are a result of the management approach at each location, which is most likely true. There are also individual staff personalities to create additional differences.
Highlights:
+ Menu: 4.5÷5 stars (good mix of standby items and season items featuring fresh ingredients)
+ Ambiance: ⁴⁄₅ (rather quiet, soft lit, jazz bgm, lots of earth tones with Japanese accents)
+ Value: 4.5÷5 (balance of price vs. quality, right?)
+ Staff/​Service: 4.5÷5 (as hinted in the intro, the staff here make all the difference. Average age is middle range and above, but they’re courteous, polite and genuine)
+ Access: 3,5/5 (on the main street directly south and leading away from Mitaka staion; it’s about a five minute walk if you take a beeline and follow the Unilocal pin)
Among the seasonal favorites, their Plum Chicken Salad is particularly refreshing and tasty — nice blend of light soy sauce flavor accented with the sour but twangy kick of dressing made from Japanese plums. An old standby, their lunch plate, is not only very reasonably priced, but has good volume and variety of items, plus a nice serving of thinly sliced cabbage and veggies as a side salad. The cream croquette is particularly nice — light, crisp perfectly deep-​fried outer crust and silky smooth cream sauce filling — yum!
I don’t usually highlight specific food items in Reviews, as taste is subjective. However, the two examples given are good starters for the rest of the menu. Again, value factor here is high, and the friendly staff make it a pleasant experience for both your wallet and hunger.