大戸屋 Ootoya, The Classic Japanese Set Meal Restaurant−Daily Life in Japan

We can eat anything, including Western food, Middle Eastern food and Asian food in Tokyo, but where can we eat Japanese traditional food? Individual owners run many traditional Japanese restaurants, but if you want to guarantee a safer taste, I recommend chain store 大戸屋 Ootoya /oːtoja/.

According to their website, 大戸屋 Ootoya was established in 1958 as a popular diner in Ikebukuro, the same year Tokyo Tower was completed. 大戸屋 Ootoya is a Japanese restaurant that serves homemade-style cuisine. While some foreigners may find their food too Japanesy, it remains a popular option for those seeking authentic Japanese cuisine.

Let’s eat at 大戸屋 Ootoya

Today, I ordered the seasonal exclusive menu, すけそう鱈と夏野菜の麻辣炒め定食, which is a spicy stir-fried set meal of pollack (a kind of cod) and summer vegetables. As with most Japanese set meals, it came with miso soup and pickled vegetables. At Ootoya, you can choose between white rice or five-grain rice, and this time, I opted for grated yam on my rice.

すけそう鱈と夏野菜の麻辣炒め定食, a spicy stir-fried set meal of pollack and summer vegetables.

すけそう鱈と野菜の黒酢あん定食, a set meal of pollack and vegetables in black vinegar source, is a regular menu, and it is good, too. There is a chicken version instead of pollack.

During winter, I enjoy eating a set meal called 鶏肉とお豆腐ねばねば野菜のトロトロ煮としそひじきご飯, which consists of chicken and Tofu with sticky vegetables in a thick stew served with Japanese herbal seaweed rice. The soup has a flavour that warms me up from the inside. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo to share, but you can visit the restaurant’s website to see what it looks like.