David D.
Yelp
This is graded on a curve, because we're talking about suburban Newtown here!
But what we're also talking about is a diverse array of traditional Japanese food. I'm blown away that they even have Hamachi Kama (grilled yellowtail cheek).
Ota-Ya is snuggled into an unassuming shopping center, as traditional Japanese restaurants so often are. The servers aren't necessarily the most pleasant people in the world, but they are efficient. They have a lunch menu now, but you can still order off of their very diverse dinner menu. It's like this rarefied secret because it's not online, but I'll include a few photos of the menu with this review.
Ambiance is pretty divey, to be frank. The restaurant has been around for a long time, which bodes well considering its multifarious competitors, such as the higher-end Oishis of the world. Ota-Ya's interior is about a half-step up from your typical Chinese restaurant. But let's not dwell on the drawbacks, it's the food that matters most.
I had a miso soup to start, which is non-traditional in terms of coursing, but I didn't mind since it was bitter cold outside. The broth was good and it was served with real seaweed, very auspicious, and a generous helping of tofu cubes. I liked it.
Next up, I had a sunomono salad. For those not in the know, this is a vinegar based salad with various sashimi on top. Excellent. I was surprised to find tako (although recently de-thawed, no doubt), kani, a silver fish, and salmon. Everything was very good, and the vinegar sauce was so deliciously sweet and tart, the German-American in me had to resist drinking it.
They served me the complimentary side salad which came with my sushi deluxe lunch, which was really a bog-standard helping of mixed greens. Instead of a bright, citrus-based dressing, it came with a more tomato-paste type dressing. The side salad was quite boring next to the sunomono, so I set it aside, no pun intended. ;)
Hamachi Kama, grilled yellowtail collar cheek, was next. This is a rare find in the suburbs, in fact, I almost never see it. Basically, it's like the KFC of the Japanese - try it, you'll love it. It's the broiled cheek of a large yellowtail fish. So crispy on the outside, and juicy on the interior. It's served with ponzu sauce, which was very traditional. I enjoyed it very much. Obviously, this was a frozen portion but it was cooked well, and retained the juiciness inside that is critical. It's fun to eat too, as there are a lot of nooks and crannies to explore. My server was confused when I ordered it, so I had to point it out on the menu to her (it's under the appetizers, although it's a fairly meaty portion of 3 ounces, or so).
Finally, I had my set sushi deluxe. I'm not crazy about receiving my sushi all at one time, since I'm a stickler for rice temperature and fish, but this was lunch, and I wasn't expecting an omakase at a restaurant next to a national park. Anyway, the neta (fish) was all very fresh, in fact, some of them almost melted in my mouth fresh! Not terribly varied, but at least they had a silver fish. The server did not explain any of the fish to me. It was served with a california roll. I didn't want to ask for another roll, because I was scared to confuse my waitress, too much! That said, the california roll was well formed and fresh. I asked for brown rice, since I'm battling the post-holidays bulge, but I can say that their shari (rice) was slightly above room temperature (good!), a touch sweet (great!), and well formed (did not fall apart).
All in all, a very good experience, considering the location. I'll be back, probably many times to explore other selections on the menu, such as the eel and squid options.
