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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
Neighborhood: Queen AnneMon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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My favorite dish at Ototo is their Ototo Special Bento Box. It's a great deal for $18.95. You get a three course meal with salad and miso soup as starters. The entree is a bento box that comes with california roll, prawn and vegetable tempura, sashimi, and your choice of chicken karaage, chicken teriyaki or salmon teriyaki. And...for dessert you get your choice of green tea, red bean or mango mochi ice cream! Mmmmm. =) This is such a great deal for the person who wants to sample everything and it's all delicious and satisfying.
Other entrees I have tried are the Grilled Chicken and Sake Marinated Black Cod. Both are quite tasty as well. The sushi rolls are great too.
The service here is good. The staff is very nice and welcoming. I also really like the restaurant decor. It has a modern futuristic look using white, red, and black paint colors.
If you're in the mood for Japanese food and find yourself in upper Queen Anne, check out Ototo!
Small. Trendy(ish). Decent sashimi. Non-existent parking.
I came here w/ a group of 8...half of us tried the special bento box ($19 for salad/miso/CA rolls/ tempura/chicken teriyaki/sashimi/and a freaking scoop of ice cream) and the other half tried other dishes. I tried the sashimi platter ($15ish)... which was pretty good. On par with Umi (Belltown)...but not as awesome as I Love Sushi (Lake Union). Thick cuts of buttery toro, salmon, tuna, etc. The only thing I didn't like was the geoduck (pronounced "gooey-duck" by my friends, "george-duck" by my aunt and "G-O-duck" by me). However you pronounce it, it means the same thing. FISHY.
I was too full to try anything from the dessert menu but a few of my friends did go for the "Taiyaki" strawberry shortcake (Fish-shaped "elephant ears" with scoops of ice cream in the middle). Really yummy according to them.
Parking is a pain. It's located right next to a giant parking lot...owned by the Safeway next door. Urgh. It took us a good 10 mins to find a spot in the residential area.
An observation: the womens' bathoom felt creepy to me. Black toilet. Black sink. 1 dinky light.
Been coming here since it opened. Been all over the city/metro area and this is probably my favorite place for sushi.
Note - when I come here it's to eat raw chunks of fish with some rice (sushi) or just the raw chunks of fish (sushimi). For some reason some of my friends like to say they eat sushi and spend the meal eating rolls, teriyaki, vegetables, etc. As it turns out, this place does it all, very well. Hutch-san is the master.
Small, local sushi restaurant that is A-mazing!! I've recommended this one to all my friends. It's fresh sushi, not off a conveyor belt, and it is sooooo good!!! Must try!
Still relatively new in town, and am looking for a couple of good sushi joints (preferably, one less expensive for the more frequent runs, and one for splurging). After having some hopes that this would be one of the better places that I've tried, I was a little disappointed.
The decor is nice, clean, and relaxing, and the service is good to, but the sashimi just does not satisfy. Flavor was just OK, but was not as fresh and delicious as I would have hopped. The scallop was a stand out from the sashimi that I tried. The rolls I were more satisfying, but the rice was a little soft. I think that if you were local and needed a decent place to grab a couple of rolls to get the job done, this place would be OK. If it would be a few bucks less, I would bump it to 4 starts as a bargain, but no dice.
I would give this place a 5 stars because of ample parking and GREAT fresh sushi for a great price!
I ordered the Spicy Negihama (delicious yellow tail with spicy sauce, cucumber and green onions), and the Magnolia roll (I think is either tuna or white fish, and ginger with pickled vegetables). All were good on my part.
My friend ordered the Seattle C, the Tempura C (shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, and roe), and the Caterpillar C. She said hers was good. All for $34. A great deal.
Service was excellent as they were consistently coming over to ask what we needed and refilled our glasses of water before we even had to ask for it. Clean restaurant with a great view of the Queen Ann business district. This will be my favorite sushi spot so far.
So I learned something new, do NOT park in the convenient lot close to Ototo. Apparently, that's parking for Safeway and they'll ticket you if they decide to be dicks about it. Thanks for the nonexistent signage, Safeway! Fortunately, I escaped the ticket but I don't think my guests were so lucky. I told them to park there since we didn't have trouble in the past! Argh.
Anywho, the dinner turned out well but being there with a larger group made me realize how loud it could be and how awful the waitservice is. First of all, I left two voicemails over two days regarding my reservation hoping for a confirmation call, but I had to call them myself 3 hours prior to the dinner to confirm.
At reservation time, the waitstaff ignored the small crowd at the door. I didn't see that our table was ready. It took about 10 minutes to get their attention long enough to notify them that we were here for our reservation and another 10 to be seated. If it were just the two of us, I would have docked them another star, but it was bearable since I was catching up with family and out entire party hadn't arrived yet.
It would have helped if the waitress told us when seated that the sushi chefs were backed up so we could hurry up and place our initial order. But she let us languish for several minutes before telling us and another several minutes to take our order. Fortunately, we were able to pass the time with conversation.
But I still like them for food. We started with sauteed geoduck and mushrooms. quite tasty and well prepared. The geoduck has a nice flavor and consistency when cooked. We also had a couple plates of seafood suonomono, which was reduced in price and size, but still very generous with a good variety of seafood.
We ordered a couple of spider rolls (tasty), rainbow rolls (satisfying), Ototo Rolls (Good combo of fish but too ricey and a hint of odd flavor) and sashimi plates. This was enough to fill up six adults.
The sashimi was delicious and my guests were impressed with the quality. I'm glad my choice paid off. Now if only they can get their act together on the service side (perhaps warning customers about that parking lot), then they'd be top notch.
This is my new favorite neighborhood sushi place. It took us at least three tries to actually get to… Read more »
This place was pretty cool. The decor was somewhat not what I would expect from a Japanese restaurant, but it was cool nonetheless.
The food was pretty good. We started with the unagi spring rolls and asparagus salad thing. Those were really good. For the main course, we ordered a bunch of nigiri. Toro wasn't as fatty as I expected it to be, but it was still OK. We also got hirame, aji, amaebi. They tasted pretty fresh. The negitoro was reaaallly good, it basically melted in my mouth.
Anyway, this is a cool place to go on a date. I couldn't find the big parking spots that people were talking about, but we got lucky and found an open parking spot on the street right in front of the restaurant.
We're lucky to have Ototo as our "neighborhood" sushi restaurant. I'm surprised by the lack of kudos on this site -- I've eaten at all the well-critiqued sushi places all over Seattle, and Ototo stacks up pretty darn well, even against Nishino's in Madison Park and the shi-shi Belltown spots.
HITS: chirashi is a great mix of sashimi on seaweed-sprinkled rice for those who love the raw stuff. It includes some of the more unusual seafood, such as large surf clam and geoduck, yum. They also do a good job on Rainbow Roll and Spicy Negihama. The bento box is a great deal: around $18 including tempura, cali roll, salmon, miso, etc. + ice cream for dessert. Seasonal bentos can include a nice udon soup noodle too. For appetizer, the Agedashi Tofu is delicious. They also have an interesting steamed Seafood Wonton.
MISSES: they should really improve their Tuna Poke. It tastes like it's not marinated in much of anything and the tuna is low-grade stringy. They could also beef up their selection of rolls -- the usuals are there, but not enough imaginative choices. Also, they could REALLY use new sake sets. We've had to drink sake in chipped teacups for far too long!
All in all, Ototo is a good choice for Japanese. Those who don't eat raw fish will be pleasantly surprised by the selection of cooked entrees and appetizers. The decor is moderne -- nice.
It's been some time that I've had a love-hate relationship with a restaurant which continues to be a regular haunt for us only because they have coupons through Valpak (guilty clipper here). The fish is fresh, they offer a rotating menu of nouvelle sushi creations, and the prices are in the middle range for sushi restaurants.
The bad: really slow service. I'm sure it's a cost savings move but they really need more wait staff-- this has been a constant problem every time I've been there, to the point that we're ordering takeout more than dining in.
Lastly, totally agree with Han O. Park on the street, not the "mini" lot --Safeway's space -- just east of the restaurant. Diamond Parking has watchers there and they'll ticket you in a heartbeat.
Shiki was closed. So Ototo sufficed.
Plus: Nice venue, window seat, good sushi. GREAT sake.
Minus: Long wait, not as fresh and flavorful as Shiki, less character and authenticity than my favorite.
Shared a Rainbow Roll, Unagi and Octopus, with some miso soup.
It's perfectly fine - but upper QA suffers due to the BEST place being just down the hill. Monday substitution for a fix, at best.
One of my favorite sushi places in Queen Anne. While the rolls might not be as fancy and crazy and eclectic as perhaps Umi in Belltown, the quality of the sashimi here is great. The prices aren't outrageous and you can leave feeling you had an honest meal.
My favorite here is the tuna; generous and great flavored. The yellow tail roll(I forget what its called, it has yellow tail and green onion) is great here as well. A guilty pleasure, the fried head of the shrimp from the ebi is great, make sure you get that in addition.
The inside of the restaurant is modern and lean but still warm and comfortable. Easy to find parking and not too hard to find a table on a weeknight, you probably want to call ahead if its a weekend. All in all a neighborhood gem in Queen Anne.
This place has good sushi, good service, and good prices. Nothing more, nothing less. The decor is a little trendy for my liking, but overall I left satisfied. I do not live in the Queen Anne area, but if I did, I would probably go back on Tuesday at 8:45pm after a happy hour when I wanted something light but filing, and could take out.
I would have rated it more like 2.5- but I definitely didn't think it deserves 3 stars.
I really wanted to like Ototo. We love sushi and it's so close to our place. The food was alright, nothing special. I've had much better sushi but like I said, for the close proximity in the neighborhood it would have been worth it...
That is if the service actually made it's mediocrity worth it! Their service is by far the slowest I have ever experienced. Horrible. We ordered green tea, 1 combo and two rolls and it took nearly 2hrs... for TWO people. It took 20min alone to deal with the check. The only redeeming quality was the server we had was friendly and did apologize a couple times for forgetting one of the teas and for the rolls taking so long. For a Tuesday night? Forget it.
Service makes or breaks an experience... and this definitely gave us a sour impression.
Be prepared for long waits, being neglected with an empty cup of green tea and loud ambience.
Meh.
Our favorite place was closed so we came here since they have outdoor seating. Food was fine -- nothing special. Services was incredible slow. Painfully slow.
We popped into this place for a last minute dinner tonight and it had a surprisngly cool vibe for a Tuesday.
The steamed seafood wontons were delish, however, the fish on our order of nigiri did not seem very fresh :(
The service was not so great and it was drafty but for a last minute sushi craving, it hit the spot, although I am not sure how quickly I would return....
I like Ototo. I liked Ototo more when it had a Valupak coupon.
BRING BACK THE COUPON! I miss my twice a month sushi extravaganza.
Overall Experience: 4 Stars
Food Taste: 3 Stars
If I can I would give Ototo a 3.5 stars. On a whim we decided to try this place since we have seen it several times driving by. The ambiance was cool...not sure what to make of it. Minimalistic decor. They had carpet. I kept thinking about dropped raw fish on the carpet.
The thing I really liked was their menu. Extensive menu with variety of dishes and not just nigiri and rolls. I enjoy actual Japanese dishes like Sukiyaki, udon and etc. They had all of it. By the looks of this place I was expecting a fairly delicate dishes but that was not the case. Usual sushi, nothing spectacular or unique. Just pretty good sushi.
I really enjoyed the apps here. Great variety and interesting and unique choices. I have a good list of top sushi joints. I don't think Ototo will break into that list but it's a pretty good sushi restaurant.
A Saturday night dinner with my mom from out of town. Kisaku: too far. Chiso: too busy. Blue C: too cheap. Ototo?
The location and reservation policy were right (nearby, and yes on Saturdays unlike Chiso). The seaweed salad was earthy and fresh with just the right tender crispness to the bite. The Negihama and Salmon Deluxe rolls were tasty.
But on to the sashimi, where things weren't just right. I asked our server what was really fresh. She suggested the albacore, then said it only came seared. Really? But okay....We settled on albacore, wild sockeye , and the (hoped-for) climax: otoro.
After teasing my palate with albacore and sockeye, I hoped for a mouthful of melting bliss; alas, it was not to be. This otoro had been on a diet; buttery fat wasn't to be found on my tongue, falling far short of my first otoro experience. Another small point: the ginger, quite pale, tasted overly briny and was dry and chewy. Quite different from the silky peachy-pink ginger I love to use to clear my palate for a perfect bite of sensual, rich, fatty tuna.
Ototo? Only okay.
We were in the area last night and I had a craving for sushi. I'd heard of Ototo, but never been. My mom was weary, as she thought she didn't like sushi, but I convinced her.
The decor was very modern and it was clean and I like clean sushi places. The waitress was very sweet and explained a lot of the rolls to us. We ordered 2 veggie rolls, spider roll, & the deluxe california roll (with REAL crab, not gross krab).
I liked that they brought out the wasabi and ginger with your rolls instead of having it on the table for everyone to share, seems cleaner to me.
Mom was nervous, but was pleasantly surprised that she does like sushi. Everything was great and when we got the check, it was only $23! I don't know anywhere besides McDonald's that three people can get dinner and a great one at that.
Pretty sterile environment and not super cozy. It's kind of a "posing/people watching" restaurant, so if you're into that, this may be the spot for you. Only problem is, it's not on a main street and there is no bar in the restaurant, so there aren't many people to watch. Perhaps if this was located in Belltown or some other area that gets a lot of foot traffic, it might work a bit better.
Also I order rolls that require avocado and the avocado has always been overly ripe (I've been there 3 times). Not firm enough.
I scoped out the spot across the street and head there now.
Ototo Sushi deflowered me.
Ototo Sushi deflowered me of my sushi virginity about 7 years ago (there was no such thing as 'sushi' in Poulsbo)... and I've been a raving sushi fan ever since! I had such an amazing time there, sitting at the bar learning from two veritable sushi experts that had decided I had been too long without. Despite the fact I was suffering from a terrible hangover that momentous day, I *still* managed to come out of the experience LOVING the raw fish artistry that is sushi.
Surprisingly, since that memorable day in history, I had not been back to Ototo until last week (the top of QA is a bit of a dead zone for me). It was every bit as great as I remembered, and the prices! SO GOOD!!! We sat at the bar and enjoyed the front row seating and witty ribbing the sushi chefs tossed back and forth.
Ordered the house sake which came warm - in the cold winter months, I rather enjoy. Large sake shared? $6.50.
Sushi combo C including chef's choice of sashimi? $18.95.
Salmon roll? $4.95.
Scorpion roll? $5.95.
Negihama roll? $3.75.
Miso? $1.50.
For a grand total of $45.51 and two VERY STUFFED and pleasantly satisfied sushi fans. I'm sorry, but too often I waste money at other sushi places for mediocre stuff. I felt this was value, and I enjoyed the pleasant space, clean lines and friendly staff.
I will NOT wait another 7 years to re-visit Ototo!
Update: I said I'd be back... and I'm going back so many times I'll be so broke... so happily, happily broke...
This last time, I had been at the First Thursday Art Walk (and hadn't eaten since a brunch at Glo's that morning around 11am)... Walking around Volunteer Park, SAAM, etc... I was soooo hungry when I got in that I barely had the ability to decide.
What I decided on... well, I started with some sushi, of course... I had saba (mackerel that--while I usually dislike mackerel--is sooo good here because he does the marinade himself, and he's the only guy in town that I know of who is that perfectionistic--everyone else gets pre-soaked frozen stuff)... got OMGHEAVENLY chu-toro and o-toro... the fattiest kinds of tuna out there, it just ... wow... the texture is so divine. The taste wonderful.
Here's where I mention that Ototo, while others technically have it on the menu but "not today, sorry," is the only place in town that has o-toro except for Nishino rarely getting it for special dinners (there's only 1 supplier of it of the 4 sushi suppliers, and Ototo buys allll the o-toro, half a big fish of each at a time, going through it fast, too). Not many places have quality chu-toro, for that matter--2 maybe? (the difference is where on the belly the meat comes from, and o-toro is about 20% fattier... though both melt in your mouth... and literally difficult to keep from falling apart when cutting a whole fish into bits!!)
I also had them do a custom roll cause I was having a hankering for the smoked salmon but didn't want to eat it with nothing else to balance the smoked flavor. It seems like what they did per request was taking the salmon roll and using smoked salmon instead, but I may have picked a totally different roll and put the salmon outside of it instead of whatever else was on it. It was delightful, though, whatever I had :)
Then... keep in mind, I'm a small girl and should've (ordinarily would've) been full with this... I was just craving that black cod that I'd had before.
That thing is seriously some of the best stuff on earth... marinated, juicy, so tender and flaky, served atop beautiful vegetables--zucchini and spinach--with this sauce of ground up edamame... it was just so lovely, just like before...
And so was the green tea tiramisu... mmmm........
And the endless cups of green tea itself didn't hurt.
I was, though, CURSED at hearing and reading about this AMAZING looking menu for V-Day... $80 for 2 people for 5 courses? UNREAL. Gourmet Valentine's Day with filet mignon, obviously fish selections, and a chocolate raspberry dessert I had to hear them talking about the oohs and aahs of. Hutch, you would lose my business for such tauntings... if I wasn't so happy when I watch you, talk to you...
Oh yeah, sit behind the bar, and be brave enough to talk. Hutch is SO nice, so cool, and he was so genuinely interested in my love for my east coast fishmonger and whether he could, say, get greentail shrimp here... (it's the best shrimp EVER)... that he was honestly making me stay and order more just cause... dang, he's awesome, as is his (wife I think? They changed their language, darn it, when talking directly to each other, so I don't know what kind of la la la was said)... Everyone was wonderful. You *do* sometimes have to actually ASK the waitress to give more tea or more food items (they honestly didn't think I'd eat THAT much...) but she's super cool and quick about it once you do, so with a place this personal and intimate, it's like family--just ask when you need something and what you need, etc.
I did feel awfully silly, though, going to wash up and *then* realizing that someone, when I was deep in convo with Hutch, had brought out a rolled up damp napkin to do that with. Heh. Oh well. Live, learn, and hear chefs talking about osetra caviar as they serve you sushi.
Ototo has earned its fifth star. If only giving a sixth would be possible.
Oh yeah, if you get Val-Pack envelopes of coupons, Ototo is regularly in there, and it's got a great coupon (2 actually)... so go and use it--tis awesomeness :) I, of course, got that 1 day post-bliss. 'salright, I'll be back, and he'll have me some more black cod.
PS YES ANOTHER UPDATE! Ask if they have "butter fish" in and if so... make Hutch get you that with his PLUM SAUCE. Oh wow we ... we ... bought every piece he had left. It was that addictive. Seriously messed up our senses in the best possible way, and DANG the way he coddles each piece of fish as he's about to serve it to you... you'd think an illicit love affair was happening, but nope, just his desire to make every meal an excellent one.
This place is still, for me, the best sushi in Seattle. I've eaten at a LOT of places... from… Read more »
Dinner
Good value and portions
Quality has dropped over the years
Only real sushi place i've found on Queen Anne. This is one of those sushi places thats sort of take the backseat to the high end joint.
Service = great!
Ambiance = Real comtemporay, make you feel like you gonna pay a bunch
Food = good to great, but for the value just right!
Crowd = young professionals, couples, and mature
Price = $$
Favorite = Overall experience to value
Worst = none
Final Say = One of those days when you want good sushi/ambiance and don't really feel like getting raped in the pocketboook
I live on Queen Anne and absolutely LOVE Ototo. Their sushi is among the freshest that I've ever had and they've earned my repeat business by consistently serving a great plate of sushi. My big tip for the uninitiated is signing up for Valpak and getting their weekly coupon. With the coupon, Ototo is also a terrific deal!
The best way to sum this place up is that it is okay. The decor is modern and hip, but the way the restaurant is set up it can get drafty. It's also a small space so don't expect to get too cozy with a date. The sushi is good but nothing excellent, except that their prices are reasonable. I have gotten the black cod which is also pretty good but can't compete with my all time favorite black cod dish from Ray's. I wasn't impressed with the green tea tiramisu but at least that was okay. Once we got the taiyaki shortcake dessert which was pretty crappy, more like a cracker than anything else. I wouldn't go back again unless I happened to be in the area.
Seriously.... are you kidding? I feel like I was sitting in LA with some weird trance music in the back. I can get over the music, as long as the food is good. We had the beef tataki; look tataki should be cut thin, it is completely disgusting to put a thick bad piece of raw steak in your mouth. The sushi was not good... I can't believe this place gets these reviews. We left hungry and $80 poorer. It was so bad that we went to dine at Kisaku's after.... Sad!
Queen Anne has a few choices for sushi -- out of all three of them (Ototo, Chinoise, Shiku), Ototo has the most going for it in ambiance and looks. Ah, the posh modern white/black/red decor reminds me of dining in a hip place back home on South Beach. But, alas, for the price you pay, I would recommend Chinoise for slightly more bang-for-buck.
For a nice date night, business dinner, etc. Ototo Sushi is a great place to wine and dine. The service was prompt, the food was aight, and the desserts were fun and cute. I recommend the strawberry shortcake.
Here's the skinny: Chef's Choice Sashimi - $35 and a 320ml bottle of premium sake (Onikoroshi Dai Ginjo), totalling about $70 after tax/tip for me alone. Not cheap, but not the most expensive I've ever been to.
Expecations for price? Beat Miyabi and we'll talk.
Pros: Great fish, awesome chef, less than 2 blocks from me :) A solid Sashimi - excellent variety on the part of the chef - got to try at least 2 things I'd never seen before (including monkfish liver which was really yummy!). Beautiful preparation. Cute waitresses*. Convenient parking nearby (if you have to drive).
Cons: Not so much fish for the money - not nearly as bountiful as Miyabi with the same parameters. Not that they were chinsey, it just wasn't the embarrassment of riches I've seen elsewhere for the same price.
Chef's special was served in one go rather than the way it should - served as you enjoy, piece by piece with the chef evaluating each round for user feedback.
Would go again, but would probably not do chef's special - I could have beaten the deal by making some careful choosings of my own though I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the gorgeous variety.
*sure it's not the only reason you go to a sushi place, but it doesn't hurt!
I love sushi, and I love Ototo.
Every roll I got was amazing. The Scorpion (I love spicy, and this was almost spicy enough, most places don't even get the mouth watering!), basic California Roll, the Queen Anne (fun spin on basic spicy tuna) and the Rainbow Roll was fresh, slightly sweet, and filling.
The miso soup was cheap, which always makes sense to me. I hate when a sushi place charges $6 for miso soup, so it was nice only paying a small price. The sake was served nice and hot and we were welcomed at the door and seated promptly. The service was good, we did have to ask our server for ginger twice before we got it, but overall they were quick and friendly. I will definitely be going back to Ototo and bringing many friends.
I think it's safe to say if you've been somewhere three times in less than two months you must like the place. And I'm still trying to figure out what I was doing in Queen Anne three times in less than two months...
Anyways it's good stuff. Better than I expected after waking into what I thought might have been the Bada Lounges second cousin with its red, black and white extremely modern decor. Once I got over the decor it was all good.
The main thing I like about Ototo is you can order your sushi per piece, I like that because sometimes I don't want two pieces of albacore, two pieces of unagi, two pieces of maguro I only want one of each so I can indulge in a roll or two as well.
Their scorpion roll was interesting, tempura prawns with jalapeno, cayenne pepper and spicy tuna, I like it but after three bites I was ready to move on to something else. The rainbow roll was just like any other rainbow roll, good and so was the caterpillar roll, what can I say I love the unagi and avocado. The one thing I tried but would probably never try again is the sauted geoduck with mushrooms, the mushrooms were tasty but the geoduck and I did not get along very well but at least now I can say I've tried the geoduck, I think it was a texture thing but not sure and willing to try it again to confirm or deny this.
The service is hit or miss sometimes it good sometimes it's MIA. The only other down fall is their lack of parking but if you're like me you can always park in the Safeway parking lot but their sushi does make up for it.
We rallied here before going off to see Batman downtown. It was a place she had been to before, but despite driving past here a dozen times, I was still an Ototo virgin. It was time to achieve that milestone.
I was really surprised by the inside. It was tiny inside and there was a party of 6 really dressed up to kill. I was thinking I was really underdressed (and not thinking they were really overdressed!).
I was seated along the far wall and immediately ordered an Asahi to lose my virginity. My friend came in and we started with some shrooms and asparagus and tempura. Hers were good and mine was unbearably salty.
Some nigiri and rolls later, we bounced outta there. Food was okay, not outstanding. Prices were okay, not necessarily a bargain (which I didn't expect since it was QA). Service was pretty good, although like I said, ther place is really small.
Bah, all in all, I would go there again, but I wouldn't go out of my way to head there. I kinda expected a bigger rush for losing my virginity and all, you know?
Ototo is probably one of my favorite sushi restaurants in the Seattle area. For sushi, it's reasonably priced. The location may be a bit hard to find at first, but the storefront is obvious enough once you're in the general area. Service is generally good, although sometimes lacking in the communication department.
For dinner, they have a good choice of bento sets and sushi sets. I have usually ordered one of the bento in the past, with an additional roll or nigiri. I always have leftovers to take home, making the price even more worth it.
And for dessert, they offer taiyaki which is worth a whole star in and of itself!
I'm in my second wave of Yelping, which started about a week ago. In this wave, I'm being much pickier when it comes to reviewing sushi restaurants.
That said, there's nothing wrong with Ototo. It has a pleasant atmosphere, it's good for meeting friends, and they have a nice selection of standard sushi rolls. Their special rolls are pretty limited, but I give them kudos for using hot sesame oil in their spicy rolls instead of spicy mayo. Now that's a kick!
Really, though, nothing that I hadn't seen before. And the dessert... well, let's say the green tea tiramsu *sounded* interesting. But it was actually very bland and not that good. Plus they give you the equivalent of 5 actual servings, which is just ridiculous. Quantity does not make up for quality.
The Japanese are known to show attention to detail... I don't know... at Ototo when we walked in to a pretty packed restaurant at almost 9pm on a Sunday, tables weren't cleared throughout the sushi bar and a couple of tables... they were only cleaned were customers walked in. Unsightly! This is a small restaurant with three waitresses. What's their problem!? It's just surprising to see that even the sushi chefs turned a blind eye to the mess in their restaurant!
We waited a good 5 mins before we were asked how big a party we had... then another 5 more to have her clear out two spots at the sushi bar for us. Another 5 to get our drink order... hmmm...
If this place was located somewhere else... like Memphis, TN or Tucson, AZ it might have gotten a three star rating. But in a city like Seattle where good sushi is abundant, Ototo does absolutely nothing for me.
Their sashimi was bland at best. Slightly better then Blue C Sushi quality - which is pretty sad when a restaurant is compared to Blue C.... we realized when the sashimi arrived that there are different ways to order sashimi here.... low grade and premium grade, we gathered - which we weren't told nor asked by our Japanese waitress. C'mon! We're used to going to places where there is one grade and the sushi chef serves the best he's got to everyone. But it's kind of a hipster place to be, not so much a foodie place to eat - does that make sense?
No, I won't return. The only reason why we settled for Ototo this evening was because we wanted to head to Metropolitan Market and was too lazy to drive to Chinatown and back - that'll teach us.
This is another of my favorite places to eat on the hill. It's good quality Japanese food that doesn't break the bank. Plus their sushi is super fresh. I like its modern decor and the atmosphere isn't as loud and chaotic like Chinoise across the street.
They have some really great sake cocktails that are a good value. You get your drink and the cocktail shaker on the side. You basically get two drinks for the price of one. Make sure you don't nurse your drink or your refill will get watery.
The servers here are super friendly and very accommodating.
This place is definitely better than the Mexican restaurant that it replaced.
If you check your Val-Pak mailer, you may find a coupon for this place. Heck, it'll save you a few bucks!
UPDATE: 07/17/07
I just realized that you can print the coupon from Val-Pak's site. Just go to the link and type in 98109 in the zip code search and there you go!
http://www.valpak.com/...
There are two current coupon specials:
TAKE OUT: $5 OFF $30 Or More -OR-
$10 OFF $50
DINE-IN: $5 OFF $30 Or More -OR-
$10 OFF $50
I have to say this might be the best deal in town for sushi. For 10 bucks you get 5 pieces and a california roll. Since i am allergic to shellfish they substituted me tuna and another piece of nigiri. Over all the flavors are very good and the price is outstanding. I do recommend it.
We went to Ototo last night to meet a couple of friends for dinner, and I am glad to finally have gotten to try it. The atmosphere was really relaxed and clean--not stuffy at all, but still modern and sleek.
Ototo gets five stars for having the most beautiful sushi presentation ever. Our server brought out a gigantic ceramic platter of sushi, all beautifully arranged and incredibly fresh, which was basically a sushi orgy. The miso soup was hot, tasty, and full of seaweedy goodness, and the edamame wasn't overcooked and just salty enough. Oh, yes, and we had Tuna Poke (pronounced "po-kay") which could become my next essential food group.
I also love Ototo's logo, not that this has any bearing on how the food is, but I want to mention it because, well, this is *my* Yelp review. If you're looking for a tasty night out involving sushi, run--don't walk--to Ototo.
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Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
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Seattle, WA
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Category: Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Fremont
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Madison Park
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Belltown
Category: Sushi Bars
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