Great japanese lunch set menu at a reasonable price.
Ootoya (大戸屋) is a chain restaurant that offers Japanese home dishes at a very reasonable price. There are branches in some Asian countries, so you may have heard the name before.
As they are offering tasty but reasonable set menu in Japan, many of you may wonder if there is any menu that can be consumed by Muslims in Japan. We have investigated if this is possible or not!
What do they offer at Ootoya? Are they using Halal meat?
They offer Japanese home dishes. It starts from fried chicken Karaage, grilled food or healthy salad option. They also have some seafood options such as grilled fish or Kaisendon Sashimi bowl.
They believe that healthy foods will make people healthier, so they have variety of healthy options for customers, like multigrain rice or low-sodium meal.
Of course, when it comes to talk about if their ingredients are Halal or not, Ootoya in Japan is not using Halal meat so it may be difficult for many of you to regard them as Halal.
What are the best choice for Muslims?
Still, we have checked their allergens in their official site, and found many fish menus do not contain any meat-derived ingredients. Yes, in Japan, we have so many products that contain small portion of meat though the menu seems like without them.
The regular fish menu that they have as of June 2024 that do not contain meat products are as follows:
Fried cod fish marinated with black vinegar
Bakudan Bomb bowl with Tuna and Natto
Mackerel simmered in Miso paste
Grilled fish (mackerel and Atka mackerel)
However, we have 2 reminders.
First, these menus are cooked in the same kitchen that handles other meat products, including pork. There is a small chance that the product is contaminated by these food items, so please judge at your own rick.
Second, these menu has bowl of Miso soup and some Japanese seasoning, which could contain tiny portion of alcohol. Of course, they are far from intoxicating someone, however, this also has to be determined by you.
If you bring alcohol-free soy sauce, then the risk can be minimized.
In conclusion
Although it is difficult to say that Ootoya in Japan is ready to welcome Muslim travelers, it seems like their menu is relatively good for many Muslims because some of the menus are obviously made without meat products.
If you can regard contamination or small alcohol in their sauce are not a big deal, then Ootoya can be your choice during your stay.
They are offering great quality Japanese lunch at a very reasonable price. Hope this article helps!