Get Your Fried Goodness On With Ocha’s Lunch Specials

Although Lunch’er Jon was kind enough to do an Ocha vs. Aoki sushi analysis for us, we’ve never actually taken a serious look at Ocha’s lunchtime menu. Turns out, there is fantastic value found in Ocha’s lunch specials, although sushi will most likely push you over $10.

There are two types of lunch sets at Ocha. The first, lunch bento specials, are $8.75. The set includes your choice of entree: teriyaki (chicken, salmon, beef or tofu), tempura (chicken, vegetable or shrimp), beef negimaki or Katsu (chicken or pork). Plus, you’ll find 1 california roll, 1 spring roll, rice, miso soup and salad included in the meal. That’s a healthy portion of food.

The tofu teriyaki lunch bento special arrived with the teriyaki sauce in a separate container from the fried tofu which is particularly excellent, because no one likes soggy tofu! The spring roll also traveled well and was nice and crispy.

The second kind of lunch special just comes with a choice of just soup or salad, although there are many more options, and they range in price ($6.50-$8.50).

If you’re a regular to this blog, you know we’ve talked a lot about Oyako-Don here on ML. Oyako-Don traditionalists be warned, the Ocha lunch special ($6.75) may not be for you. Fried chicken lovers who also love oyado don…. prepare for the greatest lunch of all time.

In Ocha’s oyako-don, the chicken is actually sliced chicken cutlet (katsu) covered in egg. Between the bed of rice at the bottom of the bowl and the chicken is a thin bed of veggies (cabbage, bamboo shoots and celery with the traditional onion). The sprinkling of furikake on top is a really nice touch.

Most people would say that the most important part of Oyako-Don is how the egg is cooked. Here, the egg is relatively stiff compared to other versions in the Midtown area, so if you like yours with a more runny egg, you may want to stick with Sapporo.

A 1:30 p.m. call for delivery arrived in just 20 minutes, which is a modern day miracle for cooked food (although the distance from restaurant to office was not far).

The + (What someone who likes this place would say)

  • Wow, the lunch bento specials are a ridiculous value!
  • The number of lunch options under $10 is surprisingly high.
  • The fast delivery is almost super-human, especially for cooked food.
  • Katsu oyako don!!!  Sounds like my kind of lunch…

The – (What someone who doesn’t like this place would say)

  • Come on, this isn’t traditional oyako-don.
  • But, I wanted sushi!

Ocha, 350 W. 46th (btw. 8+9th), 212-581-3198

5 Comments

  • You definitely didn’t have Oyako-don. What you have pictured is Katsu-don.

    With a quick menu search, I see they do have both Oyako and Katsu versions of the -don.

    You likely ordered or received the incorrect item.

  • Haha, true! However, not a mistake.

    According to Ocha’s menu**, the “Katsu Don” is sliced pork cutlet in breaded batter w. egg on rice.

    Their “Oyako Don” is sliced chicken cutlet in breaded batter w. egg on rice.

    So, essentially the same dish, but one is pork and the other chicken. First time I’ve ever seen a katsu-okyakodon hybrid!

    **You can see what I mean in the “Lunch Special” area listed in the middle of this page: http://www.ochasushi.com/catalog/lunchspecialmenu.aspx

    • That is very misleading! I feel like its a bit misleading, that their version of “Oyaku-don” actually has a different, traditional name :)

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    The sliced chicken in oyakodon shouldn’t be fried (katsu), but rather simmered in a sauce along with eggs and sliced onion. Onya got it wrong.

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