Ototo Asian experience: Fantastic sushi in Rehovot - restaurant review

From the outside, Ototo doesn’t look like much. It’s next to a gas station (I have yet to understand the Israeli penchant for restaurants in gas stations) and a pet shop. My husband joked that it’s a good thing we’re not going to a place that serves hot dogs.

But once you go inside, you are immediately transported. The design is beautiful, with an arresting mural across the back wall, brand-new comfortable leather chairs around tables spaced far enough apart to carry on a conversation, and Japanese-style dishes. It all amounts to a feeling of luxury and solidifies my contention that Rehovot is becoming a new foodie paradise.

The crowd here was diverse, which is something I love to see in restaurants. There were families, couples on date nights, and a few groups of women. The vibe was laid-back and fun.

The menu is extensive, with many kinds of sushi, both rolls and nigiri, as well as other Japanese offerings like gyoza, bao buns, and ramen. Each dish is made so carefully, with such top-shelf ingredients, and almost everything is made in-house. The result is perhaps the best sushi I’ve tasted in Israel, as well as perfect gyoza and excellent ramen.

Ototo has another branch in Gedera that is also kosher. The restaurant in Rehovot was in a nearby location and moved into the current location at the gas station just a few weeks ago. The menu is extensive and even has a special section for sushi with cooked fish that can be eaten while pregnant.

Sometimes, when I go for a restaurant review, I let the chef choose what dishes I should try, but the manager, Romi, suggested we choose what we wanted from the menu, as there are so many choices.

We started with gyoza (NIS 48) stuffed with pargit and made in-house with a fantastic dipping sauce. From that first bite, I knew I was in for something special. We also shared an appetizer of crispy chicken bao buns (NIS 56), also made on-site with a delicious sauce.

Then it was time for the sushi. They offer an omakase, which means chef’s choice, for four people for NIS 479. It was a lot of sushi and could be a full meal for two or maybe three people, but four people would need to add another dish.

The stunning platter had four sushi rolls, four pieces of tataki tuna, and four pieces of nigiri in the center. I consider myself something of a sushi snob (as well as a wine and coffee snob), and this sushi was outstanding. The fish was very fresh, and the rolls had some unique ingredients. Seriously, if you like sushi, it’s worth the drive to Rehovot. You can thank me later.

We finished our meal with the Kawatio Ramen (NIS 74), a beef-based broth with beef-filled crunchy wontons that somehow didn’t get soggy in the soup, and like everything else, the noodles are made in-house.

We were pretty full by this point, but as a service to you, our readers, we shared a crème brûlée, which was also excellent.

On Monday nights, they often have specials and a DJ. All of the meat is halal, the chicken is mehadrin, and the vegetables are Gush Katif.■