Drank too much last night? Here’s where to eat. Today: oden — the most misunderstood dish in Japan — done properly at a twenty-seat counter near Ochanomizu.
Quick Facts
| Nearest station | Ochanomizu Station (Hijiribashi exit), 4-min walk; near Yushima Tenjin shrine |
|---|---|
| Budget | ¥6,000–9,000 (about $40–60) with drinks |
| Cash or card | Cards OK (Visa/Master/JCB/Amex/Diners); no e-money or QR |
| Smoking | Non-smoking |
| Reservations | Accepted — winter is limited to parties of 5 with a 2-hour limit |
| Hours | 18:00–22:30 (L.O. 22:00) Mon–Sat; closed Sundays |
| Seats | 20, counter only |
What Oden Actually Is
Most visitors meet oden as grey objects floating in a tray at a convenience store, and reasonably decide against it. That is a shame, because oden done well is one of the great winter foods: assorted ingredients simmered slowly in a light dashi broth until each one has taken the flavour in. Konakara has been doing it near Ochanomizu for decades, and this is the version worth judging it on.
Inside is a large U-shaped counter with sunken seating, so you eat shoulder to shoulder with strangers. The house symbol is a gourd, the oden pot is gourd-shaped, and — the detail I enjoyed most — the daikon is cut with a small gourd shape through the middle.
What to Order
Daikon (¥420) is non-negotiable; it is the piece that tells you whether the broth is any good, and here it is soaked through and gentle. The egg (¥420) is simmered long enough that even the white carries flavour and the yolk stays faintly moist.
The house speciality is oyster oden (¥1,380), and it is more of a soup than an oden piece — plump oysters in that light broth, scented with yuzu and mitsuba, and it lands somewhere near a New Year’s soup. Also order the octopus skewer with sansho soy (¥400): the pepper doubles the flavour and the soy sharpens octopus that the broth alone leaves too gentle.
Look at the daily specials board too. The grilled thick fried tofu and the thick shiitake mushroom are, technically, just grilled — and both were among the best things I ate. With shochu and soda, this is close to a perfect evening.
Access & Practical Tips
- Four minutes from Ochanomizu Station, walkable from Akihabara and the Jimbocho book district.
- Evenings only (18:00) and closed Sundays, with occasional irregular days.
- Twenty seats — book if you can, especially in winter.
- Cards accepted. Order two or three pieces at a time rather than all at once.
Hangover Recovery Index
My completely unscientific Hangover Recovery Index: 4 out of 5. Warm dashi, soft daikon and an egg is about the kindest thing you can put in a damaged body. The only mark against it is the 18:00 opening — by which time you have had to survive the day unaided.
Eat well, drink better, and see you at the next hangover.
もう一杯どうぞ！
