A note on the words: onigiri are Japanese rice balls lightly shaped by hand around various fillings, here supervised by the Otsuka shop Bongo. Sujiko is salted salmon roe cured intact inside the natural egg sac, giving it a rich, dense texture and deeper brininess. Tarako is cod roe, served raw here, here served raw inside the rice ball. Umeboshi are salted pickled Japanese plums known for their sharp, mouth-puckering sourness, here an uncolored variety. Nameko are small, amber mushrooms with a naturally slippery, gelatinous coat that are a classic addition to miso soup.
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Onigiri Konga Akasaka Biz Tower on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. I heard that an onigiri shop supervised by “Bongo,” the onigiri shop in Otsuka, had opened in the dining area underneath Akasaka Biz Tower at Akasaka Sacas! I had tried to go several times before, but either my timing was bad or the hour was too late, and I had never managed to visit while the shop was actually open. But this time, early in the morning! When I stopped by around 9:00, it was uncrowded, so in I went!
My impression was that more people were lined up for takeout.
I wonder if everyone was planning to eat them at the office, or save them for lunch.
Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and cream cheese — 360 yen
Negitoro (minced tuna with scallion) — 360 yen
Pork kimchi — 360 yen
Fried chicken karaage mayonnaise — 360 yen
Soy-marinated egg yolk — 360 yen
Minced meat soboro — 360 yen
Stamina yakiniku (grilled meat) — 360 yen
Carbonara — 400 yen
Sujiko — 590 yen
For the onigiri, there are basic fillings at 310 yen, slightly more elaborate ones at 360 yen, and really luxurious tiers at 400 yen and 590 yen.
There are quite a few varieties, so I chose carefully while reading through the descriptions!
First off, I have a real weakness for ume onigiri, so that was decided right away, but the sujiko, marked as the shop’s No. 1 favorite sold almost at cost, was hard to pass up.
I felt like I remembered seeing three onigiri lined up somewhere, so I chose one more: raw tarako.
Since I was there, I got miso soup as well. I went with nameko mushroom soup.
Apparently miso soup comes with free refills, but from the second bowl on it is reportedly tofu miso soup.
The onigiri arrived! Quite plump, large onigiri.
To be honest, I felt a slight wave of panic thinking three might have been too many, but let us dig in!
The sujiko is densely cured and slightly salty, but as you work toward the center the balance with the rice improves and it is delicious!
The natural sweetness of the rice and the sujiko are a fantastic match. It is wonderful that the inside is generously packed with sujiko too!
I can understand why it is No. 1, but at 590 yen, eating it every day would be a bit of a luxury, ha.
The ume is an umeboshi that is not the red kind. This one is packed with filling as well. When it comes to onigiri, you really cannot beat pickled plum!
The pairing of sour plum and rice is superb. The rice is warm and gently shaped with a light, airy touch.
When you bite into it, it yields and crumbles apart softly.
And lastly, the raw tarako.
Come to think of it, I realized I had doubled up on fish roe, but oh well!
This one too was a fluffy onigiri with plenty of cod roe inside. Delicious.
The miso soup was nameko mushroom soup.
In the morning hours it is 100 yen off, making it 180 yen. A classic miso soup, and the nameko mushrooms were good.
Still, outside the morning hours, 280 yen feels like it might be a little steep.
Be warned that three onigiri is a lot for breakfast, ha! Each one has serious heft!
They are generously filled, and the onigiri in the 300-yen range feel like something you could happily eat every day! An onigiri and miso soup in the morning is wonderful! The shop was not especially crowded, so dropping by before work starts might be a great idea. I have never been to “Bongo,” but I imagine their onigiri must be big, fluffy ones like these. I will have to try going there sometime.
Onigiri Konga Akasaka Biz Tower (Onigiri (Rice ball) / Akasaka Station, Akasaka-mitsuke Station, Tameike-sanno Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.4
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
