It’s official – as of this year, I like oden. Still have to get to the famous north-Kanda outlet Konakara, but Otakou was a good prelude to that.
Closer to Nihonbashi than Yaesu, it’s a bit of a walk from Otemachi. If you make it, I’m sure you’ll be pleased by the dark, yellowed interior and the puzzled looks from the mainly-female-and-all-Japanese customers. For lunch, there aren’t that many options that include oden, weird though that may be.
I had the set that does, the Toumeshi. This has two main bowls of food, rice and oden, but both with a twist. The rice is tricksy for being weighted down with a whole block (slab, monolith, expanse) of simmered tofu, brown from sauce soaking into it. With more sauce on top pouring into the rice, it’s about as good as tofu gets. The other bowl is assorted oden – very assorted. Not having asked, my best guess based on the softness, shape and deep color of the bits was that it’s the remnants of last night’s oden. You get pieces of daikon, chikuwa and an egg, in a really substantial size. This of course is accompanied by some pickles, some soup, and lots of tea, and you will leave full if you eat it all.
Other options include a grilled chicken rice bowl and probably some fish things, but to tell you the truth, I saw the Toumeshi on the next table and thought “That’s for me!” so I didn’t get into it much. The bowl with the tofu is even pictured on their business cards, so it must be the thing to get. Oh – Y650 for the whole set. How could I forget to mention that? Must be slipping.
Light, healthy, refreshing…Maybe healthy at least.
03-3243-8282