I thought Waseda Jisai was a subway station, so I mistakenly thought it was closer to the tram station and arrived a few minutes before opening time. It's a nostalgic izakaya near the university with a menu that includes oden all year round and always hires Waseda students as part-time staff. I was simply looking for Hakkutsu's barrel sake, so I called three days ago to see if I could get a seat if I came alone. The atmosphere was difficult to read, but the master said it should be fine if I arrived early. The beer was Kirin's Brau Meister, which I have only seen at KIRIN City. The Kinpira and the oden soup were a refreshing appetizer. I was grateful for the cold beer on my dry throat and finally got my barrel sake, but I couldn't afford another one for 1,000 yen. The eel skewers were a popular dish, similar to grilled eel but with a lighter skin, making it easy to eat. The chikuwa was well-flavored and cooked to perfection by the master at the grill. After about an hour, more regular customers started coming in, so I asked for the bill. It was a weekday, so it might have been busier on other days. Waseda students tend to go to chain restaurants, but it might be a good experience for young people to interact with others at a Showa-style izakaya and work as part-time staff. The master is like a teacher, so going to school is like going to see a teacher. On the way back, I saw the Okuma Memorial Hall for the first time, which was a moving experience for someone with only a high school education and a dream of Waseda. If you're smart, you can work part-time even as a woman. I'm sorry for the long message, but good luck to the students.

I visited this restaurant "Shinobu" located about a 10-minute walk from Waseda Station on the Tozai Line of the subway for the first time. I visited on a Saturday around 6:30 pm and was able to enter smoothly without much of a wait. For the menu, I ordered some dishes that go well with alcohol such as oden! - Sashimi platter (3 types) ¥1,300 - Oden (3 items) x2 ¥600~ - Additional oden (2 items) x2 ¥400~ - Uron Highball x2 ¥900 - Green Tea Highball x1 ¥450 - Total amount ¥5,250 (tax included) As for the taste, the sashimi platter included tuna, squid, and yellowtail, all of which were fresh and delicious, although a bit pricey. The oden had a wide variety of ingredients, and this time I ordered sardine balls, cabbage rolls, and the classic daikon. The sardine balls were soft and flavorful, and the daikon and cabbage rolls were both delicious with well-infused flavors. I also ordered chikuwa (fish cake) and shirataki (konjac noodles) as additional items, and they were all excellent! I will skip the comments on the drink menu. In conclusion, although the entrance gave a slightly high-end impression, once inside, the owner and the staff, including the part-timers, were very polite, making it a very comfortable place to be in for the short time I was there. It was a wonderful restaurant that made me want to visit casually if it were nearby! Thank you for the meal! If I have the chance, I will definitely visit again!

When you come around Waseda, you'll want to stop here. Even though I arrived at 5 p.m., there were already two other groups. In the scorching heat of over 35 degrees, a cold draft beer was just what I needed. I enjoyed the true essence of summer. Revived by picking at the piping hot oden.

"Waseda's treasure. It's always lively and cheerful here with a great atmosphere. It's nice to see Waseda alumni in the media enthusiastically talking with unique terms. And no one seems to mind listening to them. Today, I had a sashimi trio and oden, paired with barley shochu with hot water. This place is really nice."

A short walk from Waseda Station. A place for oden. Visited at night. Managed to snag a seat at the counter that happened to be open. Should have probably made a reservation, but since the counter seats seemed to have a quick turnover, it should be fine for small groups to walk in. Ordered 3 oden dishes x 3 plates, along with a side dish, and bottled beer. The oden broth was a salt-based one with a hint of animal stock. It leaned towards sweetness rather than acidity. The oden ingredients were slightly larger, providing a satisfying bite. While not mind-blowing, it hit the right spots and was quite traditional. The classic ingredients tasted as expected and did not disappoint. Particularly, the shirataki was very good. The cabbage roll was average. Ate quickly and left promptly. Oden places allow for this kind of casual dining. The staff were efficient and polite, with a consistent impression among all of them, indicating good training. The atmosphere was lively and pleasant, making it a good place to visit.

Overwhelmingly used in winter, this place is great because besides oden, other dishes are also delicious, making it a good spot to visit regardless of the season. Throughout the generations, it seems that only women are entrusted with the oden pot, as many Waseda students work part-time here. The girl I saw today seemed to be the chattiest among all the past staff. When I ordered beer, cucumber and chicken sasami, fish paste, and one other dish were served as appetizers. I enjoyed the first ginkgo nuts of the season, grilled skewers of fish roe, sashimi, beef tripe stew, and oden, all while feeling the barrel aroma of Hakutsuru sake. I arrived at 6 o'clock, but by 7 o'clock, the place was already full. I sincerely hope that the owner will continue to run the restaurant for a long time.

Before I knew it, it had been about a year. A winter tradition for me, "Shinobu". After work, I came with my boss and junior from the same university. When it gets cold, everywhere starts serving oden, and I get tired of looking at the menus, but it's different when it's a specialty store. We started with some dishes before the oden, like potato salad, assorted sashimi, simmered beef tripe, yakitori, and dried sweetfish, all enjoyed with hot sake. The sake options were reasonable at 900 yen for various types of sake. The staff were mostly students from Waseda University. It's always a changing lineup when I come after a long time. Every year, there are farewells as students graduate and then return as working adults. It's a tradition in the student district's dining scene. The master still seems lively, but there doesn't seem to be an obvious successor. I hope they continue for a long time.

When winter comes, just like feeling like falling in love on the ski slopes, there is a sudden increase in the demand for miso ramen, hot pot, and oden. As the temperature drops, these dishes start appearing on the menus of izakayas, but it's always better to go to a specialty shop. Especially for oden, it's nice to choose while peeking at the large oden pot simmering quietly at the counter seat, rather than having it served randomly. When it comes to oden, this place is my go-to. They have partitions between each seat, open and close the doors as needed, and take thorough precautions. I was seated at the counter. The appetizer was pickled vegetables and one type of fish cake. I had a highball to start, and ordered my usual favorites, beef tripe stew and yakitori, to boost my motivation before diving into the oden. There's still octopus available, so don't let your guard down. However, as I was distracted, a nearby customer scooped up the oden one after another, so I quickly placed my order. Octopus, kelp, sardine balls, fish tendons, mussels, and ganmo (with ginkgo nuts!) among others. I had a bottle of Ichinokura at room temperature. It's irresistible. The place is run by an old man and a Waseda University student, and I hope they can continue for at least another year. By the way, the sashimi is also delicious, so I highly recommend this well-rounded restaurant.

This is a highly popular oden izakaya near Waseda University. I visited for the first time and was amazed by how delicious the food was. The oden was especially fantastic, with each ingredient soaked in flavorful broth. Despite being packed with customers, they never ran out of oden ingredients because they prepare them in advance. The sake was served mostly warm, with a good selection of dry options. I had a great experience and feel like good things are in store for me this year after discovering this wonderful place.

During my student days, I used to visit this place even if it meant cutting back on my lunch budget. Sitting at the small counter, I would listen to the stories of my seniors and learn about life. Sometimes, the president or professors would be at the table behind me, and that would really sober me up (laughs). You can drink sake here, and I think it was probably Hakutsuru. Besides oden, they have a variety of side dishes. The yakitori served on plates is a popular choice. And they also have dishes like buttered potatoes. Personally, I love the pickled mackerel as a way to end the meal. It's a shame I can't see the landlady anymore.

The time difference with India is 3 and a half hours. It's not uncommon to have online video conferences starting at 6 or 7 PM to accommodate their schedule. After struggling with basic English conversations for 1 or 2 hours (mostly problem-solving related), I feel exhausted. When I leave the office and take a deep breath, I can see my breath turn white. In times like these, it's important to have a good meal. So, I took some colleagues from work to this amazing restaurant. The exterior and interior are impressive, not the trendy Showa retro style but a genuine and attractive place. We arrived early and ordered a variety of dishes since the last order is at 9:30 PM. We had green onion salad, octopus, ganmo, daikon, must-order beef intestine stew, yakitori, and the usual course menu. The seafood selection was also great, and we tried grilled clams today. It was delicious. We enjoyed Kirin Lager with the flavorful oden. I'm glad I'm Japanese.

A shop that connects the Showa era. Going down Grandzaka in Waseda, you turn to the side and enter "Kitchen Miki". Still maintaining the atmosphere of the Showa era, this shop specializes in oden. The staff, including part-time workers, are all Waseda University students. The octopus, carefully finished by pouring broth with a ladle as if it were a baby being bathed, is a specialty. Sake from Shirasagi is poured into a masu cup, salt is spread on the corner, and you lick it while enjoying the flavors. Despite being an oden shop, the seafood dishes are also delicious. Above all, the simmered beef tripe is outstanding and may be considered the best in my opinion. A shop that you may not want to share with Yoshida Rui.

I went to this izakaya around 5:30 pm for dinner because I didn't want to deal with the crowds. There were 3 groups of customers already inside, probably locals since it's summer break for the university. I had just taken a bath and went without makeup. We were seated at the counter since there were 2 of us. We started with a toast with oolong tea and bottled beer. We ordered eel fry with young eel (650 yen), buttered potatoes (400 yen), and oden (500 yen). The oden was served first, and it was delicious with a rich broth. The color of the broth was light, but the flavor was strong. It would be great to eat in this scorching summer, but also perfect for the cold winter. Next, the eel fry with young eel arrived. I'm not a fan of eel, but it was surprisingly tender. The flavor was not very strong, which was perfect for me. Then the buttered potatoes came, and they were delicious with the butter melting just right. I was already full at this point. My partner ordered beef tripe stew (600 yen) and another beer. We chatted leisurely and left the restaurant when it was already dark outside. There were autographs of famous people displayed inside, and my partner mentioned there used to be a baseball stadium nearby. The atmosphere was quiet and suited for middle-aged and older customers. I really liked this traditional izakaya and would love to visit again. Thank you for the meal.

I don't remember what I studied in college, but discovering this cool, old-fashioned oden shop near school while trying to act all grown up was a real find. The appetizers before the oden are delicious. First, the beef stew is a must. The fatty and sweet beef tripe, the meaty parts, the intentionally soft tofu, and of course, the garlic chives. All in a miso base. Classic lager, ahh. The lineup of sake in front of me is either junmai or honjozo. If you order it "chilled," it will of course be served at room temperature. Enjoying real sake while eating the oden that has just been simmered before you. Fish cake, fish paste (a staple of Kanto-style oden), meatballs, eggs, and daikon radish. I savored the happiness before the long weekend.

During the self-restraint period... I used to visit this restaurant a lot when I was temporarily living in Waseda. The shop is a 10-minute walk from Waseda Station on the Tozai Line, past the main gate of Waseda University, through the Okuma-dori shopping street, and down a back alley. I called ahead to confirm that there was a seat available before going, but after that, alumni of Waseda University and locals kept coming in, and it was packed that day as well. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is very lively. Since it was cold that day, I had some appetizers and oden while there. <A la carte> Otoshi (pickled plum, grilled fish cake) Squid natto simmered dish Salmon belly skewers Oden Daikon egg roll cabbage Shirataki tofu Noodles Beer, original shochu bottle The oden has a clear soup with a strong kombu flavor and is delicious. In the Kanto region, oden is often heavily seasoned with soy sauce, but here, the clear soup is delicious. You can also enjoy the tofu in this tasty soup. It's nice to have sake and shochu in this old-fashioned shop, surrounded by oden. It was delicious (^○^) Thank you for the meal❣️

I wanted to enjoy a hot sake with oden as a side dish, but it's still hot even after the sun has set, so I opted for a chilled masu sake instead. The ambiance of the restaurant feels like time has stopped, and I really enjoy this kind of atmosphere.

A historic oden restaurant where you can enjoy barrel-aged sake. The oden has a refreshing broth that is delicious, and all the other side dishes are also tasty. I want to go back again. It's fun to enjoy various side dishes while sipping on barrel-aged sake and feeling the aroma of the barrel.

It's been a while, visited with a friend, the food was delicious, the sake was excellent, a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. Even though it's far away, the motivation to visit is low, but thank you for the meal, it was delicious. Thank you!

Atmosphere: ★★★★☆ Taste: ★★★★☆ Cost performance: ★★★☆☆ As it's getting colder, I felt like having oden and visited this place. You order oden yourself, while other dishes can be ordered through the staff. Besides oden, they also offer dishes mainly focused on fish, all of which were delicious.