Originally, there was a motsunabe restaurant at this location. It seems that there is a collaboration with Ninben, as upon entering, you find a sign featuring their very thinly sliced (0.01mm) bonito flakes, which are reputed to be excellent. Although it’s hot today, it’s just an added bonus. Since it's close to my office, I’ll make a reservation and visit. Of course, I recommend the shabu-shabu. I ordered the black pork shabu-shabu set for three. For an appetizer, we were served tofu with a flavorful broth topped with the aforementioned 0.01mm bonito flakes. It was delicious! You can also request more bonito flakes, as they are served in a case. While waiting for the hot pot to be prepared, I ordered some obanzai (traditional side dishes). Most of the menu items have "dashi" (broth) or bonito flakes mentioned in their names: dashi omelet, dashi-soaked eggplant, dashi-pickled cherry tomatoes, and dashi-simmered daikon. All these dishes have a very subtle flavor that I enjoy. Now it’s time for the shabu-shabu to arrive. They advised us to drink the broth first, and it was fantastic! After tasting it, we added more bonito flakes to enhance the broth even more. There was plenty of vegetables as well, which was a pleasant surprise. Finally, we added a rice porridge to finish, and I was completely full. Thank you for the meal!

In today's world, where traditional Japanese cuisine is a must, I've recently awakened to the greatness of dashi. I happened to discover this place and decided to visit. When I arrived shortly after opening without a reservation, the atmosphere was quite empty, which made me a bit nervous. However, that worry was completely unfounded. During the ordering process, I was pleasantly surprised by the all-you-can-eat pickled Chinese cabbage, spicy cod roe, and freshly shaved, aromatic bonito flakes. Due to the location, the place quickly filled up with customers waiting shortly after lunch, so I’m really glad I came early! During lunch hours, the menu is narrowed down to all set meals, but I had my eye on the "ichijyu-tasai" (one soup with various side dishes). I was amazed! At first, I thought the small portions wouldn’t be enough, but to my surprise, they were more filling than I expected, and every dish was incredibly delicious. Plus, the rice was unlimited—it's like a dream come true! To be honest, I would have been satisfied just with the three appetizers and the rice, but the variety served for such a reasonable price is mind-blowing! While I'm really grateful for this, I hope to have a long-term relationship with this restaurant, even if the prices double, I wouldn't mind at all. With the current inflation, especially in the restaurant industry, it's wonderful just to have places like this around. I hope they don't feel pressured into providing unsustainable services since that often leads to businesses disappearing. I sincerely wish they set their prices based on fair value. While excessive service is appreciated, I feel uncomfortable when I don't feel that I'm paying a fair price, so I sincerely hope they continue to be a place I can visit for a long time without overextending themselves. It truly is a fantastic restaurant.

We visited for lunch with two people. We ordered a lunch course and enjoyed the delicious obanzai and seasoned rice. After that, we had shabu-shabu, and while the meat was just right, the amount of vegetables felt insufficient, so we should have ordered more.

Honestly, I underestimated it. It’s a different kind of shabu-shabu from the ordinary. According to the internet, "Shabu-shabu is one of Japan's hot pot dishes, where thinly sliced bite-sized ingredients are briefly dipped into boiling water or broth at the table for cooking, then eaten with a dipping sauce. The typical sauces are ponzu and sesame sauce." (from Wikipedia). However, here, it’s all about "a luxurious broth made from an original blend of dried bonito, mackerel, kombu, and freshly shaved bonito flakes specifically for shabu-shabu!" (from the restaurant's website). What makes it different is that there’s no sauce—only the broth! You can enjoy it even without bonito flakes, but adding them takes it to another level. Plus, the added bonito flakes are shaved to a thickness of just 0.01 millimeters! This not only enhances the richness and depth of the flavor but also brings out the taste of the ingredients even more. Since there’s no sauce to mask the taste, you find yourself eating more and more. It’s no wonder that the bonito flakes are from "Ninben," the long-established bonito store founded in 1699! They use it generously! I’ve encountered an amazing restaurant that you just have to try. You’ll feel perfectly satisfied without being overly full! By the way, it was originally founded in Shinjuku, and they also have locations in Otemachi and Osaka. This new style of broth shabu-shabu is definitely a fantastic dish that you should experience!

It seems that Hitoshi Matsumoto has withdrawn his lawsuit. Perhaps he, as an older man, believes "it was mutually agreed upon" because he hasn't had the experience of being told by his seniors, "Answer with a yes or a hi." As Coach Anzai says in SLAM DUNK, "It’s game over if you give up," but those with strong past successes may not recognize their current situation and might have trouble giving up. One of the projects I am currently responsible for is also in a tough situation. I understand I was chosen because I don't have any past connections. However, while some may look at the situation and think it’s hopeless, I want to raise both hands in celebration when we achieve victory. So, today’s lunch is a meal of "obanzai" and a hearty broth soup at #Okaka #DashiShabuObanzaiOkaka. I had been avoiding well-known chain restaurants, but I came here seeking a light lunch. Perhaps they were short on staff, as there were empty seats, but I waited about six minutes to be seated. I ordered the #Okaka’s "Ichi-Ju-Tasai" set meal. Most of the other customers seemed to be groups of women. After a wait of 12 minutes, my meal arrived. I enjoy being able to sample the #obanzai in small portions. The meal came with all-you-can-eat #shiokara (salted squid) and #katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and #pickles, plus I could refill my rice as much as I wanted, which is great. I chose the rice cooked in broth. I piled on plenty of #Ninben’s katsuobushi and #ika no shiokara. The taste of mushrooms and the umami of the broth in the rice is wonderfully delicious. It's great to enjoy all that rich flavor at once. Next, I tried the various small dishes. The fish with grated daikon was gentle and pleasant, and the flavorful egg omelet with dashi was delightful. The greens and mushrooms had a hint of sesame oil that added a lovely aroma. The meat was tender, with braised pork cooked with tomatoes and some fried chicken, allowing me to enjoy a variety of flavors. When I refilled my rice with plain rice, I noticed a homemade okaka furikake nearby, and it made the meal even more enjoyable. Even though I’m on a diet, I accidentally ended up eating four bowls of rice! I felt fully satisfied and happy during lunch, but I couldn't help but notice a group at the next table receiving a sweet dessert by registering with their LINE friends, which I found appealing. I’m considering exploring the #Ichigaya GEMS stores I had been intentionally avoiding, hoping to conquer all the stores and shout "banzai" three times when I do!

The restaurant is always crowded during lunchtime, making it hard to get in. However, I arrived before noon and was able to get a table after a long time. I ordered my usual "ichiju tasai" set meal! This time, the mixed rice was sweet potato rice, which is perfect for autumn. The fact that refills are free is also a delightful service. I even received a complimentary coffee jelly for signing up on LINE. As I enjoyed the meal, I was soothed by the aroma of the dashi broth in the air, and once again, I finished everything deliciously. Around 12:30, it seemed like the first round of lunch was finishing up, and I noticed a few empty seats. This time might be the hidden gem for lunch!

I had a wonderful lunch at Okaka with their "Ichiju Tasai Set" (Suica ¥1,200). The name "Okaka" refers to authentic dried bonito flakes that you can enjoy as much as you like. Sprinkling them on rice, soup, and side dishes adds a luxurious aroma, a nice crunch, and a lingering flavor that really sets it apart from regular katsuo. The side dishes included various small bowls of vegetables, fish, and meat, which only made me want to eat more as I progressed through the meal. It was so delicious that I couldn't help but go back for seconds (free refills!), and as expected, I ended up overeating (*'▽'*). I definitely want to visit this restaurant again if I have the time! Tabelog score: 3.42 — the quality is indeed high.

I've been wanting to visit this restaurant for a weekday lunch. [Ordered Menu] Bonito Flake One Soup Multi-Item Set for 1,100 yen. You get to eat a variety of dishes, and the nutritional balance is excellent. Unlike other places where the side dishes might be served cold, here the dashi rolled omelet, fried chicken, and simmered dishes were all warm, which was great. The highlight is definitely the dashi, with a hearty dashi soup, dashi rolled omelet, bonito flakes, and homemade bonito flake seasoning, not to mention all the other dishes were delicious. The rice is self-service for refills, making it a good choice for those who want to eat a lot. One thing I noticed was that it might be better if the cod roe and pickles on the table had lids.

I visited after paying my respects at Yasukuni Shrine on the day of the end of the war. Even though it was Obon, there seemed to be many customers with reservations in the restaurant. They kindly explained the shabu-shabu and other hot pot dishes beforehand, but since it was a hot day, I ordered something else. I didn’t take any photos, but we enjoyed a lot of meat. The appetizer was chawanmushi, which had a gentle dashi flavor that made me want to have a second helping! We also ordered a tomato omelet, fried chicken, pickled plum, kimchi, and a platter of low-temperature cooked meats. For drinks, we had beer and lemon sour. Everything was really delicious! I’ll definitely visit again!

I made a reservation for the weekend at 6 PM and visited the restaurant located in a building, accessible by elevator. As soon as the door opened, I found myself right in the restaurant. There are several private rooms, but all of them have table seating and were nearly full. Looking around, I noticed that many people were having meat shabu-shabu, but this time I decided to try "live-caught, fresh eel shabu-shabu" for the first time. First, we started with all-you-can-eat bonito flakes and chawanmushi (steamed egg custard). The chawanmushi was refreshingly fragrant with lemon, while the bonito flakes were extremely thin, making them versatile for nibbling or as a condiment. The eel and cucumber salad had a refreshing taste from the myoga ginger, although the cucumber was a bit salty. The grilled eel was rich and paired perfectly with its thick, flavorful sauce, making it a great companion for alcohol. The shabu-shabu began with the process of using the bonito flakes to make the broth. With a generous amount of flakes, the broth was robust in flavor, balancing sweetness and saltiness just right. We dipped vegetables and eel into the broth. It was my first time trying eel shabu-shabu, and I was surprised at how much richness the eel retained without losing much fat. The vegetables were so delicious that they could be enjoyed on their own in the broth, which prompted me to order more of them. After enjoying the shabu-shabu, we finished the meal with a delicious bowl of rice topped with grilled eel. I was completely full after that and ended the meal with a refreshing sorbet before leaving the restaurant. Eel shabu-shabu is a unique way to enjoy eel. The price was a bit on the higher side, but it's nice to have something different once in a while.

During lunchtime, you can enjoy generous servings of "mentaiko" (spicy cod roe), "pickles," "rice," and "okaka furikake" (dried bonito flakes), all available for unlimited refills. You can choose between white rice or seasoned rice. Every lunch comes with a healthy miso soup packed with flavorful broth and plenty of vegetables. This is a popular lunch option from a restaurant known for its dashi shabu (simmered dishes with broth). Lunch menu items start from 1,000 yen.

I made a reservation for a course this time, but I found that the hot pot was enough to fill me up, so I would recommend going for individual dishes instead. You can get plenty of vegetables, and it felt great because it didn't weigh me down at all. I noticed that the staff's knowledge and service quality were high compared to the one in Otemachi. However, the ambiance at the Otemachi location felt more upscale. I did notice that bonito flakes were scattered around due to the air conditioning, leading to them being on the floor, and there was dust on the bathroom doorknob, which made it seem like the cleaning wasn't up to par. Overall, though, I was satisfied!

I visited Dashi Shabu Obanzai Okaka in Ichigaya on Saturday at 1:15 PM. There were a few groups of customers in private rooms. I ordered the Kagoshima Black Pork Dashi Shabu Lunch for ¥2500. The lunch set arrived at 1:25 PM. The vegetables, including Kujo green onions and a variety of other veggies, looked delicious! The thinly sliced black pork was shining! And the broth was incredibly good—I finished it all! The rice and side dish: the dashi-flavored rice paired perfectly with the broth, and the side dish complemented both the rice and the broth nicely! For dessert, the hojicha ice cream was just right after the meal. Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal!

I found a great restaurant while exploring lunch options in Ichigaya. I couldn't resist ordering the affordable obanzai lunch! The bonito flakes, mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and pickles are all-you-can-eat, and the rice is self-serve for refills, which is delightful (and it's delicious too!). Every side dish was tasty, and the soup was packed with ingredients, making for a very satisfying meal! Even without refilling the rice, the portion size is quite generous, leaving me very satisfied. The restaurant has a spacious seating arrangement, so you can enjoy your meal comfortably, and I noticed many solo diners. Next time, I want to go when I'm really hungry for lunch. Thank you for the meal!

The initial dish of mixed rice and the side dishes served afterward had a perfect balance and taste with each item. The fried tofu and the rolled egg that I ordered separately were also delicious. The fried tofu was a standard menu item, but I thought to myself, "The person who made this is a genius" because it was so tasty. The combination of the shabu-shabu meat and the bonito broth was outstanding. I'm definitely going to come back!

After finishing the contract, I entered the restaurant with my group at 11:55. Phew, just in time! Shortly after, a long line started forming! No surprise there, as this restaurant typically specializes in shabu-shabu. They offer a lunch special on weekdays for just a little over 1,000 yen. First and foremost, it's incredibly cheap, and they have unlimited rice (both cooked and white), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and pickles! In these times of rising prices, that's really a treat! The restaurant name "Okaka" probably comes from the fact that they offer unlimited shaved bonito flakes. Bonito flakes can be quite expensive, so it’s another delightful surprise! I decided to enjoy it as "neko-manma" (rice topped with food), so I asked for a second helping! Is "neko-manma" an outdated term now? Haha! I'm grateful to be able to eat well today. Thank you for the meal!

I had an "ichiju tasai" set meal at Okaka for 1,100 yen. It came with unlimited refills of tarako (cod roe), pickled Chinese cabbage, and bonito flakes. You could choose between plain rice and rice cooked in dashi, and both were also unlimited refills. In the evening, I visited a dashi shabu restaurant located inside a bright building that houses various dining options. The side dishes were served in small bowls, which made me think I might feel unsatisfied, but both the meat and fish dishes were quite hearty. It felt reminiscent of a Japanese meal served on an airplane. The best complement to the side dishes was plain rice.

From JR Ichigaya Station, head towards the Nippon Television Street and at the intersection at the top of the hill, you'll find GEMS Ichigaya Building on the 7th floor. I ordered the "Dashi-maki Tamago and two types of Obanzai" set for lunch. Since it was my first visit, I wasn't sure about the rice portion, so I ordered a smaller size, but it turned out that they serve a smaller portion in a bowl and you can help yourself to more rice if you'd like. They also offer free pickled vegetables, including mentaiko and pickled cabbage, on the table. True to their emphasis on "dashi," both the dashi-maki (rolled omelette) and the hearty miso soup were delicious.

I visited for a lunch on my day off and chose the lunch course, which was about 3,000 yen per person. The hot pot was served without any sauce, just with broth and freshly shaved bonito flakes. It was very delicious, but as I continued eating, I started to get a bit tired of the flavor. It would have been even better if there were condiments or seasonings available to change up the taste. The small side dishes were also tasty.

On weekends, there is a special menu focused on shabu-shabu with broth, so condiments like ponzu are not available. It might be challenging for those with weaker taste preferences, but it's suited for people who enjoy broth. The meal starts with a rice set that is a decent portion, so by the time you are eating, you might not have room for the hot pot. The hot pot is served in a good amount, and there are also plenty of side dishes. The bonito flakes are delicious, but the machine can be a bit noisy at times.

I remembered having shabu-shabu served with soba dipping sauce before, and I thought it would be something like that, but it exceeded my expectations. In a word, it was a warm shabu-shabu salad. They've creatively incorporated plenty of vegetables, making it easy to enjoy lots of greens. This time, I opted for the standard course at 6,000 yen plus an all-you-can-drink option, but ordering a la carte would also be a good choice. However, the 2,000 yen drink package includes options like Shirahōnokawa and special lemonade, which makes it quite a bargain. As soon as I entered the restaurant, I was enveloped in the aroma of the broth, and my excitement grew. At the entrance, I could see the shaved bonito flakes, which are an astonishing one-tenth the usual thickness and incredibly fluffy. They generously sprinkle this on various dishes, making it a real luxury. The thin bonito flakes quickly change in color and aroma when exposed to air, making it a unique delicacy you can only taste here. The first dish in the course is chawanmushi (savory egg custard), and once I sprinkle the bonito flakes on it, the flavor completely transforms. I, of course, end up adding a lot. The assortment of obanzai (small, traditional Japanese side dishes) is also delicious, and then the shabu-shabu begins to arrive, served in a broth made from bonito, mackerel, sardines, kelp, and shiitake mushrooms. They let you taste the broth first before adding an extravagant amount of bonito flakes into it. You can really notice the difference in flavor before and after adding the flakes. The vegetables are finely sliced, making them easy to enjoy with the meat. When I add the meat to the broth, it's refreshing yet infused with the deep flavor of the broth, making it feel like I could keep eating forever. It was a nice touch to be able to take home some bonito flakes as a souvenir for my egg-over-rice breakfast the next morning. I thought of several friends living abroad; they would surely love this place if I brought them here! Since each dish was delicious, I might enjoy more of the food along with drinks while finishing off with shabu-shabu.

Okaka's one-soup, multiple-dish set meal costs 1000 yen. You can choose between white rice and seasoned rice. Additionally, you can enjoy unlimited refills of white rice, seasoned rice, pickles, and dried cod roe, which is a wonderful bonus. The restaurant is clean, and I would definitely like to visit again.