A Kansai-style oden restaurant. The dishes come out on plates like individual servings. I was surprised to find clams, like a high-class dish, at an oden restaurant. The tofu with grated seaweed on top is also like a gourmet dish. Of course, the daikon radish and eggs are also delicious with strong flavors.

In a building lined with stylish shops, there is a cozy oden restaurant run by a couple from Kansai. We start by enjoying a variety of appetizers before indulging in the oden. Sipping on bottled beer and snacking on appetizers while waiting for the comforting oden in the serene atmosphere of the restaurant is pure bliss. The oden broth is rich and each dish is served at the perfect timing. The owner and I chatted about my time in Kansai while enjoying the food and drinks. The ambiance of this place is always top-notch. Thank you for the delicious meal!

It seems like there are a lot of lunchtime ramen posts, but I think this place is actually more like an oden shop. They cook and serve each dish individually in small plates, similar to a sushi restaurant where dishes are served one by one. Unlike a typical oden shop where everything is simmering in a big pot, here they use a slightly larger pot with a few items in it, and start cooking when you order, serving it at the right moment. At first, I was worried that the flavors wouldn't have time to develop, but it seems like they have it all figured out, with some dishes having more time to soak in the flavors than others. Some classic items like daikon and chikuwa were not available today. This style of cooking each dish to order and serving them individually is quite unique, but the food turns out to be quite delicious.

I went to an "oden" restaurant feeling tired and cold after an AKB handshake event. The restaurant was hard to find, with a simple and functional open kitchen layout. The atmosphere was not trendy or upscale, but it had a unique charm. The oden dishes were served individually, each with its own seasonings. The menu was not displayed, and prices were not listed, so be prepared financially. The oden was refined and delicious, unlike any I had tried before. The restaurant had a sophisticated vibe, with a mix of older and younger customers. The sake selection was small but high quality. Overall, the experience was impressive, and I felt a bit out of place among the successful-looking clientele. I would definitely return with older family members in the future.

In November 2013, Shiki no Aji Bunjiro is an oden restaurant. I had been curious about this place for a while. They only serve ramen sets for lunch. I visited for the first time during a weekday lunch. The restaurant is located in the Haku-no area of Chuo-ku, Sapporo, on the second floor of a building along a one-way street. For the exact location, please check on Tabelog. Lunch hours are until 1:30 PM. I parked my car at a nearby paid parking lot. I arrived a little after 1 PM and made it in time for lunch. The interior of the restaurant has a counter with about 9 seats. There was only one customer before me and no one behind me, so I naturally sat at the counter. While waiting for the ramen set, I noticed a Billiken doll in the restaurant. The oden ingredients and the owner's words have a Kansai-style feel. The owner was also preparing oden for the evening while I waited. After 9 minutes, the two ramen sets arrived. Ramen Set: - Half portion of Shoyu Ramen: A delicious ramen with a chicken-based broth, a hint of Japanese dashi, and a slight sweetness. The saltiness is just right, and it's a tasty ramen with a rich flavor. The noodles are medium-thick, curly Sapporo noodles. The toppings include tender chashu, menma, naruto, aburaage, nori, and negi. - Side Dish: Dried daikon radish with homemade shiitake mushrooms, minced meat, and sesame. The flavor is quite strong and goes well with rice. - Pickles: Homemade pickled daikon peel, utilizing leftover peel from oden radish. It has a crispy texture and is very delicious. - Rice: White rice topped with "noritama." - Price: 600 yen The ramen, with its Japanese-style taste, is very delicious. The broth is flavorful, and both of us finished our soup completely. The homemade pickles are also a nice touch. Although the recipe may be a bit challenging for my usual companion, the dish looks simple but is actually quite elaborate. The "noritama" on the rice is a nice addition. The price of 600 yen is very reasonable, and the portion is just right for me. You can also opt for a large serving for an additional 100 yen, making it a budget-friendly 700 yen set. I would love to try their oden as well. I hope to visit again for lunch next time. It was a delicious meal.

I heard that you can get ramen at the oden restaurant, so I came to visit 【Four Seasons Flavor Bunjiro】. It's a hidden gem of a restaurant that I didn't even notice when I came to the neighboring store. Even when I went up to the second floor, it was hard to find, truly a hidden gem. I confirmed from the sign in front of the store that they only offer ramen sets for lunch and entered the restaurant. I was welcomed with "Welcome" and led to a seat. After being given a wet towel and cold water, there was silence, which made me feel a bit uneasy. After observing the two staff members for about 3 minutes, they brought out a bowl of rice with seasoned egg and two small side dishes. I arranged them for a better photo and waited for about 1 more minute until the main ramen was served. Since there was no ladle, I sipped the soup directly... It's a delicious broth, very good. But I can only describe it as a Japanese broth, I honestly have no idea what the base is. The soy sauce seasoning is quite sweet, but the richly flavored lard adds a good taste. The noodles are medium-thick curly noodles with a strong wheat flavor that complements the soup well. The toppings include chashu, menma, green onions, nori, fried tofu, naruto, in an old-fashioned style. The chashu is tender and flavorful. This makes me look forward to the oden ingredients as well. The rice is a small portion, and the pickled radish, mushroom, and meat miso side dish are so delicious that I finish it quickly. Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed the delicious soup and finished my meal. Thank you for the meal. There was no background music, and the only sound in the restaurant was my eating, which created quite a strict atmosphere. However, after tasting this delicious broth, I feel like coming back at night. I will revisit soon... [Additional note: The day after the lunch visit in November 2013] I went out with my drinking buddy number two for a rare night out, and recklessly decided to revisit for a second round. I thought I was lucky to find the restaurant half full, but the landlady asked, "Did you call us?" When I answered no, she brought out another chair and said, "Please open the back door." I quietly complied. The somewhat unfamiliar Kyoto dialect intonation in which she spoke made her seem very strict. I felt somewhat taken aback by her stern attitude, which was in stark contrast to her friendly smile from the day before. I wiped my hands with the wet towel and waited quietly, as it seemed to be an unspoken rule in this place. After a while, she asked what we wanted to drink, but since there was no menu, I opted for beer. I was delighted to see that it was my favorite Akahoshi beer, so my spirits were lifted a bit. As she was about to prepare the appetizers, she asked us to wait a moment. There were three appetizers: boiled octopus legs, potato salad, and cod roe mixed with tarako and potatoes (??). The octopus had a good chewy texture and was delicious. The cod roe was rich and flavorful, and the potato salad was simply delicious. After finishing the appetizers, I ordered a second beer and watched the other customers' dishes while waiting. When the landlady asked what we wanted to eat, we promptly placed our orders. I chose egg and daikon, while my friend chose thick tofu, pork belly, and kinkan. When the first wave of oden dishes arrived, I realized that the ingredients were pre-prepared and added to the broth as orders came in. The egg was served with mustard and pickles already applied. The firm white egg was delicious. The thick tofu was soaked in the broth and topped with shredded kelp, which was unusual. It looked delicious as my friend kept saying how good it was while eating. After finishing the oden, I ordered another beer and waited for the rest. The second round consisted of pork belly and kinkan. The pork belly was delicious in the ramen, so I had high expectations. But the kinkan was surprisingly delicious, and my friend kept exclaiming how good it was. ... Finally, we had hamaguri clams...

I had ramen at a Kansai-style oden restaurant. The restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of Taiyo Building, next to a sign that says "Ramen Kunkun" when you go out from Tanukikoji 7-chome towards Nishi 8-chome in Minami 3-jo Nishi 8-chome, Chuo-ku. The exterior has a luxurious Japanese restaurant vibe with a grand wooden door that closes tightly. However, there is a lunch menu placed on the left side of the door, which was reassuring. The menu consists of only one item, which is the "Ramen Set". It comes with half a bowl of ramen, rice, a small side dish, and pickles. Upon entering, you will see counter seats surrounding the kitchen. The atmosphere is spacious and relaxed. I ordered the "Ramen Set" (600 yen) since it was the only menu item available. The owner and a lady were managing the place, and the lady was in charge of arranging the side dishes and rice. The "Ramen Set" was served in about 5 minutes. It consisted of a soy sauce-based ramen with a dashi flavor, pickled radish, shiitake mushrooms, minced meat, and rice sprinkled with furikake. The presentation of the half bowl of ramen was beautiful, with toppings like chashu, menma, seaweed, large pieces of wheat gluten, naruto, and finely chopped green onions. The soup had a deep umami flavor from the kombu dashi, and it was light and refreshing. The noodles were medium-thick, curly, and had a smooth texture. I first enjoyed the ramen and then proceeded to eat the side dishes and rice. Even the side dishes, pickles, and rice alone made for a satisfying meal. Overall, the experience felt like enjoying Japanese cuisine. It was impressive how they offered a reasonable lunch menu at an oden restaurant. As I left the restaurant, both the owner and the lady kindly said "ookini", leaving me with a pleasant feeling.

I have been to this restaurant for lunch to eat ramen and have been wanting to come at night as well, and finally I was able to come. It was a second round, so let's have some drinks while snacking on "oden." The appetizer is yuba, green beans (?), and soft-boiled octopus. The yuba is delicious. The octopus is also good. Tofu. The broth is delicious. It has soaked into the tofu well. The shredded kombu is also good. The egg. It is a firm boiled egg with a good flavor. Thick fried tofu. This is also delicious. I want to come and eat slowly from the first round. The udon also looked delicious, but I couldn't eat it because I was full. (25.9) 3.5 I came here after reading about ramen being available in another blog. When I entered the restaurant, there were two customers ahead of me!! I sat at an empty seat, and water and oshibori were brought to me silently. Since it was my first time, I waited until someone came to take my order, but no one came to ask.... Finally, this was brought to me. Rice (shirasu, nori), pickles, and a side dish. Next, this was brought to me. It was ramen. Everything was served without me even ordering!! The taste is only soy sauce flavor!! The soup is Japanese-style and has a sweetness to it. The noodles are medium thick and chewy. I ate without knowing the price or ordering anything. I thought it would be around 700 yen. The amount of noodles is quite small. Since there was rice, I was full, but if there were a little more noodles, I wouldn't have any complaints. It seems like you can get a rice refill. They mainly serve oden at night. If you want a ramen as a final dish after drinking, this amount is enough. When I finished eating and paid the bill, it was 600 yen. When I looked at the business card, it said they only serve ramen during the day. That's why everything was served without me saying anything!! I want to try eating oden at night next time. (24.3)

Sapporo. Located at Minami 3-jo Nishi 8-chome, on the east corner of the Taiyo Building 2F. A bit hard to find even when you go up to the 2nd floor, almost like a hidden gem. Finally managed to visit after about half a year. It was past 12 pm on a Saturday, walking east on Tanukikoji passing by Kitarideng or Akaboshi where people were lining up despite the cold weather. Upon opening the door, I found myself in a small oden restaurant with only 9 counter seats. There were no other customers. The owner had short, dyed blonde hair and looked cool. The lunch menu only offered ramen, and I opted for the large serving. In the open kitchen in front of me, the owner was silently preparing the night's oden while boiling the ramen. The rice, side dish, pickles, and pepper were served in about 7 minutes. The rice was cooked just right, not too hard or too soft. "Here you go," as I received the ramen. It was a soy sauce-based ramen, a nice change. Without a ladle, I drank the soup directly from the bowl, enjoying the light soy sauce flavor with a hint of the oden broth. The toppings included aburaage, shinachiku, naruto, green onions, nori, and chashu. The noodles were medium-thick Sapporo noodles with a touch of back fat as a nice accent. The balance was good, and the cost performance of this ramen was excellent. It's been a while since I finished the soup as well. Ah, now I want to eat oden. Despite having Akaboshi nearby, I personally recommend this 600 yen (regular serving) ramen.

This is a place located on the 2nd floor of the Taiyo Building at the outskirts of Susukino, at Minami 3-jo Nishi 8-chome. You can confirm the exact location on the map on Tabelog as usual. I saw on Tabelog's new restaurant information that there is a new restaurant offering "oden" and "ramen", but there were no reviews written, so I decided to visit because I was interested in the ramen. After confirming the location on the map on Tabelog, I parked my car nearby and headed to the building where the restaurant is located. There were no signs or banners, which made me a little anxious, but I went up to the 2nd floor. There, at the back of the 2nd floor, I found a small door with a discreet sign that said "Bunjirou". I entered the restaurant and sat at the counter at the far end, but there was no menu available. I asked if they had ramen, and they said they did. It seems like they only offer a ramen set menu during lunchtime. There is a menu for "oden" in the restaurant, so it appears to be an "oden" restaurant. In the kitchen in front of me, they were preparing the oden. First, two side dishes arrived - "simmered tuna" and "pickles", followed by a bowl of rice sprinkled with "jako and seaweed" furikake. The rice went well with the furikake and simmered tuna, and the pickles enhanced the meal even more. It seems like they offer rice refills, but since I wanted to try the ramen, I declined this time. Just as I was finishing my rice, the ramen was served - it was a small bowl, about half the size of a regular ramen shop's serving. I tried the soup, which had a light dashi flavor with a hint of soy sauce and a bit of back fat, making it easy to eat. The noodles were medium thickness curly noodles, but they felt a bit overpowering, so I think thinner wavy noodles would be better. The toppings included chashu, menma, naruto, fu, nori, and green onions. The chashu had a crispy exterior and was quite delicious. Overall, the price of 600 yen for this ramen with such contents was a pleasant surprise. I am curious about the oden, so I definitely want to try it next time I visit Susukino.

In August 2015, after a two and a half year hiatus, I visited Bunjiro again. I was surprised to find that I could easily secure a seat without a reservation for the day. There was only one other group of customers, a far cry from the bustling atmosphere of before. Well, I suppose not many people choose to eat oden in the summer, so I remained optimistic as I sat down. However, back in 2013-2014 when I tried to make reservations multiple times, it was truly impossible to get in. Feeling lucky, I received the appetizer. Compared to before, one of the three appetizers was oden tofu (which I love, so I was happy), but I couldn't see the same level of care put into creating items not on the menu or using seasonal ingredients as before. The other two items were potato salad and a vegetable side dish, which was a bit disappointing. The oden I ordered included ingredients like white konjac, thick fried tofu, hirousu, beef tendon, yukina, spicy lotus root, and dancing mushrooms, among others. Hmm, the taste has definitely changed from before... the broth doesn't seem as flavorful, the saltiness is stronger, and some items even have a strong sweetness. It used to be a wonderful place with a delicate broth and meticulous preparation that couldn't be mass-produced, which makes it even more disappointing. Each item was served in a different dish, with toppings like grated yam and green onions perfectly complementing the ingredients, and the yukina was still excellent. But our quest for oden lovers continues. In April 2013, I finally visited Bunjiro, a restaurant that had been recommended for a long time. When I entered, I saw a copper pot about 40cm in diameter and 15cm deep in the kitchen... Could they really serve oden to about 10 customers at the counter with this pot??? Of course, it was fully booked on a Saturday. First, we were served an appetizer of boiled nanohana and three other items, all of which were well-prepared. I started with three oden dishes: shredded konjac (cooked thoroughly and waiting in a glass case, warmed in the broth from the pot), hirousu (a generous serving of tender hirousu soaked in broth, juicy), and daikon (surprisingly soy sauce-colored but refreshing, with plenty of Kyoto leeks). Next, we had a grilled dish of seasonal bamboo shoots, which was fragrant and very delicious. Then, oden again: firefly squid (delicious, as expected of a seasonal item, but they warm it separately to prevent the flavors from mixing), egg (surprisingly colored like century egg but with a unique flavor, thoroughly marinated, surprisingly delicious), and yukina (crunchy yukina topped with plenty of grated yam and sesame, excellent!!!). The sashimi included mackerel and marinated tuna, both showcasing the chef's skills. Elaborately prepared dishes are truly delicious. Oden once more: tofu (elegant silk tofu with grated yam is delightful), clam (surprisingly thick and juicy clam, the broth mixing with the clam juice is so delicious that you'll want to drink every last drop), and then, as a surprise, a pressed mackerel sushi. The rice was also carefully prepared, matching the quality of top restaurants in Kyoto. The attention to detail and meticulous preparation for each ingredient form the foundation of this top-tier restaurant. It's no wonder the chef, originally from Okayama, has worked in food culture cities like Osaka, Kyoto, and Ginza. His dedication to learning and sharing cooking methods generously is admirable! The time and effort put into creating an original, flavorful broth is beyond imagination. You can see his passion for the broth in the way he constantly skims off the scum. The sight of him carefully adding broth to the small pot, keeping it warm without letting it simmer, changing pots for different ingredients, adding condiments, and his meticulous attention to detail is truly impressive. I will definitely visit again.

It was a visit quite a while ago. This was my second visit. During the first visit, I didn't pay much attention, but as mentioned in other reviews, it seemed like regular customers were being given more attention than us. When we placed an order, they would bring it to us, but they didn't actively suggest refills on the oden or check in on drink orders, so we felt the service was lacking. The oden tasted decent and the toppings were creative, but the balance with the prices left something to be desired. If you eat until you're full, it can end up being quite pricey. There weren't many drink options either, so it's hard to look forward to that. It was disappointing to see the staff smoking inside the restaurant. It would be smarter to smoke outside the restaurant.

Located a little off the beaten path in a business building on the second floor in Sapporo's Tanuki Koji 8-chome, is a quiet Kyoto-style oden restaurant. While this place is often known for its lunchtime ramen, the oden served at night is exceptional. It is clearly different from the Tokyo style. I have frequented several Kansai-style oden shops, but this one is unique. The seasoning, presentation, and the landlady's manner of speaking all give off a Kyoto vibe, at least in this old man's opinion. Perhaps the concept of the restaurant is to follow the lineage of the Osaka main branch of the oden shop? Leaving the office late and finding my partner out, I felt like having something to eat and thought of this place. The entrance clearly looks like a business building, but when you go up the stairs to the second floor, there is nothing there! I backtracked and found it tucked away in the other direction! Behind a calm door, a man with gold or silver hair welcomes you! A lively gentleman brings you a wet towel and says, "Welcome!" Today was a bit chilly, so I started with warm sake. The appetizer consisted of three dishes: tofu, yuba, and simmered cod roe. They were small and elegant dishes that paired well with the alcohol. The old man is full of anticipation. The recommended dishes were explained by the owner, but my eyes were fixed on the oden pot right in front of me. The menu had some unusual items. Tofu, chrysanthemum greens, and tendon. When it comes to Kansai, it has to be tendon, right? It seems that each dish is served in a small dish. The small, silky tofu is so delicate. Soft and silky tofu sprinkled with sansho pepper, it's gently spicy. The chrysanthemum greens, not as serrated as shungiku, have a mild taste that matches their appearance. After swimming in the oden pot for a while, they are served in small dishes. The Kyoto vegetables are gentle yet have a pleasant bitterness, and the sansho pepper tightens the flavor. It's a luxury to have this in Hokkaido. And with only one oden pot and one dashi, they manage to subtly change the flavor of the dashi for each dish! When it comes to Kyoto vegetables and Kyoto-style, the landlady's way of speaking is Kyoto-style too. It's so nice! Recently, I visited Kyoto, so I asked about it and found out that even in Osaka, there are regions that speak in a Kyoto-style manner. The gentle landlady pours me warm sake and says, "Here you go," as she pours the sake. I like this way of drinking sake. The owner seems to be from Okayama but has lived in Osaka for a long time, so he speaks with a Kansai dialect. After working in Ginza, they worked at Yodogawa Oden in Sapporo, and when the shop closed, the two of them stayed behind and opened this restaurant. And tendon! I see, that's how it is. They only use Achilles, so... The owner's casual pride in the tendon impresses the old man. This culture is definitely a Kansai thing. The transparent tendons are wrapped in the umami of miso, and then further enhanced with oden dashi. Impressive, Mr. Owner. How many times have I had a refill of sake by now? Oh, from the view behind the counter, it looks like the old man has been eating a lot of negi (green onion) too! I wonder if that's what they think. They bring out a red raw duck meat from the fridge. The contrast between the white meat and the red meat is like red and white. While drawing out the duck's umami in the oden dashi, the Kujyo green onions appear. They float plenty in the pot and soak up the dashi. The star of the small dish that came out is the Kujyo green onion, full of umami. Of course, the duck is delicious too. Each oden dish is prepared and served one by one. In a way, it's similar to Edo-style sushi. The atmosphere that makes you want to drink, the taste, the personalities of the owner and landlady. After enjoying a pleasant time, I bid farewell outside the restaurant, and they see me off with an "ookini" (thank you). The bill ends up over 5,000 yen, but for oden, it's understandable. The menu doesn't have prices listed, so on the first visit, the cautious old man was a bit nervous. There was even a mention of a tai (sea bream) head, which must be delicious... The concept of serving each dish individually, like completing a dish after work, is fascinating. The sake flows easily, the flavors are delightful, and the personalities of the owner and landlady. It was a delightful experience, and I bid farewell after a fun time.

The lunch was delicious, so I revisited in the evening and ordered shochu (with water), oysters, hirousu (Japanese mushroom), and thick fried tofu. The total cost was around 3000 yen with the appetizer set. The appetizers were quite elaborate and very tasty. I visited during lunchtime. I didn't expect this building to house such a restaurant... I also found out that Chagetsu Sai has moved to this building! During this season, they offer three lunch sets: "ramen set," "abura soba set," and "hiyashi chuka set." I had the ramen set, which was delicious. They use oden broth in the soup, and the slight use of lard gives it a rich yet light taste. The side dishes were macaroni salad (tuna mayo flavor), pickled turnip, and rice. The hospitality of the owner and his wife is very welcoming. The restaurant only has a counter, and above the kitchen, there is a menu for oden, which looked delicious. Next time, I want to enjoy oden with shochu on the rocks. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal!