My friend in Nakano told me about this restaurant. It seems that my friend tried to visit about three times, but it was always full and they couldn't get in. They don't take reservations, and the limited seating means only a few people can get in at a time. This day was a Saturday, and I really wanted to try it, so we planned to enter together right at the opening at 6 pm. We arrived in Nakano around 5:40 pm and searched for the restaurant, which we found to be on the 2nd floor of a place called "Yo-shokuya Budou" on the 1st floor. We waited in front of the restaurant until it was time, and there was no line forming, so we were the first ones to line up. A few other groups started lining up behind us after we did. At 6 pm, we were the first to enter the restaurant, which turned out to be a standing bar serving oden. Only our group of three plus the next group of two were allowed in. We placed our orders by writing them on a piece of paper and handing it to the owner. On that day, we had the assorted white radish appetizer (with nagaimo, salted squid, and chicken breast chashu), dashi water dumplings, and oden items such as radish, beef tendon, burdock root tempura, egg, fish cake, white radish, and spring greens. Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of oden before, but everything here was truly delicious. The oden was amazing, with the radish being tender and flavorful, the beef tendon being soft and melt-in-your-mouth, and the burdock root tempura being so deliciously soft that it easily broke apart with chopsticks. Despite being full, I ordered the egg as my friend who tried it first insisted, and it was indeed amazing - perfectly runny with a strong oden flavor. I also tried the fish cake, even though I'm not a big fan, and it was surprisingly delicious. The concept of fish cake has changed for me after trying it here! They also have a wide selection of drinks, and we enjoyed some sake with our oden - we had the Fukunaga Usunigori that day. The sake was so good that we couldn't stop drinking. Each dish was truly outstanding, and I highly recommend this restaurant in Nakano for anyone looking to drink and eat. I will definitely be back!

Based on a friend's recommendation, I decided to go to this hidden gem of an oden restaurant called "Suzuki's Kobeya." It was a bit challenging to find the place as there were no signs outside. You have to enter a certain building and climb up to the second floor to discover this interesting hidden spot. The restaurant is run by a single female owner, and it seems like there are many regular customers. It's a standing bar, so be aware if you prefer to sit down. There are about 7 seats arranged around the owner's space. The atmosphere alone makes everything look delicious, so I ordered a mixed oden set and some drinks. The flavors were rich and tasty, with a gentle yet bold taste that pairs well with alcohol. Although I didn't get a chance to talk to the owner, I felt like it would be nice to become a regular customer in the future and enjoy the cozy space. It's not your typical izakaya vibe, so it might be a bit challenging depending on the situation, but I think it's suitable for those who want to savor food and drinks in a calm atmosphere. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

I had been curious about this oden restaurant. I ordered several types of oden and they were all delicious. I especially liked the soft-boiled egg and ended up ordering it again. The shochu mixed with the broth was amazing too... I felt like I couldn't stop drinking it, so I left early. I definitely plan to come back to this restaurant!

Rating: ★★★★★ Cost-performance: ☆☆☆☆☆ Atmosphere: ☆☆☆☆ Crowdedness: ☆☆☆ Deliciousness: ★★★★★ Located on the second floor of Youshokudou Budou, Suzuki no Kobeya is the second stop on our luxurious bar hopping adventure. The small counter surrounding the gourd-shaped oden pot is run by a single proprietress. Despite being a weekday, the place was constantly packed with regular customers coming and going. When we visited, it was almost full, but the regulars kindly made space for us. The proprietress recommended dishes and showed us great hospitality from start to finish. The oden, of course, was delicious and the broth was so good that you'd want to drink it all up. Personally, I love the wheat gluten as an ingredient. For the finishing touch, we had oden broth ochazuke, which was surprisingly light and easy to eat after a night of drinking. It really warmed our bodies. I highly recommend it! But most importantly, I discovered my new favorite drink at this place - a lychee-scented shochu with soda that I could endlessly drink. It's dangerously good. If you ever come across it at an izakaya or elsewhere, give it a try! Suzuki no Kobeya @ Nakano Tabelog rating: 3.06 Price range: ¥2500-¥4000

After eating and drinking at the Western-style restaurant Budo-san, when you go up to the second floor, you will find a completely different wonderful Japanese-style space. It is a small hidden gem with a standing counter where about six people can fit. It's a place where you can enjoy delicious, simmering oden while having a cozy conversation. If you are taken there on a date from the first floor to the second floor, most girls would feel like "this person really understands me..." and you can probably win them over. Since it's a standing bar, it's better to avoid wearing high heels, so be sure to mention that in advance. ♡

I had always wanted to visit this restaurant. It was recommended by an acquaintance who is the manager of an oden shop. I finally got the chance to visit on my way back from a trip to Tohoku, staying in Tokyo for one night just to go to this place. I called at 6:00 on a weekday evening, and they said there was plenty of seating available and no need for a reservation. But when I arrived at 8:00, the place was full. Since I didn't know when I would be able to come back, and had no other plans, I asked if I could wait until a seat opened up. Luckily, some regular customers kindly offered to make space for me. The oden was delicious and the sake selection was great, with a grape-infused sake being a highlight. The oden was so flavorful and comforting, it was truly delicious. The warm and friendly manager, along with the regular customers, made the experience even better. It was a night to remember, and I will definitely visit again.

The first floor is bustling with wine and Italian cuisine at "Yoshokuya Budo". In the back, on the second floor, there is a standing-style oden restaurant called "Suzuki no Kobeya" that can only accommodate about 6 people. As you open the black door that stands alone, you feel like the beginning of a story! Inside, there is an attic-like space that you may have longed for since childhood. With soft lighting, it feels like a traditional Japanese bar or a high-class Japanese restaurant. The contrast with the first floor further enhances the mood. The proprietress single-handedly manages the place at the central counter, creating a cozy atmosphere. Starting with an Ebisu beer, I was captivated by the simmered eggplant appetizer and then by the delicious white sesame tofu. The menu is written on paper, allowing you to take your time to decide. Small dishes are served as appetizers, and there are also set menus available. The potato salad, umeshu plum wine, and sautéed burdock were excellent choices. The potato salad is a must-try dish for potato salad lovers. It is simple but the seasoning and texture are exquisite, with a delightful potato flavor. The umeshu plum wine goes perfectly with the food, making it an endless rain of flavors. While enjoying the best sake accompaniments, I found myself wanting to try more dishes. The main dish, oden, is a gentle and deep dish filled with the proprietress's love. You can choose from 3 or 5 ingredients. There are various ingredients in the gourd-shaped pot, looking comfortable and inviting. Daikon radish, stuffed tofu pouches, wheat gluten, and beef tendon are some of the options. The daikon radish is dignified in appearance but tender enough to be easily cut with chopsticks. It is a beautiful dish loved by everyone. Eating it with boiled kelp adds extra flavor. The stuffed tofu pouch is a must-try. You can enjoy both the ingredients and the flavorful broth soaked into the fried tofu. They say there are three important bags for marriage, and the stuffed tofu pouch is definitely a necessity. The content is a surprise to be enjoyed after eating. There are no marbles inside. The wheat gluten is a classic in Kanazawa oden, now a nationally famous dish. It gives you the feeling of eating the broth. Once you try all three, you will definitely exclaim how delicious it is. The beef tendon is not your usual beef tendon. It is cooked while retaining plenty of collagen unique to tendons. The surprisingly sweet and juicy collagen will amaze you. It has a satisfying texture, so it's a must-have on the menu. In addition to the oden, there is a wide variety of sake accompaniments to enjoy. You can have a great time trying various dishes, and the warmth and relaxation of this space made me miss the last train. While outside is a sparkling brick street, this place, filled with the proprietress's love, was the warmest place in Tokyo, almost too warm for Christmas.

First visit. When I tried two months ago, it was already full after 8 pm. I waited nearby for an hour, but unfortunately, no seats became available. So this time, I wanted to get in as soon as they opened, so I entered at 6 pm. Yes! I was the first one there! However, it quickly became full again. I started with a bottle of beer. I observed the landlady's demeanor while ordering. The appetizer for the day was a potato and green pepper salad. The oden was delicious, especially the daikon radish which I ordered again. It was topped with bonito flakes and some kind of kelp (I forgot the name, haha) which was tasty! It also came with mustard and yuzu pepper as condiments. The yuzu pepper was a bit spicy, as warned, so if you don't like spicy, you can eat it as it is or just add a tiny bit. We also had a salad of nagaimo with ponzu dressing and enjoyed some sake and dashi mixed with shochu or sake. You can choose which one you prefer for the dashi mix, which is great! The landlady's friendliness and atmosphere were very nice, and I had a pleasant time eating and drinking. She seemed to enjoy alcohol as well, so we toasted together. I will definitely go back! Thank you for the meal!

The oden was all delicious♪

I like this cozy oden and sake bar run by a friendly middle-aged lady.