KONAKARA

Step inside, take off your shoes, and you are greeted by a large gourd-shaped copper pot simmering at the center of the room. A branch of the storied Yushima flagship in Tokyo, Konakara's Shin-Marunouchi Building location offers a tranquil counter setting built over sunken horigotatsu seating. Ingredients can be ordered individually, from classic dashi-soaked daikon radish and handmade konjac to seasonal specialties.

At lunchtime, set meals let you combine simple, comforting fare with your choice of oden items. Options range from sweet-savory minced meat soboro over rice to cold ki-jōyu udon dressed with oden broth or warm pork-and-scallion dipping udon, each paired with anywhere from 3 to 5 pieces of oden. The fragrant sesame-sauce Shusse Udon set provides another satisfying midday choice.

In the evening, the oden is complemented by a rich lineup of side dishes designed for drinking. Skewered octopus finished with sanshō pepper soy sauce offers a tender, fragrant bite, while simmered beef offal with root vegetables and miso-glazed nagaimo yam pair naturally with sake or cold beer. Situated right across from Tokyo Station, it serves equally well for a relaxed post-work drink or a warming late stop for broth.