Kanogawa

Step down into the basement of a commercial building in Kanda-Ogawamachi, and the gentle aroma of dashi broth welcomes you to Kanogawa. The intimate dining room features counter and table seating totaling around 19 places. Here, guests can enjoy oden and seasonal dishes built on ingredients sourced every morning from Tsukiji.

The signature oden is steeped in a clear, delicately flavored broth that highlights the innate qualities of each ingredient. The selection spans staples such as daikon radish and chikuwabu alongside house-made ganmodoki tofu fritters, cabbage rolls, and rotating seasonal pieces, making browsing the options half the fun. For those unsure where to start, the chef's choice assortment of 5 oden items provides an easy introduction.

Earning equal acclaim alongside the simmered broth dishes is the iwashi no ume-ni, true sardines simmered for multiple days with sour umeboshi plums and ginger. Nibbling on the deeply concentrated, tender fish between sips of junmai sake such as Urakasumi or Kikuhime makes for a delightful evening. The wider menu of small plates includes fragrant negimayaki skewers pairing tuna with scallions, as well as fresh sashimi. To finish, the house specialty oden chazuke—rice steeped in the savory oden broth, accented with wasabi and nori—brings the meal to a deeply satisfying close.

On weekday afternoons, lunch set meals center on oden as well as grilled or simmered fish. Stopping by for a quick, warming midday meal of well-simmered oden, miso soup, and rice is deeply satisfying, while reserving a table in the evening to linger over seasonal fare and sake offers an equally appealing way to experience the tavern.