[Tokyo] Konakara こなから

Konakara おでん処こなから

Add: 〒100-6505 東京都千代田区丸の内1-5-1 新丸の内ビルディング5F
Tel:03-5220-2281
Hours: [lunch] 11am-3pm [dinner] 5-11pm
Price: ¥200~450/oden
Website: www.konakara.com
Visited: Jan 2011

There’s a buzz at Konakara that makes you feel like you’ve come to the right place. Diners sit elbow to elbow along the cozy U-shaped counter, all facing the signature gourd-shaped copper kettle filled with oden. All that crowding does not exactly make an ideal place for a private tête à tête, but if you’re looking for a warm and delicious evening, this may be exactly what you’re after.

Starters (¥1,000/trio), simple but delicious.

Among all the items we ordered, my favorites were: 京がんも (deep fried tofu ball)、餅きんちゃく (tofu pouch filled with mochi), いわしつみれ (sardine fish ball), and 帆立入りさつま揚げ. Other standard fare like 大根 (daikon radish) and 産みたてたまご (boiled egg) are of course delicious as well, especially when devoured with the accompanying steamy hot broth made from shiitake mushrooms, kelp, katsuobushi, and mackerel.

Here are the deep fried tofu ball, tofu pouch filled with mochi, and sardine fish ball (¥350 each).

京がんも (deep fried tofu ball) is flavored with vegetables and has a surprise quail egg in the center.

大根 (daikon radish)、みず菜 (mizuna)、産みたてたまご (newly laid egg), ¥350 each.

きくらげ (wood ear)  ¥200、おこげさん (grilled rice ball) ¥350, さつ栗さん (sweet potato and chestnut ball) ¥400.

帆立入りさつま揚げ (fish cake warpping scallops) ¥350, チーズ入りピリ辛すいとん (spicy mochi dumpling with cheese) ¥350.

Rice tea ¥400.

The menu, in Japanese only.

For 12 oden, 2 glasses of tea, plus the 2 sets of starters, we paid a total of 6,900 yen ($83), which is a lot more than what I expected for an oden meal. Curiously, the restaurant website states that each oden is 200 yen, I’m not sure if they’ve changed the price or if the Marunouchi store that we went to is just more expensive. Price notwishstanding, it was a most satisfying and soul-warming dinner for a cold winter day in Tokyo. Small, casual, unpretentious. It’s best to make a reservation before you come, though they only keep reservations until 6pm.