Ichigo

The photos are self-explanatory. A very special omakase oden experience. Will recommend to those who love high quality oden (of course not those in convenient stores). The oden chef is so professional that he checks his big pot of oden soup for every dish and makes sure it is clear broth. Dri...nking the residual oden soup in your plate/bowl is an enjoyment. The traditional matcha (rich with some foam on top) is a perfect end to the meal. It helps digestion too!

Visited July 2019

Serving good sashimi and traditional Japanese food as well as variety of Oden. Specialty of Oden is Ichigo Tamago (egg). Seating for about 25 guests but crowded always.

Visited January 2016

Azabu Ichigo is in a class of itself. It serves one of the most popular comfort food of the Japanese cuisine in a refined preparation; the place is more like a cozy jazz bar rather than a noisy traditional "oden shop", and it has an unpretenshioness that does not seem to match its one star status at... Michelin. And the prices are accessible too. Those familiar with Japanese food know that oden is not exactly what you would consider in the haute cuisine category of the UNESCO acclaimed "washoku". Nonetheless, it is something that even the sophisticated gourmet would long for during the cold days of winter or after a long evening of generous libations. And yet, the oden at Ichigo is a serious concoction, worth to be savoured by the sohisticated palate to appreciate its flavorful "umami". The chef is very kind to explain what goes into the dishes while painstakingly preparing then in front of you. The staff is also very attentive and courteous in providing your with the food and drinks in a timely spacing. The hallmarks of the restaurant are the boiled raddish, which melts in your mouth embeded with the carefully elaborated dashi stock, and the soft boiled egg, or "onsen tamago", which is firm on the outside and delicatedly creamy inside. Other accompanyments are also of high standard, such as the varied sashimi plate and the crispy yuba (tofu skin) rolled over rice cake. Many varieties of oden specimens can be ordered, either as set menu or a la carte, such as many varieties of fish cakes, konyaku (yam gellatine-like paste), other vegetables and sea weeds. To finish, they serve a tea infused rice cooked in dashi stock, a delicious way of completing a very satisfying but not overstuffing meal. Needless to say, it is "de rigueur" to have sips of carefully selected sakes throughout the meal. Although oden is known as a winter comforter or hang over preventer food, the delicacies at Ichigo can well be enjoyed also on a rainy or cloudy day, when melancholy threatens to take over you. They will surely reanimate your soul through your restimulated palate.

Visited April 2014