Otako Shinjuku

Right by the famous Golden Gai drinking area, this is one of the best restaurants at Tokyo to get to grips with the hearty Japanese winter favorite: oden stew. Their Kanto-style oden features a gold-tinged broth with a rich umami flavor. The Ginza outlet has been around for almost a century, and this Shinjuku branch serves up their same historic cuisine and fresh seasonal ingredients. Your jaw will drop when you see their large square pot absolutely swimming with hundreds of pieces of stewing meat, tofu, seafood, and vegetables. To mention each individual piece by name would take all day, so just trust that they have all of the oden favorites, along with less conventional fillings like dumplings and octopus! With a great range of sake to choose from, this restaurant is the perfect winter-warmer hideaway (and just plain delicious in every other season). Grab a glass of sake in your left hand, chopsticks in your right, and prepare for an umami-packed feast to remember.