AKABANE: Maruken Suisan Oden and Sake! WOW... this place had an line the whole time!

First time in my life to goto Akabane... just 10 minutes from Ikebukuro and this is foodie alcohol heaven!  There are so many small non-franchise spots.

Here we go!  A super popular oden grocer that serves sake and hot oden.

The most popular is Stamina Ahgeh... but all sold out.

Huge tray of piping hot oden sections.

I assume he was the owner... serving and also collecting money but he was had an eye for loud drunks and shooe'd them off.

My selection with a few pieces and One Cup of sake was around 900 yen...  It was good! Especially liked the shumai or was it gyoza oden.

Don't drink all of your sake.. leave about 1/5 then go get a 50 yen fill of the oden soup... called Oden-Wari (mixed with oden soup).   Totally warms you up.

If in Akabane you gotta try this spot... the staff will lead you to a shared standing table so for those few minutes it takes you to eat the oden and drink your sake you can chat up those around you.

Restaurant: Mrukensusan

Tabelog Foodie: https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1323/A132305/13008755/

Address J: 東京都北区赤羽1-22-8

Address E: Tokyo, Kita-ku, Akabane 1-22-8
MAP: https://goo.gl/maps/EijmXy5bNZo

丸健水産 , まるけんすいさん, おでん, 立ち飲み居酒屋, バー,  Japan, Japanese, Tokyo, sony rx100, tokyobelly, foodie, yelp, dinner, pub, tachinomi, standing bar pub, winter, soup

IKEBUKURO: Masuya kinda Standing Japanese Izakaya... cozy.

Went into Masuya just to kill a little time before meeting up with everyone.

Interior was cozy and on this Thursday night it was nice and busy at 7pm.  

Cold winter evening "Atsukan" is a must.

Light oden.  Warms you up.

Bonjiri (Chicken Butt Yakitori)... gotta try it.  Masuya's bonjiri was really meaty compared to most places... felt kinda odd having such a big mouthful of butt.  Prefer little butts myself.

If you want to experience a nice standing (partial sitting) busy Japanese izakaya with great beer food then this would definitely be an interesting place.  You can watch the Yakitori chef and people watch at the U shaped counter or seats along the side. 

Shop: Masuya

Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1305/A130501/13035773/

Shop Website:  http://www.frontier-one.co.jp/masuya/ikebukuro.html

Address J: 東京都豊島区西池袋1丁目24-3

Address E: Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Nishi Ikebukuro 1-24-3

MAP:

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IKEBUKURO: Tonzen for Oden... hmm... hmm...

Trying to kill a little time before dinner and wandered into this spot... Ordered a few beers and Sours along with some Oden.

Double chin! Embarrassed... I can't get my weight down. 

The Sours here are great... They give you a half Grapefruit to squeeze into the sake.

By the time we left at 7pm the place was a full house evenly mixed with pretty girls, younger guys and salarymen.  Nice bright and clean but its just soooo hard to pay anything over 100yen for beer/sours/hi-balls in Ikebukuro because of 100yen Izakaya Koike!  

Shop: Tonzen South Ikebukuro Branch

Foodie Website:  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1305/A130501/13139327/

Shop Website: http://iseya-uozen.com/tonzen.html

Address J: 東京都豊島区南池袋2-27-18

Address E: Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Minami Ikebukuro 2-27-18

MAP:

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OIZUMI GAKUEN: Kabura-Ya a cozy local Yakitori and Oden spot!

The writer of 999 resides in this town!

Met up with Scott in Oizumi Gakuen for a few drinks and of course the easiest place is Yakitori.   Checked the foodie blog and Kabura-Ya had some decent reviews but most interested me was the 80yen Yakitori sticks and the black Oden!

Lots of small food and stick items from veggies, seafood to meats.

Beer and sake start at a friendly 380yen

Black Oden!  Egg, potato, white raddish and konbu... yum!

Liver... seemed a bit on the pre-frozen side.

Motsu-Nikomi... a must and always good wherever you go.

Fried sticks too.  Scallops, Mushrooms and Pork with onions here.

Overall a very cozy local neighborhood spot with a nice mix of lone diners, couples and salarymen.  The food wasn't anything outstanding except for the Oden but you'll definitely have an easy going time here.  Last call was at 11pm on a Monday so FYI.

Shop: Kabura-Ya Oizumi Gakuen Branch

Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1321/A132103/13107492/

Shop Website: http://www.kaburaya.biz/index.html

Address J: 東京都練馬区東大泉4-1-7

Address E: Tokyo, Minato-ku, Higashi Oizumi 4-1-7
MAP:

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