01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Simmered slowly in a clear stock pulled from bonito flakes and kombu kelp, every skewer at Oden & Game Bar PONCOTTU soaks up flavor straight to its center. The signature oden platter brings together staples such as tender daikon radish, a soft-boiled egg with a gooey yolk, deep-fried tofu, and skewered beef tendon, their fragrant dashi rising with inviting warmth as the dish arrives.
Alongside traditional Japanese dashi, the kitchen offers playful modern accents. Toppings like a velvety mentaiko cream or a tingling numbing-and-spicy mala sauce transform familiar simmered skewers into rich accompaniments for drinks. The side menu keeps pace with dishes such as crisp fried oden daikon—breaded and fried after absorbing dashi—alongside melting, bite-sized cubes of braised pork belly.
Draft beer gets things started, but seasonal sake and hot dashi-wari—warm sake blended with flying fish (ago) broth—highlight the savory depth and round profile of the soup stock. To finish, diners can opt for oden dashi udon to savor the broth cleanly, or turn to the punchy, brothless mapo udon for heat.
Board games sit ready throughout the space, suiting solo visits at the counter chatting with the staff just as easily as group sessions clustered around a table. It provides a relaxed, unhurried setting to graze on warm hot-pot fare and linger well into the night.
