Maruchu Kamabokoten

Before you even think about tackling the oden at Maruchu, take a moment to appreciate the drinks list, which boasts a selection of wines (Japanese, Italian and French), sake and shochu. Next, work your way up to its impressive range of sides, such as ‘odon’ (udon boiled in oden soup) and seafood dishes – there’s even a selection of cheeses to go with the wine. With all these fancy distractions for the chefs to worry about, you might think the quality of the oden would suffer as a result, but no: it's top-notch. Our favourite is undoubtedly the ‘Oden no Tomato’, made by stewing a whole peeled tomato in oden soup before combining it with dried basil to create a rich, herby flavour reminiscent of a good-quality tomato soup – highly recommended. Get there early if you want to try it, though: this tiny spot, which sits in an arcade near Keisei-Tateishi Station, only has space inside for a handful of customers. Fortunately, there's also a couple of small tables out front for those who are happy eating their oden amid the hustle and bustle of the arcade.