Japan Trip - Kappabashi and Oden

We love food and we (or JC) love cooking, so our shopping destination in Japan is always Kappabashi.

Kappabashi is 800 m long street near Asakusa, which is filled with about 170 kitchenware stores.
It was a holiday so many of the stores were closed, but it wasn't a problem because each store had this wide variety of kitchen goods.

If all the stores were open, I don't know what to do!

We were like kids in a toy store but I knew that excitement would cloud my judgement, so tried to purchase only necessities.

These are the things we bought:
Durable stainless steel baking sheet × 2
Durable hand-made strainer × 2
Moomin cup
Stainless steel grill net for BBQ
Small stainless steel net (as soap dish)

JC wanted to buy Hario's heat-resistant glass cup but he couldn't find it.



Then we walked a little toward Asakusa, and went to Otafuku, 101 year old Oden restaurant.

Oden is fishcakes and vegetables cooked in Dashi-based soup.

They had a menu in English but we luckily sat in front of this big pot, so we just pointed at the ingredients we wanted to try. It was fun!

All of them were cooked in the same soup, but none of them were samey.
Very good flavor of Dashi and warmed me up on that cold day.

JC had Ebisu Beer and I had Umeshu (plum liquor).
Umeshu somehow went very good with Oden.

Good food and good, friendly service. Very Shitamachi (unpretentious downtown feel).

Then we walked to Asakusa. There is always festive atmosphere here.

We enjoyed the beautiful autumn color.

JC had endless appetite in Japan. Another snack: Beef Tongue stick and Sake.

And...

...Tattooed Kewpie!?