If you’re in the prefecture of Shizuoka, you have to try a local spin on a common Japanese dish called oden. Umi Bozu, an izakaya in Shizuoka city, is famous for its authentic Shizuoka-style oden. Loved by locals, they are one of many spots that serve up this classic Japanese dish with a twist, or more accurately, a stick.
At Umi Bozu, the oden are skewered on sticks.
Oden is a relatively simple but delicious Japanese hot pot-like dish. In oden, various ingredients like yude tamago (boiled egg) and daikon (Japanese radish) are prepared in a soy sauce dashi broth. But Shizuoka does their oden differently from the rest of the country.
Photo by: Frank Striegl Konjac up close with karashi (spicy mustard) condiment
As such, at Umi Bozu the oden are skewered on sticks. They’re not sitting in broth (which is more common elsewhere). They almost look like yakitori (grilled skewered chicken).
In addition, the broth is quite different. In other parts of the country, oden broth is heavily made up of bonito fish flakes. But at Umi Bozu the oden broth is made from beef stock, with a soy sauce that is saltier and stronger tasting. The reason it’s stronger is that new broth is continuously added to old broth (instead of starting from scratch each time). This gives the oden a truly complex flavor.
Photo by: Frank Striegl Oden on a stick.
At Umi Bozu, you can get an assortment of 14 Shizuoka style oden for just ¥1,600. For an assortment of seven oden, it’s ¥800. Come hungry! Umi Bozu has a massive menu (and not just oden) – from tuna cutlet to shrimp sashimi. If you’re in Shizuoka City, be sure to grab some Shizuoka style oden at Umi Bozu.
