Sanuki Oden: Where to Eat, Prices & Hours (Kagawa)

Sanuki oden is a Kagawa oden culture in which ingredients simmered in udon iriko broth are eaten with a sweet white miso dip. Many udon shops have a corner where skewered oden sits at room temperature, and the standard style is to help yourself while you wait for your noodles.

Highlights

The defining feature is the sweetness of the white miso dip mixed with mustard. You coat broth soaked daikon, egg, konjac, and baby octopus with this dip. The natural harmony of udon and oden nurtured a food culture unique to Kagawa.

Enjoying the Seasons

It is a treat in winter when warm food calls, but at udon shops you can enjoy it year round, even in summer. The local way is to grab a few skewers before or after your udon.

Access and Basic Information

You can taste it at udon shops across the prefecture, including central Takamatsu. Self service udon shops around the central shopping arcade let you use the oden corner freely. Most skewers cost around a hundred yen and up, and the system is to take as many as you like and report the count at the register. Many udon shops open mainly at midday and may close by evening.

Practical Travel Notes

• At self service shops, you basically take skewers yourself from the oden pot near the entrance or register, and you report your count at checkout on the honor system.
• The white miso dip is usually set near the table or the pot, and the local way is to apply it generously.
• Many shops need coins or cash, so having a little cash on hand keeps things smooth.
• Nibbling a few skewers while waiting for udon is just right, but eating too many leaves no room for the udon itself.

A Quick Tip

Start with plenty of the white miso dip. After taking skewers, remember to report your count at the register and enjoy the local custom. Daikon and egg soak up the broth well, so they make a good first skewer.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• What the sauce really is: The karashi miso of Sanuki oden is not prepared mustard but white miso mixed with mustard. It goes well with oden that has soaked up the broth (Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association).
• The standard ingredients: Egg, konnyaku, daikon radish and beef tendon are simmered slowly in udon broth.
• How to pay: Even at full-service shops the oden is often self-service, so it is safest to ask the staff how to take it and how to settle up.
• A public facility where you can try it: Fukiage-tei, a teahouse within Ritsurin Garden, a Special Place of Scenic Beauty (8:30-17:00, tel. 087-866-8312), serves iidako octopus oden alongside Sanuki udon. Nearby Komatsu-tei is open 9:00-16:30 (irregular closing days). Admission to the garden is 500 yen for adults and 170 yen for children, and opening hours vary by month, from 7:00-17:00 in January to 5:30-19:00 from June to August.

* Opening hours and prices vary from shop to shop.

(Sources: the Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association's Udon Prefecture Tabi Net, Conquer the Side Menu Completely!; Ritsurin Garden souvenir, rest and dining facilities; Ritsurin Garden visitor guide)

Information Sources

This article is compiled from Kagawa Prefecture's tourism guidance and information published by each establishment. Prices, menus and seasons can change, so please check the official information of each establishment for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Approximate budget: Affordable, from around 100 yen an item
• Where to eat it: Udon shops, oden shops and izakaya within Kagawa Prefecture
• Best time of day: Both lunch and dinner. As a side dish with udon
• Beating the crowds: Udon shops get busy at lunchtime. Go at an off-peak time
• Enjoy it together with: The sweet miso sauce, Sanuki udon, and the local sake of Kagawa