A Dedicated Oden Restaurant by The Ishizuka Team

Step inside and the stage is set. Designed by Russell & George, the interiors take their cues from hammered copper Oden pots, striking yet understated. The effect is warmth with polish, an atmosphere where detail is everywhere but never overwhelming.

The menu reads like an ode in itself, written in broth. Daikon, enoki, cabbage, chikuwa, octopus, tofu, prawn balls, shirataki noodles, all simmered patiently in clear soy-based dashi, each ingredient served individually, each a quiet story. Tradition is met with flair: daikon crowned with foie gras, a half-boiled egg cloaked in truffle, tomato bright with caviar, eel rolled into omelette. There’s balance, comfort dressed with refinement, restraint dressed with attention.

Oden isn’t all steam and subtlety. Fire plays its part too, with skewers of wagyu, ocean trout, pork, and yakitori, smoky and satisfying. And for the coda, a custard caramel pudding that’s sweet in the right places and perfectly restrained in others.

Drinks have not been left behind. Consultant Nick Tesar has built a list around the Japanese Highball, brisk, sparkling, and crisp enough to slice through the richness of broth. Alongside are pours of sake and a thoughtful selection of local wines, each one tuned to the menu’s rhythm.

“Oden has always been one of my favourite dishes,” says Zhang, “and to be able to bring it to Melbourne in this way feels very special.” It is her ode to tradition, reframed with an eye for detail and a respect for seasonality.

At its heart, Oden is simple: ingredients, broth, fire, time. But in Melbourne, at 137 Bourke Street, it becomes something more of a meditation on patience and flavour, a quiet hymn played with care. Ishizuka showed us refinement in stillness; Oden now shows us comfort with elegance.