Address - Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Roppongi 7-13-10, Jasmack Building Roppongikan B1 Opening hours - From 6:00 pm to 5:00 am Map - Yes Telephone - 3403-4499 Menu - Only in Japanese CC - OK

Some time ago I was invited to go to Roppongi to eat oden. The idea struck me as odd, because oden is hardly the stuff dreams are made of, and during the winter I can get some in any convenience store for a couple of hundred yen. Why cross the city and go to Roppongi? I went along anyway, and Nado Wado proved to be worth the trip.

In the basement of a building not far from the infamous Seventh Heaven, Nado Wado is a stylish traditional Japanese restaurant very far from the rickety shack I had expected: with its unpolished wood tables, many beautiful objects and warm atmosphere, it's a pleasant surprise in a plastic world like Roppongi. A Japanese in our party suggested the traditional interior was probably meant to attract tourists, but I pointed out that in that case there would be some English word somewhere in Nado Wado, whereas the only two I cold find were in the Coca Cola logo. This being Roppongi, though, most customers are young, and the atmosphere is neither smelly and proletarian nor aristocratic and dull. Just right.

The management here seems to be proud of their oden: they make a lot of fuss about their 2500 yen set, a big pot full of it sufficient for several people. It's very good, but I was relieved to see that's not all there is. You can have fish in various guises, fried chicken, tofu and all the usual little morsels typical of this kind of place. Hardly an original menu, but everything is good, satisfying and, for Roppongi, cheap. Expect to spend around 4000 yen per person, beers included.

Honestly, I despise Roppongi, and one of the reasons I enjoyed Nado Wado is that it's so unlike what surrounds it. If on a Roppongi night you want to try something different, coming here is probably not a bad idea. But remember: no English menu.