I visited Unagiya for the first time in a while because I was craving their delicious eel dish. Unagiya is a well-established eel restaurant in Tokyo, and their top-quality eel dish is truly exceptional. I particularly enjoy their steamed eel, so I visit regularly. It's essential to make a reservation in advance as the restaurant gets crowded on weekends. Today, I ordered their top-quality eel dish, as always. The eel was perfectly cooked and had a rich flavor. The texture was tender and the taste was exquisite. The eel skin was especially delicious. The eel at Unagiya is of high quality and always a delightful treat. The eel melts in your mouth, and the flavor is outstanding. The eel dish is definitely worth the price. The eel was slightly overcooked today, but it was still delicious. The sauce complemented the eel well with its balanced acidity and sweetness. The rice was fluffy and tasty. Overall, it was a satisfying dining experience at Unagiya.

Eel restaurant, perfect for a hangover meal. I found a famous eel restaurant in the eastern part of Nagasaki and made a reservation for lunch since I had some free time. I was able to make a reservation for the first seating at 11:30, so I went there promptly. It's great to be able to make reservations at eel restaurants! Especially in this hot weather, waiting outside for a long time can be tough. When I entered the restaurant, a serious-looking chef greeted me right away! I thought, "Oh," but he was just checking the grilling. After being seated, I waited for a while. Normally, they prepare and grill the eel after receiving the order, but since I had a reservation, they timed it accordingly and brought it out after a short wait. Comfortable! The highlight menu includes Unaju Plum for 3000 yen, Unaju Bamboo for 3500 yen, Unaju Pine for 4000 yen, Unaju Special for 4500 yen, and Unaju Special Deluxe for 6500 yen. Of course, when it comes to Unaju, the Special Deluxe is the only choice with its impressive presentation! So, I chose the Special Deluxe. Later, I realized that the liver dish was separate. Maybe I should have tried that. Starting with the pickles and soup, the pickles were very mellow and delicious! The soup was made with glass noodles and fish paste. The restaurant provided individual packets of sansho pepper, which seemed convenient to use. Finally, the Unaju Special Deluxe (6500 yen) arrived. Wow! It looks so delicious. Indeed, for Unaju, the eel needs to cover the rice completely to create the right atmosphere! When I took a bite, I was amazed by the eel. It was thick, juicy, and the fat was meltingly delicious. Yet, it wasn't heavy at all and tasted delightful. I think this is the first time I've had such a fluffy and thick eel. The landlady mentioned that it's very challenging to consistently source eels of this quality. Normally, the difference in Unaju is the portion size for the Special Deluxe, but the Special Deluxe at this restaurant is aged for 6 years, making it difficult to find such well-developed eels elsewhere. I agree with that. In fact, it's the first time I've had such a thick and fluffy eel. The sauce was quite light, emphasizing the eel's flavor. I thought the refreshing sauce was perfect for this thick, flavorful eel. Despite being quite filling, I devoured it all. It was a delightful meal! This eel is completely different from others. It's incredibly thick and juicy, yet packed with flavor and delicious fat. It pairs wonderfully with the refreshing sauce. I learned a lot from experiencing this type of eel restaurant. Also, the staff had a cool artisan vibe. I definitely want to visit this place again!

I found out suddenly that my husband had a day off, so I decided to visit this place I had been wanting to try for a while. I contacted them in advance and ordered the premium eel rice bowl and, if available, grilled eel liver. When we arrived at 12 o'clock, there was only one customer leaving, so the restaurant became empty with just us. First, we wanted to have some drinks, so we enjoyed some edamame and beer as appetizers, and while waiting for the eel, we had a great time sweating with cold sake and chicken wasabi. This cold sake was so smooth and didn't interfere with the dishes, becoming my favorite. At one point, the landlady mentioned that they had grilled eel liver available, so we tried it. The liver was more satisfying and substantial than I had imagined, increasing my anticipation for the eel. Finally, the long-awaited premium eel rice bowl was deliciously fragrant, plump, and satisfying to eat. It was truly a delightful eel experience. The premium one was indeed delicious! The rich sauce also added to the charm, making it a place known for eel in the Kanto region! The weather was also nice that day, and with no other reservations, we had the whole restaurant to ourselves and could leisurely enjoy the delicious eel. Thank you very much. I would like to visit again. Thank you for the meal!

A renowned eel restaurant located in a sparsely populated corner of an old-fashioned station-front shopping street. I decided on a whim to make a phone reservation and was lucky to get a table in the early afternoon. Reservations are a must. The quiet head chef, sociable hostess, and diligent son and his wife create a harmonious atmosphere. Let's not dwell on the eel itself, crafted by a master dedicated to his lifelong art. Novices should eat in silence with reverence. The fluffy texture, exquisite seasoning, and indescribable taste make you crave more after each bite. Such addictive quality. Thank you for the feast.

This is a famous eel restaurant in Minami-Nagasaki. I had never been to Minami-Nagasaki before. I found out about this eel restaurant and realized it was quite close from Yoyogi on the Oedo Line, so I decided to visit. Near the next station, Nakanii, there is also the grave of Uchida Hyakken, whom I dearly love, so I planned to pay my respects after eating and return home. As I was looking for other places to visit for a stroll, I came across the Tokiwa So Manga Museum. Tezuka Osamu and Akatsuka Fujio's manga, like many boys, I have read a lot, and I collected all volumes of Black Jack after becoming a working adult (although I have already let them go). Since I was going nearby, I decided to visit this museum as well, so my activities for the day were set. It is said that reservations are essential at this restaurant, so I made a reservation the day before. Not only reservations for the restaurant but also what to eat need to be reserved. This restaurant was loved by Honda's founder, Soichiro Honda, and he apparently visited frequently. It seems that people from the political and business world also visit. Former Prime Minister Nakasone also did so. Fortunately, I was able to enter the restaurant at the opening time by chance. The restaurant is a bit of a walk from the station. It is located near the entrance of the Nagasaki Ginza shopping street on one side. It feels like an ordinary eel restaurant in the city. When the shop opened, a curtain was hung, and the staff asked, "Are you the one who made a reservation?" to those waiting to enter the store, and each person was guided to their seat after stating their name. There seems to be a second-floor seating area as well. Since I was alone, I sat at the leftmost seat at the counter, which was the closest to the entrance. The owner silently grilled the eel right in front of me. The sight of the craftsman working diligently is very beautiful. Since it was hot while waiting, I thought about having a beer, but they only had large bottles. I thought it was a bit too much, but well, it's not an amount I can't drink. Although my stomach felt full, I decided to order anyway. Well, well, after quite a wait, the eel that was served was of the highest quality (6,500 yen), so the eel was quite impressive. Among all the eel dishes I have eaten before, this one was probably the largest. I sprinkled a little sansho pepper on it and ate it eagerly. Hmm, the eel is truly splendid, and the seasoning is also very good. However, the only problem is that the sauce is a bit lacking. It's somewhat disappointing that you can't adjust it to your liking on the table. I couldn't ask for such a vulgar thing as to have more sauce poured on top while eating. That was the only issue, but I still enjoyed the meal. I also drank a large bottle of beer, so my stomach became quite full. After that, I visited the nearby Tokiwa So Manga Museum. Although Tokiwa So's place was just a little across the street, it had already been demolished, and there was only a publishing company's building with a monument on the site. However, this museum faithfully reconstructed it, and although I don't know the details of that time, it had an atmosphere of a Showa-era apartment building. I felt like I was witnessing the typical success story of someone who became a great manga artist without any doubt. An exhibition of original drawings from a manga called "Yotsuba&!" was being held on the first floor. It seems to be a manga about a cute girl, but I have no idea about it. Upon later research, I found out that it is a famous manga translated into about 20 countries worldwide. After that, when I started walking towards the next station to visit Uchida Hyakken's grave, I saw a signboard pointing towards the Fumiko Hayashi Memorial Hall. Although I had never read her travelogue, I had some spare time, so I decided to go. It is a wonderful Japanese-style house located on a slightly elevated hill, with a magnificent garden. It is mentioned that she ordered the construction of this house at the age of around 30. I was surprised that she was so successful. After that, I safely paid my respects at the grave and headed back home. I offered a can of beer at the grave for Professor Hyakken, who loved beer. There were already many cans placed there. People who love Uchida Hyakken do the same.

It's been about 2 years since I last had Kanto-style eel, so I checked my history. I've been eating local grilled eel all this time, and I've really forgotten about Kanto-style eel. During the Bon festival, I suddenly felt like eating eel and searched for a restaurant. Fish politics is far away, and the old shop I used to go to didn't quite appeal to me. Ah! There's a nearby shop that caught my interest. There were also recommendations from reliable people, so today I went to an eel restaurant. The name of the restaurant is straightforward, isn't it? I went with a friend nearby. I made a last-minute reservation by phone on the day of the visit. It seems that the evening is fully booked, so I requested a 2 p.m. reservation. It's valuable to have continuous business hours from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. They confirm your order when you make a phone reservation. It seems that they can shorten the waiting time by 30 minutes compared to ordering inside the restaurant. I like waiting while snacking on appetizers, but today I have other plans afterwards, so I will shorten my time. Of course, I ordered the special (6500 yen) here. Everyone highly recommends it. It comes with soup and pickles. In a normal eel restaurant, the sizes of the eel dishes go from regular to premium to special, but here the special seems to have a different origin and quality of eel. I was too scared to ask, but I laughed. When I entered, it seemed like the person in charge of grilling was the previous owner? There also seems to be a second generation, but it's not clear who does what. There were 5 people in the kitchen, quite a few staff members, haha. After waiting quietly for about 10 minutes for the dish to be ready, the person who seemed like the previous owner approached us and started a conversation. He looked a bit intimidating, and my companion was nervous, haha. I forgot to mention, but we were seated at the counter for two. It might be the first time I'm not seated at a table or in a private room. My seat was where they mentioned stories about Soichiro Honda always sitting there and the names of parliament members, one after another. They even showed me the special eel in the basket. And now, the eel rice bowl appeared. Not only the previous owner but also his wife said, "This is delicious," with a confident smile. When the lid was opened, I was surprised to see the arrangement of the grilled eel for the first time! No, I probably don't remember it... The eels were not arranged horizontally but vertically. They were packed densely, covering the entire surface. And since there was depth, there was plenty of rice to support the eel. I didn't see the steaming process, but it was definitely fluffy. It wasn't so soft that you couldn't pick it up with chopsticks. I heard the sauce was on the sweeter side, but it was actually more on the mild side. It's like letting the eel speak for itself without relying on the sauce, maybe. You can tell from the first bite that it's an eel rice bowl that won't make you tired of eating. Maybe the grilled eel and rice are better than the eel rice bowl. I might have gotten used to eating it that way recently. The soup didn't have liver in it, so maybe you could order it as an extra? The homemade pickles were delicious, with a prominent salty taste. The portion was quite generous, but I managed to finish it somehow. I even finished what my friend left behind, haha. I felt bad leaving anything uneaten, so I made an effort after a long time. It was during the Bon festival, but I was satisfied to satisfy my craving for eel. My friend seemed to have missed eating eel on the midsummer day of the ox, so the timing was good. My daughter always helps me with genres that I would never visit. I'm interested in the pork cutlet rice bowl and the chicken and egg rice bowl that were mentioned, haha. It's probably for families with children who don't eat eel. My sister looked bored because she couldn't eat eel... While writing this, I thought that my daughter hasn't mentioned wanting to eat anything other than tempura recently. She doesn't like sushi or yakiniku, and she doesn't react well to Chinese or Japanese cuisine either... Maybe she doesn't talk much because she doesn't like my restaurant choices, haha. Thank you for the meal. When I feel like having Kanto-style eel again, I'll visit again.

A famous eel restaurant frequented by top figures in the political and business world. A friend who loves eel and visits here once a month says, "I can't eat eel anywhere else." We made a reservation for two grilled eels, two premium eels, fried eel, and grilled eel liver, and went for lunch with four people. The delicious aroma from outside made us even more hungry - everything that came out exceeded our expectations in taste and portion size. Next time, we'll just order one grilled eel. Everyone was very satisfied, thank you for the meal.

There is an eel restaurant within walking distance from Higashi-Nagasaki Station. I visited for lunch on this day. The restaurant was fully booked by reservation only, so booking in advance is necessary. I had the premium eel and grilled eel liver on this day. It seems that the availability of grilled eel liver varies, and I was fortunate to have it on this day. The bitterness and sauce flavor matched well and went perfectly with alcohol. The eel bowl I had was superb with its richness and umami. It was lightly grilled in the Kanto style and paired beautifully with the sauce. Just like others have mentioned, choosing the premium option is definitely worth it.

Established in 1967, the renowned eel restaurant "Unagiya" in Higashi-Nagasaki. I made a reservation and visited. I took a seat at the leftmost seat at the counter. It seems that this seat is where Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda, always sat. Recently, even the former baseball player and manager Shigeo Nagashima sat here. It's a restaurant loved by celebrities like Misora Hibari. Making a reservation ensures that the eel is prepared and steamed just before serving, so the service is quick. It's recommended to make a reservation as you might not get in without one. From the counter seat, you can clearly see the head chef's grilling process. The "Unaju Tokujou" for 6,500 yen here uses a whole eel and an additional quarter eel, with a quality and fat texture that surpasses the Matsubame special rank. I believe the price was the same five years ago, so it's impressive that they've kept it consistent. I was shown the eels in the bucket inside the restaurant. They mentioned that they draw up well water and use it to flush out any impurities in the eels, ensuring they are placed in clean water before being served. The eels are prepared just before serving, allowing you to enjoy fresh eel. The eel is folded at the edges to fit inside the box, steamed to be plump inside while excess fat drips away. Despite being thick and juicy, the eel has been deboned adequately, providing a stress-free texture similar to chicken. The eel melts in your mouth in a way that cannot be expressed by other seafood, enhanced by the crispy surface from grilling. The sauce is light, sweet, and addictive. It truly embodies the craftsmanship of the saying "three years to skewer, eight years to cut, a lifetime to grill." Thank you for the delicious meal!

A recommended eel restaurant by a nearby eel shop. Since the eel shop recommended it, it must be delicious, so I went there! It's a popular place, so I made a reservation before visiting. Even at 3 PM, the restaurant was fully booked. They mentioned that the eel dish takes time, so I enjoyed some beer and snacks while waiting. The snacks included crispy fried chicken, fluffy omelette, and pickled vegetables. The fried chicken was hot and crispy, the omelette was fluffy, and the pickled vegetables had a nice salty flavor. After a 40-minute wait, the eel dish arrived. The steamed and grilled eel was fluffy and delicious. The soy sauce-based sauce had a nice salty taste, which I personally enjoyed.

I revisited "Unagiya" in Higashi Nagasaki. Personally, I think it's the most delicious eel restaurant right now. Today, I received an order saying, "I want to eat delicious eel!" so I decided to revisit this restaurant. Confidently revisiting this place. You will be seated in a tatami room on the second floor. The edamame appetizer uses good quality beans. Goes well with beer. The shirayaki (6500 yen including tax) is thick and fluffy. The feeling of it being skewered is irresistible. Simple with wasabi soy sauce. Enjoying the simple taste of the eel itself. The eagerly awaited unaju is of course the top choice (6500 yen including tax). Opening the green box, you meet it face to face. The fluffy unaju makes its appearance. Without delay, take a bite. Fluffy, melty, perfectly sweet. It's exquisite when paired with rice! The eel here feels like a refined Kanto-style eel. I think it's amazing every time. I still personally like the eel here the best! It might be fair to call it the legendary eel. It was very delicious. I will come again. Thank you for the meal.

Fluffy, soft, and airy - it's hard to find the right words to describe it (laughs). Anyway, it's delicious ❤️ You should definitely order the premium option - the moment you open the lid, a wonderful aroma fills the air, and you'll finish it all in no time. I like that the rice isn't too firm and the sauce isn't too sweet.

I visited a favorite eel restaurant in Tokyo. I had pre-ordered shirayaki and hitsumabushi, but I forgot to reserve the liver skewers and couldn't eat them that day... However, the eel served in the tasteful atmosphere of the restaurant was delicious. I would like to try the liver skewers next time. Thank you for the meal.

I finally got to visit the eel restaurant I had been curious about for a long time! I made a reservation well in advance because it was the weekend, and I had the impression that it fills up quickly. I was very satisfied with the delicious eel I had! I asked for the best eel and indulged with liver sashimi as well ♡ I was surprised by the fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the eel that I had never tasted before! I want to go again next year ♡

We managed to secure a last-minute reservation at this renowned eel restaurant! It is said to be a favorite of Soichiro Honda. It was our first time visiting Higashi-Nagasaki, and we didn't realize it was just 2 stops away on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line from Ikebukuro. When we called around 5 p.m. on the day of our visit and confirmed if we could come in at 7 p.m. as a party of one, we were informed that the eel would be ready by 7:20 p.m., so they suggested making a reservation for that time. When asked over the phone which eel dish we wanted, we opted for the second from the top of the five-tiered menu. Upon arrival at the restaurant, we saw a sign indicating that all reserved seats were taken, so we were glad we had called ahead. Despite being an established restaurant, the exterior and interior were very clean and elegant. While there were still some available seats, perhaps due to it being close to closing time in less than an hour and the time required for grilling the eel, walk-in customers without reservations may have been turned away earlier. As we snacked on edamame and sipped beer, the eel dish arrived shortly after. It came with pickles and soup. The fluffy and warm eel itself was delicious, and the sauce was subtly flavorful without being too overpowering. We couldn't stop eating and finished it in no time. For reference, the restaurant has a relatively large seating capacity of 36 seats across the 1st and 2nd floors. The 1st floor had 4 counter seats and two 6-person tables. The counter seats provide a sense of comfort for solo diners, which is appreciated in an eel restaurant. According to Tabelog, the operating hours are listed as 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., but it seems they close at 8:00 p.m. However, even at the last minute, there were customers coming in for takeout orders.

I visited a delicious eel restaurant and this time I visited the famous eel restaurant in Higashi-Nagasaki, Eel-ya✨✨ After reading everyone's reviews, I couldn't wait and arrived in front of the restaurant at 11:25❣️ The store was already open and customers were there. Of course, reservations are a must! When I asked here, I was told that there was only one choice, the top quality, so I had informed them during the reservation process. They prepared according to the time and served me in less than 15 minutes✨✨ I couldn't wait from the moment I entered the store due to the smell, and the excitement when I opened the lid✨✨✨ After all, this moment is the most exciting for eel! The head chef and the proprietress seemed energetic, and I heard that the top quality eel is from Mikawa Isshiki. The proprietress also told me that the best secret is to take it out directly from the well water and handle it directly, resulting in this fluffy eel after steaming and grilling✨✨✨ This eel overflowing from the lacquered box is truly fluffy, and it has a good amount of fat! Yet, it's not overpowering (which I think is amazing). The sauce also enhances the umami of the eel without being too strong✨✨ It's clear that the eel is the star of the show! I devoured it in no time because it was so delicious ( ˶>ᴗ<˶) I'm truly impressed✨✨✨❣️ Thank you for the feast~✨✨ I will definitely visit again(⁎ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈⁎)✨✨

I was hungry... driving in the car... chatting with my husband, saying "I'm hungry, let's eat something," (actually, I've been wanting to eat eel for a while now... eel, eel...) and secretly planning in my mind, we found an eel restaurant on the way back! Do you want to eat eel?? I suggested, and we went. The eel was plump and lightly sweet? I really love eel but it's hard for me to finish, but I finished everything here. Usually, I would have my husband eat some, but the pickles and clear soup were delicious too. Since they are open all day, it seems very convenient. I will come again. Thank you for the meal.

Unagi-ya (renowned for Kanto-style eel) @5 minutes walk from Higashi-Nagasaki Station, Tokyo Budget: 3000-7000 yen @yokozuna_gurmet Established in 1969, this traditional eel restaurant is a popular spot known for its eel dishes. Open from 11:30 to 20:30, they accept reservations. I heard that their regular eel dishes and their premium eel dishes are completely different, so I ordered the premium unagi set for 6500 yen when making a reservation. It's said that the texture of the fat is completely different. They use eels aged for 3 years for the premium dish and 6 years for the special dish. The sauce is not too strong, making it very enjoyable. The rice sauce is also not too strong, allowing you to fully appreciate the goodness of the eel. Payment method: Cash only. Opening hours: 11:30-20:30. Tabelog rating: 3.75. Reservations: Available. #YokozunaGourmet #YokozunaGourmetHigashiNagasaki #YokozunaGourmetOchiaiMinamiNagasaki #Eel #Unagi #UnagiRestaurant #UnagiSet #UnagiBowl #EelBowl.

Visited again in May 2023, 10 months since the last visit. This time, the grill chef was not the owner, but their son? (a young man). There was a difference in the grilling compared to the owner, but it's hard to judge after 10 months. The tamagoyaki was delicious and fluffy with a good dashi flavor. The pickles were decent. The premium unagi rice bowl was quite delicious, the quality was good. The miso soup was decent. Looking forward to the next visit.

I came for lunch with my junior colleague from work. We made a reservation to avoid risks, and it was a great decision! It's located just a few minutes' walk from Higashi-Nagasaki Station, and despite being a small establishment, it boasts high popularity. It's one of the top 100 eel restaurants, after all. The cheerful lady who answered the reservation call welcomed us warmly. We were guided to the second-floor tatami room. Even on the second floor, there was a fragrant smell of eel being grilled. Although our reservation was for 12 o'clock, we were about 20 minutes late. Eel takes time to cook, and there are other customers to attend to, so it's understandable. The eel set meal (top quality) for 4,500 yen looked appetizing from the start. The eel was moist and fluffy, meltingly tender, with a sauce that was neither too thick nor too thin. This is the essence of this eel set meal! It paired well with the rice, and we couldn't stop eating, not even for a moment. The miso soup with white radish and pickles were perfect accompaniments. I've been to the famous Ichibiki restaurant in Nagoya before, and the key difference is in the cooking method between Kanto and Kansai. Here, they give a fluffy texture by steaming and grilling, while Ichibiki crisps up the surface without steaming. Both are incredibly delicious, but eel itself has a deep history. I hope they continue to preserve the traditional taste for a long time.

I ordered a top-quality eel dish to celebrate my husband's birthday. I had heard on TV about eel that "it melts away!" and "disappears without chewing!", and I wondered if it was really true, but it really did disappear in my mouth right away! It was my first time experiencing eel that melts in your mouth. My daughter described it as fluffy and rich. The eel was thick and fatty, so we couldn't finish it all and had the rest packed to take home. The restaurant was tastefully decorated with flowers, eel-themed decorations, and shoji screens with eel patterns. If you make a reservation and order your menu in advance, they will serve you without much waiting.