Takenoya @ Chofu City, Tokyo (Keio Tamagawa) @ In front of this eel restaurant, there is a parking space where you can park your car. As soon as you open the door, the fragrant smell of eel fills the air, making your stomach growl. Established in 1941, this eel restaurant welcomes you with a traditional Japanese inn or ryokan atmosphere. It is a renowned eel restaurant that has been loved since the days when there were Nikkatsu and Daiei film studios nearby. I love this place, but for some reason, it had been a while since my last visit, and before I knew it, it had been 1 year and 10 months since my previous visit on May 1, 2021. The prices had increased slightly since my last visit, but the restaurant still had the same calm atmosphere that I remembered. You can choose between table seating and private tatami rooms, and today, since the private rooms were all full, I was seated at a table in a tatami room that was partitioned off to create three separate four-person tables. This eel restaurant in the shopping area near Keio Tamagawa Station has a traditional Japanese inn or ryokan feel. Eel restaurants usually close early, but this one stays open relatively late, which is nice. There are three entrances to this place, and today, I entered through the main gate and arrived at the entrance right away. There are also entrances in the middle of the garden and at the very back of the garden. All the rooms are traditional Japanese-style tatami rooms like those in a ryokan or a traditional Japanese restaurant. Only the large hall with table seating has shared seating. Without saying anything, you will be led to a private tatami room facing the garden, but if you prefer table seating, you can request a separate room with three tables arranged in a spacious tatami room or a completely independent four-person tatami room. For dinner, they mainly serve eel course meals ranging from 5,105 to 14,260 yen (last time it was 4,644 to 12,960 yen), all of which include eel over rice. A service charge of 10% is not included. On the other hand, lunch options include eel over rice in four levels and a small eel over rice set with sashimi and small side dishes for 4,510 yen (last time it was 4,104 yen), sashimi set for 1,980 yen (last time it was 1,836 yen), and tempura set for 2,200 yen (last time it was 1,836 yen). The eel over rice lunch options (in parentheses are the prices from last time) are small for 2,410 yen (2,189 yen), regular for 3,520 yen (3,162 yen), large for 4,270 yen (3,817 yen), and extra-large for 6,120 yen (5,494 yen). The prices had increased slightly since a year and a half ago. The small size feels a bit lonely with smaller eel pieces, the regular size covers about 70% of the rice with eel, but still feels a bit lacking. The large size covers about 90% of the rice with eel, providing a satisfying amount, and the extra-large size has two layers of eel, which can be a bit overwhelming. Therefore, I ordered the usual eel over rice in the large size for 4,270 yen. The eel over rice, grilled over charcoal, arrived after a 10-minute wait (which was quicker today due to the high number of customers and me calling ahead to inform them of my arrival time, usually it takes 20-30 minutes). The shiny and delicious eel over rice on a bed of beautiful rice, accompanied by a large piece of liver and pickles, was served. The eel over rice looked elegant, with the fragrant grilled eel shining and stimulating the appetite. Mmm, delicious! The eel today was a bit thin, but still flavorful and delicious. The rice was also of good quality. This restaurant, despite its formal setting and authentic private tatami rooms, is surprisingly affordable. The service from the staff was polite. Despite being in a large room, there were no other customers, creating a quiet and relaxed atmosphere to enjoy the delicious eel. It was a wonderful lunchtime experience. Additionally, you can park up to three cars in front of the restaurant. This restaurant has been around for 83 years, and during the peak of the Nikkatsu and Daiei film studios, there were more than 10 maids, including live-in staff. The nostalgic atmosphere of those times still lingers throughout the restaurant. Highly recommended. Parking: Available - space for three cars in front of the restaurant Visit date: January 18, 2023, lunchtime Business hours: 11:30-14:00, 17:00-22:00 Closed on Mondays Takeout: Available Smoking: Not allowed indoors, smoking allowed on the veranda or at the entrance Reservations: Accepted Counter seating: Not available Private rooms: Available

My son passed a difficult qualification exam he had to take at work, so I promised to treat him to his favorite meal. His request was eel. On a sudden Saturday, he asked if today would work, and we took the train a few stops to visit Takenoya for the first time. I made a same-day reservation by phone. We ordered the grilled eel liver first, and it was thick and incredibly delicious! The eel rice bowl was a bit smaller than expected, but the sauce was just right. The eel roll was also perfect. The exterior and interior ambiance of the restaurant were charming. Although it's not a place we can visit regularly, I would like to come back again.

This is an eel restaurant located about a 5-minute walk from Keio Tamagawa Station! It's an old shop, and at first it may seem a bit intimidating to enter, but the proprietress kindly showed us to our table. We were seated in a tatami room in the back, which really helped set a calming mood! In addition to eel, they also serve tempura rice bowls, and we each ordered what we wanted and it arrived in about 15 minutes. The eel was delicious with a fluffy texture! It had that traditional taste of a long-standing establishment! It was a rare opportunity to visit such a place, and I felt like I had a precious day spent there!

There is a building near Keio Tamagawa Station that stands out with its historic appearance, resembling a traditional Japanese restaurant. They offer a variety of set meals, but you can also order just eel. I ordered broiled eel and grilled eel on rice that day, both cooked in the Kanto style. The restaurant has an elegant atmosphere, yet the prices are not too high. It seems like a valuable place to enjoy eel in a calm setting. However, it's unclear why such a restaurant exists and thrives in the location of Keio Tamagawa Station, suggesting there must be some historical significance.

Year-end party. We will have a course meal. Fried chicken bones, pickled vegetables, grilled eel, and clear soup. For the finale, we will have an eel bowl. Although there are no photos, the amount of rice is definitely enough to make you happy. Fluffy, soft, and melting texture. A blissful time.

The atmosphere and the food were both excellent! It's a blessing to be able to eat eel in such a great atmosphere in the local area of Chofu.

The grilled eel was cooked perfectly and had a deep, delicious flavor. The simmered taro was soft and flavorful. The tempura was hot and crispy, and the shrimp was juicy. I had the Kiritsugu course with a small serving of eel, so next time I want to try the premium eel dish! The room was spacious and clean, and the staff were very kind and attentive.

Lunch set for 3800 yen. The place is full of Showa-era vibes, with remnants of grand banquets and wild parties that once took place here, possibly in the film industry or related to Ishihara Productions. The traditional alcoves, transoms, and shiny corridors still exude a sense of nostalgia. The eel was decent, but there were only two other groups of about eight people each on a Saturday afternoon. I hope they can keep up the charm, but without improvements, it might be hard to revisit. Disappointing.

We entered around 12:30 on Saturday afternoon, just the two of us. It was an open seating area, spacious with plenty of room. We ordered the "large" eel set with extra rice, and it was delicious and satisfying. We definitely want to go back again. The interior of the restaurant had a charming atmosphere, and the eel was delicious.

Finally had some delicious eel after a long time.

Lunch kaiseki at Pine.

I have never had such delicious eel before. We had a special selection of eel dishes, including grilled and white eel, along with some appetizers, and enjoyed plenty of sake. The total bill came to around 60,000 yen for four people. The private room had a calm atmosphere, and we felt like celebrities.

I visited my mother after she came back from the hospital to cheer her up. She was delighted and said that the eel she had recently was the most delicious she had ever tasted.