Last year, I introduced the best four restaurants in Tokyo, but there are still many more great places to eat eel.2024We would like to introduce our top recommendation for the year: Unagi Uomasa in Yotsugi, Katsushika Ward, Tokyo.
By the way, you can read the article on the top four restaurants for 2023 here.
The best one is "Obana".
→ Minamisenju "Obana"'s delicious eel will make you faint
The top three eel restaurants in 2023 are "Sumiyaki Unafuji Yurakucho Branch", "Unagi Watabe", and "Unagi Hashimoto"
It's summer! It's eel! 3 of my favorite eel restaurants in Tokyo
What is comparable to last year's No. 1 "Obana"?
There's no other place like Yotsugi's "Unagi Uomasa"!
I knew about this restaurant last year, but I missed it. It's quite far away. From the city center, you have to change trains at Oshiage Station, where the Skytree is located, and then cross the Arakawa River, and it's the third stop before you get to Yotsugi Station. It makes you feel like you've come a long way.
Moreover, reservations can only be made online, and the high prices for natural products were listed, which was a bit intimidating.
However, let me get straight to the conclusion. To all the eel lovers across the country, if you don't try it at least once, you're definitely missing out. I was amazed when I tried it for the first time this time! This is grilled eel that rivals last year's best "Obana". It's a bit expensive, but all the top-quality farmed eels these days are around that price.
Just a word before we get to the actual report.
As I wrote last year, eels are not in the best condition in the summer. However, it can't be helped because the Japanese have been conditioned to think, "Eat eels in the summer!" Every craftsman says that eels taste best in autumn or winter. Rosanjin even wrote, "In January, during the coldest period of winter." However, it's strange that I don't really feel like eating eels in the winter.
We eat eel bone crackers and other snacks while waiting for the eel to be cooked.
Hence the name "Unagi Uomasa."
When I looked at the wall above the table I was shown to, I saw Sasaki Nozomi's autograph. I thought, "Wow!", and next to it was Unjash Watanabe's autograph from before all that happened. Oh no!(笑).
Many customers, like me, will eat Bando Taro, which is farmed and not wild-caught. I think it's still good enough.YouTuberThe man known for opening the lid of the bento box with a "Pakkan" sound also describes it as having "the fluffiest and creamiest texture in Japan."
After ordering50I'll wait about 10 minutes. Before that, eel bone crackers and liver and wasabi are served. The boiled liver is eaten with ginger and real wasabi, and it's quite good. I don't really care about liver, but this is good.
And then the special unaju arrived. I opened the lid with excitement, and was greeted by a divine glow. Wow, it was so beautiful. The browning and moist texture were just irresistible.
At first, I tried just the eel. It was really plump and tender, with a fragrant aroma of eel and sauce. And a deep flavor. "Fluffy and tender," yes, that's exactly what it sounds like. I don't know if it's the best in Japan, but I understand why people would say that. It becomes this tender by steaming it until it's almost falling apart. Turning it over, the skin is well-cooked. The fat is also perfectly balanced. The sauce is neither too sweet nor too salty, just right, but with a crisp and dignified flavor. Hmm, I think this might be my favorite.
They are particular about the type of rice they use (Uonuma rice from Niigata Prefecture), and the rice is cooked to perfection. It's neither too hard nor too soft, but has a certain amount of stickiness, the rice itself has a sweetness, and it absorbs the sauce perfectly. Truly divine! The Japanese pepper is also amazing with its vibrant green color. It is made from grape Japanese pepper from Wakayama Prefecture, ground in a stone mill. Wow, it's so fresh it's refreshing. Following in the footsteps of the great masters of the eel world, I flip the eel over, sprinkle Japanese pepper on the rice, cut the kabayaki into bite-sized pieces with chopsticks, place it on top, and pop it into my mouth.
This time I ate it alone, but I couldn't help but mutter, "It's delicious, it's delicious." It was so delicious that I wanted to dance. Finally, I would like to add that the pickles and liver soup were also perfectly delicious.
And what I didn't try this time was the white-grilled eel and the wild eel. The white-grilled eel is definitely amazing (the couple next to me was in agony). If you want to eat the white-grilled eel and the wild eel all at once, you'll need to order a course meal (10,000 yen)5000, 20,000 yen). As mentioned before, natural eel is expensive, so I decided not to buy it (price varies depending on size.1Ten thousand2000Prices start from 1,000 yen to 30,000 yen for the extra large! I'd like to try it sometime.
Also, the full lineup of sake is worth mentioning. Although some items are out of stock, there are many brands of sake such as Juyondai, Jikon, Brewer Kuheiji, Toroki, Denshu, and rare varieties, so please come and try them if you like them! The waitresses are also all very kind. I thought the same thing last year, but a good eel restaurant is supported by good staff.
Eel Uomasa
Higashiyotsugi, Katsushika Ward, Tokyo4-14-4
TEL 03-3695-5222
Business hours: (Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)11:30~14:00, 17:30~21:00
Regular holiday: Tuesday and Wednesday
Reservations can be made on the official website. Reservations cannot be made by phone.
Premium domestic brand eel 7,700Yen
Liver sigh 350Yen
What does "If you don't eat this, your life is ruined" mean?
When he hears something delicious, he rushes east and west to eat it all. Rumor has it that he might be the Brillat-Savarin of Reiwa, or even the return of Furukawa Roppa. Bassey is an editor with over 40 years of food-loving experience. A heart-wrenching gourmet essay.
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Bassey is a foodie who has been eating around for over 40 years. In addition to Japan, he regularly goes to Hong Kong to eat Chinese food at his own expense, and also travels to Taiwan, Singapore, Bangkok, and Seoul for delicious food. During his time as the editor-in-chief of a travel magazine, he visited many Michelin-rated restaurants around the world, especially in Europe, and later on in the World's Best 50 restaurants. We want everyone who loves food to try ``Crab Miso Bean Paste Noodles'' from ``Tenkorou'' (Hong Kong). Actually, I like the Chinese food at this restaurant the best in the world. Another example of the best Western food is "El Seger de Can Roca" from Girona, Spain, which was ranked number one on the World's Best 50 list. Ah, I want to go there again.
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If you don't eat this, your life will be ruined.
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