Unagi Miyakawa in Otsuka

This long-established restaurant, founded in the 40th year of the Meiji era (1907), is conveniently located near JR Yamanote Line's Otsuka Station. Here you can enjoy a variety of eel dishes including the classic unaju (grilled eel over rice), eel rolls, tempura, skewers, and a selection of sake from all over Japan.

The biggest charm of this restaurant is that it offers a chance to taste "Kyosui eel", a brand that is referred to as "phantom eel" because of its limited quantity and rarity in stores across Japan. The Kyosui eel, the first brand eel in Japan, is raised slowly in the clear stream of the Oi River in Shizuoka Prefecture. It is characterized by its original umami and sweetness that can compete with wild eel. Reservations are necessary, but it is a dish worth trying if you visit.

The hitsumabushi (grilled eel on rice that you can enjoy in several ways), which is crisply and fragrantly grilled and available in two flavors of sauce or salt, and the "Extreme Unagi Soba", a ramen with a rich soup made from the offcuts of eel, are both superb. Both are popular lunch-only menus. At night, course meals using carefully selected seasonal ingredients and eel are recommended.

The inside of the restaurant has a calm atmosphere suitable for a long-established store. In addition to casual table seating, there are also tatami rooms ideal for business meetings and dining parties.