Before Japan, eel wasn't something either of us ordered. It seemed like the kind of dish you eat because you feel you should, not because you actually want it. One lunch in Tokyo completely changed that.
We'd been walking around Asakusa for the morning and ducked into a restaurant that had been there, judging by the look of it, for a very long time. The menu was essentially two things: unaju (eel in a lacquered box) and unadon (eel over a bowl of rice). We went for the unadon. It arrived looking like this.
What Makes a Good Unagi Don
Unagi (freshwater eel) is grilled over charcoal and repeatedly basted in a sweet soy-based sauce called tare — building up a deep, glossy glaze that caramelises slightly on the outside while the flesh stays impossibly soft. The version we had was split into four thick fillets laid over a mound of plain white rice, with a small bowl of clear soup and some pickles alongside. The lacquered box the whole thing came in felt appropriately ceremonial.
The glaze was the thing. Sweet but not cloying, with a depth that told you the tare had been used and topped up and used again over many years. Some restaurants keep the same tare going for decades, adding to it but never replacing it entirely. You can taste that.
Why It's Underrated
Everyone talks about ramen, sushi, and yakitori when they talk about eating in Japan. Unagi barely gets a mention, maybe because eel sounds off-putting to people who haven't tried it, or because the good unagi restaurants are often tucked away and don't look like much from the outside.
That's part of why it's so good. A specialist unagi restaurant — and the best ones do only eel — is often a quiet, older place where the same families have been eating the same dish for generations. You're not there for the atmosphere or the Instagram shot. You're there for the bowl.
What to Order
Unadon — eel over rice in a bowl. The everyday version, slightly less formal.
Unaju — the same thing but served in a lacquered box. Looks more impressive, often slightly pricier, tastes essentially the same.
Hitsumabushi — a Nagoya speciality where you eat the eel three ways: plain, with condiments, then mixed into dashi broth. If you're ever in Nagoya, don't miss it.
Worth knowing: Unagi is a lunchtime dish as much as a dinner dish. Many specialist restaurants open at noon and close when they sell out — which can be early. Go before 1pm to be safe.