The story
In the Tomio district of Nara-shi, Unagino Toyokawa is a destination for those seeking authentic unagi (eel) cuisine. The restaurant focuses on a single, time-honored craft: grilling carefully selected domestic eel over charcoal. The result is a dish where the skin is crisp and the flesh is tender, a hallmark of the Kansai-style direct-grilling method they employ.
The approach is meticulous, from the initial cleaning in ice water to remove any impurities, to the precise "kushuchi" (skewering) that controls how the heat penetrates the fish. The chef’s dedication is evident in every step, a process they describe as a daily pursuit of improvement. This commitment to quality has been recognized with a Michelin Bib Gourmand award for the 2026 guide, highlighting the restaurant's excellent value.
The full-course menu, priced at 10,000 yen, offers a comprehensive exploration of unagi through eleven dishes. It begins with bone crackers and progresses through shirayaki (grilled without sauce), uzaku (eel and cucumber salad), and grilled liver, before culminating in a classic unaju (eel over rice). For a more direct experience, the unagi teishoku (set meal) at 6,000 yen pairs the main dish with a side of uzaku, a fluffy egg roll (umaki), and a rich liver soup.
The restaurant’s signature sauce, a "secret" tare that is continuously topped up, is applied not by dipping but by carefully ladling it over the grilled eel to ensure a balanced flavor. The accompanying rice, sourced with care, is described as a vessel for the seasons, designed to complement the eel's richness. A selection of sake from across Japan is available to further enhance the meal.
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