A note on the words: unagi is freshwater eel, split, skewered and grilled over charcoal while being basted with tare, a sweet-savory soy glaze that is brushed on and caramelized in layers. Unaju is the more familiar form — eel laid over rice in a lacquered box. Hone-senbei are the eel’s bones, deep-fried into brittle crackers and eaten as a snack. Oshinko means the pickled vegetables served alongside rice.
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Ishibashi Unagiya on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
So, this is Hangover Meshi. I had some business to see to in Shizuoka. Shizuoka means Lake Hamana, and Lake Hamana means unagi. So having come all the way to Shizuoka, there was no way I was going without my beloved eel! Which brought me to a place a little way out from Shizuoka Station, a short taxi ride away: “Ishibashi Unagiya.” As I heard it, Coach Okada of the Japan national football team goes there a lot, which had me curious.
Whole-eel set meal 5,000 yen → 5,500 yen
* The struck-through figure is the price when I visited in March 2025; the one on the right is the current price.
This is the entire eel menu! Beyond that, a few drinking snacks.
The eel apparently comes out grilled whole, in one piece, ha. My expectations are running high.
Well then, let us start with a beer.
Shizuoka beer. Mount Fuji drawn on the mug is a rather stylish touch.
Starting with the oshinko.
And then, the eel!!
Oh my, a whole one, ha. It comes with hone-senbei alongside, so I started by crunching through those.
Seen like this, a whole eel is quite a sight. The head is remarkably small, and the body is plump and looks delicious. One bite and — of course — it is good! Kansai style, would you say? The style where the eel is split along the back and grilled directly, without steaming. Grilled straight like that, and yet properly tender, with the fat sitting perfectly! In fact it is loaded with fat. The surface is crisp and fragrant and very good!
Crisp outside, plump within, dense with fat. And the heavily reduced tare that pulls it all together. Since this is not the unaju style where tare gets poured all over the rice, this level of intensity goes wonderfully with the rice.
There is exactly one eel item on the menu: the “whole-eel set meal.” Beyond that, a few drinking snacks and the drinks. There being nothing to agonize over is refreshing.
Ishibashi Unagiya menu
Menu
A whole eel grilled in one piece. Served with hone-senbei, oshinko and rice
Single dishes other than eel (a few items)
Served in a mug with Mount Fuji on it
* The whole-eel set meal was 5,500 yen as of August 2025. Prices can change, so please check the latest at the shop.
When I visited in March 2025 it was 5,000 yen, but it has since been revised to 5,500 yen. Considering it is a whole eel, I would say that is still on the cheap side.
Well now, Shizuoka eel is delicious too. Plump steamed eel is lovely, but eel grilled plump over a direct flame is delicious as well. No wonder this place is popular! Between that and the sheer impact of the look of a whole grilled eel, if you come to Shizuoka it is bound to make a good memory to stop in and try it! A bit of a trek, but I am glad I came!
Ishibashi Unagiya (Unagi / Shizuoka Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
