A note on the words: unaju is freshwater eel grilled and glazed with tare (a sweet soy glaze) laid over rice in a lacquered box, unadon is the same eel served in a bowl, and Kyosui is a brand of Japanese eel rather than a style of cooking.
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Unagi Mejiro Zorome on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. Now, I suddenly had a craving for eel, so this time I headed to Zorome, an unagi restaurant right in front of Mejiro Station. I squeezed it in between plans so not having much time was a bit of a concern, but when I walked in there were only one or two customers, so I was lucky! Gakushuin University is right across the street here, giving the neighborhood a calm, pleasant atmosphere.
Stepping inside, the gentle aroma of unagi wafting through the air is irresistible!
Kyosui unaju — 6,800 yen
Unaju tokujo (extra premium) — 6,600 yen
Unaju jo (premium) — 4,600 yen
Unadon — 2,900 yen
Zorome gozen — 5,800 yen
Negi shirayaki unaju — 4,800 yen
Hmm, the specialty here is the Kyosui unaju, but a forty-minute wait… I really did not have much time today… So with a heavy heart, I settled for the unaju jo (premium). But actually, this choice turned out to be a mistake, ha. A customer who came in after me and ordered the Kyosui had theirs served without waiting very long at all, so I really should have gone for the Kyosui!!!!!
Well, for the time being, I sipped my tea while waiting.
Even though it was just the plain unaju rather than the Kyosui, they seem to grill it thoroughly after the order is placed, so I waited around twenty to thirty minutes, ha.
And then, the unaju arrived.
Open!!!
Lately, I have been aiming to eat until eighty percent full, so I asked for less rice!
(Actually, while I normally always order the tokujo, that was part of the reason I went with the jo this time, too.)
Ooh! It looks delicious.
Taking a bite—mmm, delicious. It is quite firm flesh. Rather than being fluffy, it is the type of eel with a moderate pleasant chew. The fat is also moderate; it does not have that meltingly juicy feel, but this firmness might just be what naturally pairs best with rice. Because it is thoroughly grilled, though not very charred, a fragrant, savory aroma fills your whole mouth.
The tare (sweet soy glaze) has a pronounced sweetness and is delicious!
As for the portion, having ordered less rice with the jo grade, it felt just about right. Still, the tokujo definitely looks better, doesn’t it? It reminded me that I really do prefer an unaju where the eel completely hides the rice. Next time, that is what I will do.
It also came with oshinko (pickles) and osuimono (a clear broth), though it was not kimosui (clear broth with eel liver). There was nothing special on the menu about it, so I wonder whether kimosui has to be ordered separately?
All in all, it was a great restaurant that thoroughly satisfied my craving for unagi. If you want delicious eel with a firmer flesh, this might be quite a good recommendation. Next time I have more time, I definitely want to go and try the Kyosui! I have nothing but regret for not ordering the Kyosui, but maybe I can just see it as an excuse to go back! Let’s look on the bright side! It was delicious, and I will be back.
Unagi Mejiro Zorome (Unagi / Mejiro Station, Zoshigaya Station, Kishibojinmae Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.6
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
