A note on the words: unaju is freshwater eel grilled and glazed, brushed with a savory tare sauce, and served over a bed of steamed rice in a lacquered box. Tare is the soy-based basting glaze, here on the dry, sharp side rather than sweet, allowing the rich, pillowy eel to be eaten with breezy ease.
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Azabu Shiki on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. Having heard there was an eel restaurant in Azabu-juban connected to Shimura Ken, a much-loved Japanese comedian, I wanted to check it out once and made my way over: “Azabu Shiki”. I didn’t know if they were open for lunch, but when I called they said they were open! The location is fairly deep into Azabu-juban, a bit of a walk from the station, up on the third floor of a building, it seems.
Taking the elevator up, right in front of the shop there was a message dedicated to Shimura Ken.
It certainly seems to be a restaurant with ties to him! Looking forward to this.
Lunch unaju — 5,200 yen
Half unaju — 3,200 yen
Seared Kuroge Wagyu unaju — 4,500 yen
Una-tama don (eel with egg over rice) — 2,580 yen
Una-toro don (eel with grated yam over rice) — 2,680 yen
Alongside the regular unaju, there are combinations like Wagyu plus unaju, grated yam with unadon (the same eel over rice, but in a bowl rather than a lacquered box), and egg with unadon.
They have quite an interesting variety on the menu. But of course, today I chose the unaju!
As I waited for a bit, customers came in one after another.
It is quite a popular place. There are not so many seats inside, so arriving early might be the way to go?!
It comes with miso soup and a small side dish! Miso soup is a nice touch.
It feels like a neighborhood eel shop, very homely and welcoming.
Tada!
Ooh, looks delicious. Well-grilled eel!
Taking a bite, the aromatic tare is very nice. A tare that is not too sweet and stays sharp.
It pairs wonderfully with the plump, tender grilled eel. The saltiness does not feel overly strong, so it is the kind of unaju you can easily polish off.
The rice seems to be cooked a little on the firm side, and the distinct, well-defined grains pair nicely with the juicy eel.
An unaju that is not heavy and goes down easily — I can completely understand why someone would want to eat this every day!
That might well be why Shimura Ken frequented this spot!
So, this long-standing eel restaurant in Azabu-juban served a clean-tasting eel that was very easy to enjoy!
Thinking that celebrities ate this eel too gives you a rather curious feeling.
If the timing works out down the road, I would certainly like to visit again.
Azabu Shiki (Unagi / Azabu-juban Station, Akabanebashi 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?
