Drank too much last night? Here’s where to eat. Today: single-farm eel in a quiet corner of old Tokyo, and the ordering trick that lets two people taste two grades at once.
Quick Facts
| Nearest station | Iriya Station, exit 2 — 30 seconds. Two stops from Ueno, walkable from Asakusa |
|---|---|
| Budget | ¥6,500–15,000 (about $45–100) |
| English | The restaurant’s own website has an English page |
| Cash or card | Cards OK (Visa/Master/JCB/Amex/Diners) and PayPay |
| Smoking | Non-smoking |
| Reservations | Accepted — recommended |
| Hours | 11:00–14:30 and 17:30–20:00; closed Mondays |
Eel Worth Travelling For, Two Stops From Ueno
Unagi — freshwater eel, grilled over charcoal and glazed with sweet soy — is a Tokyo speciality with centuries behind it. Nodaya’s distinction is that it does not simply serve “eel”: it serves named, single-source eel, and tells you which farm today’s fish came from on a board by the door, along with who is grilling.
You can smell the grill before you reach the door. Iriya is thirty seconds from the station, two stops from Ueno and an easy walk from Asakusa — which makes this the quiet alternative to queueing at the famous names near Sensoji.
The Half-and-Half Trick
The eel is sold by grade, and the grades are farms. Kyousui (¥8,580 for the large) is the flagship — a semi-legendary producer whose eel is raised closest to wild, and which is not available every day. Kanemitsu (¥7,480) and Washou (¥6,380, from Miyazaki) sit below it. There is also jiyaki, grilled without the steaming step that Tokyo-style eel normally gets — a different texture entirely.
Here is the part worth knowing: two people can order different grades and split them half-and-half. The restaurant has a printed paper liner showing which half is which, so this is clearly not an unusual request. Solo diners may not be offered it. If a specific farm matters to you, ask when you book — supply changes daily.
I had Kyousui against Mirai. The Kyousui tastes more intensely of eel — dense flavour, flesh that collapses on the tongue, and a restrained glaze that lets it through. The other was cleaner and sweeter with more obvious fat. I preferred the Kyousui, but the point is that you get to have the argument.
Order something to drink and something to pick at while the eel is grilled, because it takes time. Uzaku (¥1,980), eel with vinegared cucumber, is the classic. Umaki (¥1,980) is eel wrapped in a thick dashi omelette — four pieces is plenty; the staff talked me down from eight and were right.
Note: the “Mirai” grade I ate has since moved off the à la carte menu into the omakase course. Grades rotate — check when booking.
Access & Practical Tips
- Thirty seconds from Iriya Station exit 2, two stops from Ueno on the Hibiya line.
- Closed Mondays. Lunch 11:00–14:30, dinner 17:30–20:00 — dinner ends early.
- Book ahead, and ask about the day’s eel while you do.
- Cards and PayPay accepted, and the restaurant’s website has an English page.
Hangover Recovery Index
My completely unscientific Hangover Recovery Index: 5 out of 5. Eel has been Japan’s stamina food for centuries, and the combination of rich charcoal-grilled fish, hot rice and liver soup is the single most effective repair job in this guide. Expensive, but it works.
Eat well, drink better, and see you at the next hangover.
もう一杯どうぞ！
