A note on the words: unagi is freshwater eel, unaju is grilled eel laid over rice in a lacquered jubako box, and unadon is grilled eel served over a bowl of rice. At this shop, unaju is served in a two-tiered jubako box with the rice on the bottom and the eel on top. Kyosui unagi is a branded farmed eel. Kimosui is a clear soup made with the eel’s liver, and tare is the savory-sweet soy basting sauce brushed onto the eel as it grills. Tiers here follow four grades—Matsu, Take, Ume, and Tsuru—where Ume ranks above Matsu.
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Unagi Akimoto on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. This time, I headed to a place in Kojimachi that I had been curious about. Walking down the slope from Zenkokuji temple in Kojimachi, there is an unagi restaurant called “Unagi Akimoto”! I had known there was an unagi place around here, but this was my first time actually visiting. It was lunchtime, so I wondered if it might be crowded, but they told me a table had just opened up and they would clear it off right away. Lucky!
There were two entrances — or rather, what looked like entrances — so I went in from the right to check if there was a table. I wonder if the right side leads to the tatami seating? I feel like the left side is probably the exit for the table seats, ha. This time, I was shown to the table seating on the left.
In what looked like a courtyard, there was an old-looking stone monument!
Zenkokuji set — 8,500 yen
Kyosui unagi — 7,200 yen
Unaju Matsu — 3,200 yen
Unaju Take — 4,200 yen
Unaju Ume — 4,800 yen
Unaju Tsuru — 5,600 yen
Unadon — 3,200 yen to 4,800 yen
Oh! They have Kyosui unagi! That was the eel I missed out on before at Zorome in Meguro! I thought I simply had to order it, but 7,200 yen… pretty pricey! By the way, I asked whether ordering Kyosui unagi meant it came as an unaju, and they said they could prepare it either way. Apparently this shop serves unaju in a style where the rice and eel come separately, and while they mentioned they could serve the eel right on top of the rice if you ask, since I was here, their original style seemed best! By the way, kimosui is an extra charge, so I added it for +300 yen!
Now, first up, a beer. It was Extra Cold (a chilled draft beer)!
Then, after a short wait, the unaju arrived!
The jubako box has two tiers! Rice on the bottom and eel on top. Now, let us open it right up!
Ta-da!
Oh, so this is Kyosui unagi.
First, I take a bite of the eel.
It is so tender that it feels ready to crumble the moment you pick it up with chopsticks. Take a bite, and the texture melts away.
So good.
The tare is crisp and flavorful yet clean, seasoned just right so you can taste the true flavor of the eel itself, which is wonderful.
There was extra tare provided, but honestly, there is no need to pour it on the eel. You might drizzle a little on the rice, though, ha.
It has plenty of fat on it, and the savory depth is impressive. Kyosui unagi really is delicious. Expensive, though!
An elegant kimosui — after all, it just feels a little lonely without kimosui with your eel!
And the pickles are delicious, ha. An unagi place with good pickles is a sure bet.
I have never gone wrong at an unagi restaurant where the pickles taste good!
And here is the Unaju Tsuru.
This one comes in a round jubako box. Still stacked in two tiers.
I traded a bite with the Kyosui, and this one was thoroughly delicious too. Kyosui certainly had the impression of being fluffier with more fat, but the eel in the Tsuru was more than delicious enough!
Man, completely satisfied! It was delicious!
I wish I had come here sooner. I am so glad I found such a good unagi restaurant nearby! You can have Kyosui unagi, the regular unaju is delicious too, and I really like unagi with this kind of crisp, clean tare. I thought I think I will come back here the next time I want eel! Very satisfied! Highly recommended!
Unagi Akimoto (Unagi (Eel) / Kojimachi Station, Hanzomon Station, Yotsuya Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.8
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
