During my business trip to Tokyo, I was invited to try eel, so I went to a restaurant. I had imagined a traditional house, but it was actually located inside a building. I ordered some side dishes as well and enjoyed my meal. The grilled eel liver was especially delicious.

"Hitsumabushi, regular size, ¥2750. Ordered and served in less than 10 minutes! Not piping hot, but pleasantly warm. A bit on the firm side. Maybe it's better to eat it with ochazuke. More than half of the customers were foreigners! At this price in Ginza, the taste is..."

I used to drink at a Chinese restaurant near my parents' house along with a nearby eel restaurant, where I heard "the best eel is in June." Later, I was invited by the eel restaurant to come on a certain day in June, so I went. I enjoyed a drink with pickled crucian carp and then had a delicious eel meal, which was even better than usual. This time, I visited the third restaurant owned by Nii-kawa, following Narita and Aeon Mall, and I finally understood why the eel was so delicious in June. There was a menu item called "shin-ko" (new baby eel), and when I mentioned how I had heard that the best eel is in June, the staff confirmed that it was true. Shin-ko eel is a one-year-old eel that has better feed and grows faster than other eels, resulting in tender and plump skin and flesh. I was convinced that I had eaten shin-ko eel before, so I ordered it. I enjoyed beer, tofu, firefly squid, grilled eggplant salad, and grilled eel liver, and when the shin-ko eel meal arrived, it looked shiny and delicious. I took a sip of the liver soup, sprinkled some sansho pepper on the eel and rice, and instantly recognized the flavor. I kept saying "delicious" as I eagerly ate the meal. When I asked for tea, they kindly replaced my cold tea with hot tea, which was also satisfying. The pickled vegetables and cucumber in Nara style were also delicious, and I left the restaurant feeling completely satisfied. I thought to myself that I have to come back again.

In the middle of Ginza, on the 7th floor of Exit Melsa in Ginza 5-chome, there is an outlet of the famous unagi restaurant "Arakawa" from Narita, where you can enjoy high-quality unagi at a reasonable price. It is about 1000 yen more expensive than the main store, but being in the heart of Ginza, it still feels like a good deal. In the middle of the three sizes of unagi dishes, the medium size "Take" uses a large unagi and costs 4400 yen. I think it's 3400 yen at the main store in Narita. You can choose between Kanto-style and Kansai-style unagi, and they also have hitsumabushi. I'm curious about the crispy Kansai-style too, but this time I chose the Kanto-style. It's nice that you can get extra rice for free. It was just before 5:00 p.m. on a weekday, and there was only one group of customers ahead of us. They carefully grill the unagi after you order. About 15 minutes later, a freshly grilled unagi dish arrived. It's a splendid unagi. It's thick and has a beautiful glaze. The origin varies, but today it's domestic. The Kanto-style unagi has a fluffy texture, and the excess fat is properly removed, showing that they did a good job. The skin could be a bit crispier, though. The rice is freshly cooked and delicious. It would be even better if it were a bit firmer. The liver dish comes with a large, splendid liver, which is delightful. The seasoning is light and tasty. The pickles and Nara pickles are also included. Nara pickles go really well with the unagi. It's a hidden gem where you can enjoy delicious unagi at a reasonable price in the heart of Ginza.

"Unagi Narita Shinkawa," operated by the eel wholesaler company "Kabushiki Kaisha Kouki," opened its first store in 2008. Following the opening of the main store in November 2015 and the "Aeon Town Narita Tomisato Store," the first Tokyo store, "Tokyo Station Granroof Store," opened in April 2021. In April 2022, the second Tokyo store, "Ginza 5-chome Store," opened on the 7th floor of EXITMELSA, which houses high-quality brands focusing on women's fashion. I visited after attending an eel release event organized by Mr. Tokitou, "Unagi Jitou," at Shiodome Kaihin Park. I noticed a sign for the "Shin-Ko Unaju" (Fresh Baby Eel Box) on this day, the day after the midsummer day of the ox. Let's order the "Shin-Ko Unaju." During this time, the "Shin-Ko" eels, especially the first-born "Tobi" eels, are known to be the best in growth after being transferred to the pond. The box arrived about 20 minutes after ordering. When I opened the lid, a pleasant aroma filled the air, and there was a beautiful eel inside. The charred belly part also looked good. It was so tender that it was difficult to pick up with chopsticks. Truly the best as expected of the "Tobi" Shin-Ko eels. The slightly sweet sauce on the grilled eel also brought out the deliciousness of the eel's fat. The fluffy, melting Kanto-style eel with a large eel fin. It's a testament to the wholesaler's reputation that you can enjoy eels of this quality at this price in Tokyo, especially in Ginza. A delicious eel fortune. Thank you for the meal.

The other day, after work, I bought a cheesecake and thought, it's hot and Unagi Day is coming up (I think), so let's eat eel on the way home! I decided to try "Unagi Narita Shinkawa Ginza 5-chome store" located on the 7th floor of the Exit Melsa building across from GINZA SIX. It's about a 2-minute walk from Ginza Station, maybe 5-6 minutes from JR Yurakucho Station. The restaurant is operated by Hikaru, who runs an eel wholesaler. They use only Japanese eels, both domestic and Chinese. The menu mentioned that they also use eels from Taiwan. I ordered the Unaju (with pickles) for 3300 yen. The eel was thick and fatty, with a slightly oily texture. The taste was good, and the rice portion was generous. The sauce was on the sweeter side compared to Kanto-style eel sauce. The service was decent, with a female server and a couple of male staff in the back. The bill could be paid by credit card. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. If you only eat domestic eels, this place might not be for you, but with the quality of eel farming improving, it's worth a try.

"Unagi Narita Shinkawa" opened in Ginza 5-chome in April. This restaurant is operated by an eel wholesaler and offers good value for money. The main store is located right next to Narita Airport Terminal 2, and they also have branches in Aeon Town Narita Tomisato and Tokyo Station Granroof. They provide eel from Taiwan and China, ensuring stable prices and quality according to the season. The biggest selling point of this restaurant is that it is directly managed by an active eel wholesaler, making it very affordable. The restaurant is located on the 7th floor of EXIT MELSA in Ginza 5-chome, in a bright space with violin music playing in the background. The menu includes dishes like grilled eel over rice, hitsumabushi, and eel bowl, with the option to choose between Kanto-style steamed and grilled eel or Kansai-style grilled eel. The prices range from 2,200 yen to 5,500 yen. I tried the Kansai-style grilled eel and it was delicious. The eel was grilled carefully and served in a beautiful lacquered box. The taste was a hybrid of Kanto and Kansai styles, with a sweet and savory sauce coating the eel. The rice was soft and complemented the eel well. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. I recommend "Unagi Narita Shinkawa" for those who want to enjoy a rich and flavorful eel dish in the Ginza area.

I tried the Hitsumabushi (regular size for 2,750 yen) at the new eel restaurant in EXITMELSA. With a coupon from their website, I also got a free drink. The eel was not very thick, probably because I ordered the regular size, but it was nicely grilled. I also added an extra eel liver for 110 yen. Overall, the prices are very reasonable for a restaurant in Ginza.

"I ordered the eel and rice bowl with plum topping. The grilled eel liver was sold out. When I ordered sake, I confirmed with the staff if the sake was a premium sake, but what came out was regular sake."

I had the dinner set for the night (eel + side dish + sashimi + soup). The eel was tender and easy to eat without bones! The sashimi was delicious too, so satisfied. They had happy hour until 6 pm!

I ordered the eel rice bowl (with pickled plum) and it was very tender and delicious. The balance of rice and sauce was perfect, and the pickles and eel liver were just right. The only downside was that I wished they offered a refill of tea or iced tea after the meal. The restaurant was empty, so it would have been nice to have that option.

After a long meeting, I had una-ju for lunch. I ordered the Kansai-style grilled eel, which was delicious. Thank you for the meal. It was a bit disappointing that the provided sansho pepper wasn't very spicy.

I found this restaurant called AXITMELSA Exit Melsa in Ginza 5-chome while searching for dinner options. It is a unagi (eel) restaurant run by Unagi Narita Shinkawa, located in a commercial building near Ginza Six on Chuo Street. I have visited their main store in Narita and also their shop in Tokyo Station before, but this was my first time at their Ginza branch. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere with a grill at the storefront, giving it a traditional unagi restaurant feel. I ordered the "Matsubame" set menu which included the bamboo box unagi set for 4400 yen, as well as grilled eel liver and pickles. The food was served promptly and when I opened the lid of the box, a delicious aroma filled the air. The eel was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing, with a good balance of flavors. The set menu offered both steamed and grilled eel, providing a variety of textures to enjoy. Overall, the meal was satisfying and offered great value for the price. I had a wonderful dining experience at this restaurant.

I stopped by Ginza for lunch. I couldn't decide between eel over rice or eel bowl, but since it was my first time, I chose the eel bowl. It was very delicious. I decided that next time, I will try the eel over rice. According to the staff, they source the most delicious eel at the moment without focusing on a specific region. Thank you for the meal.

I arrived before 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The restaurant is located on the upper floors of a fashion building and has a clean and neat atmosphere. I have actually been to the Narita branch a few times, so I didn't expect them to expand to Ginza. It was suitable for a quick and casual meal.

Before 12:00, only two groups of customers were inside. It took about 20 minutes for the grilled eel rice bowls to be served.

I went to Exit Melsa after a long time, where many shops have closed down. I found a new eel restaurant had opened in place of the closed one, so I decided to try it out. They had eel bowls, but since it was my first time there, I opted for the affordable eel bowl called "Suisen". When the bowl arrived, I noticed that the eel wasn't too thin and the rice was cooked nicely. It was decent. I also liked that the liver was included in the price, not charged separately.