This year's midsummer day of the ox is on July 30th (Sunday), getting closer. However, I have paid around 3500 yen twice already and still haven't found a satisfying eel dish. I am looking for an eel dish that is priced in the 3000 yen range, with plenty of domestic eel (preferably one whole eel), and made by a serious eel artisan. Is there such an eel dish out there? Unlikely, but I will try to solve this issue. I found Masahiro in Tanimachi 9-chome. The restaurant is clean and has a lot of attention to detail. The sauce is not too sweet, the rice is cooked in a kettle, using eel from Kagoshima. And the eel dish with all these details costs only 3500 yen for a whole eel. Unbelievable price. The eel is skewered and grilled over charcoal, basting with sauce multiple times. It takes time. The eel is finally grilled to perfection and served as an eel dish. The liver and pickles are available for an additional 300 yen, which is acceptable. The eel is quite voluminous for one whole eel. It is soft and flavorful, grilled to perfection. It is delicious! Despite being grilled locally, it is surprisingly tender and has a nice smoky flavor. This is how locally grilled eel should be. Delicious and irresistible. I couldn't stop eating. I prefer soft eel, so I usually go to restaurants that serve Edo-style grilled eel. I even created a list of delicious Edo-style grilled eel restaurants in Osaka. However, Masahiro and Amihiko are able to maintain tenderness even with their locally grilled eel. Such locally grilled eel is very welcome. It seemed impossible when I first set the conditions, but I did find it. I must be truly blessed by the food gods.

A sushi restaurant producing an eel specialty store. The menu inside the store explains that traditional kabayaki uses a sweet and salty sauce with a lot of sugar for preservation, which ruins the taste of the ingredients. The concept of this store is a sauce made by sushi chefs simmering fish bones and kelp for over 5 hours, enhancing the deliciousness of the eel without getting tired of it. The "Unaju (1 eel, pickles, soup set)" costs 3800 yen, which was recently increased by 500 yen, but considering it includes an eel from the Osumi Peninsula in Kagoshima, it's acceptable. They ignite the charcoal in advance with a burner and then cook and grill the eel slowly after ordering, which takes about 20 minutes. When the Unaju arrives, the color is slightly light with no caramel-like sauce. The eel is crispy with a good amount of fat, cooked in the Kansai style without steaming. The light sauce allows you to fully enjoy the flavor of the Kagoshima eel. I also felt a hint of salty soy sauce flavor, but my favorite part was the non-sticky and fluffy rice. The rice is selected and cooked by a rice master each time in the rice cooker, showcasing the skills of a sushi chef. I truly regret not upgrading to a larger portion for an additional 300 yen. The young owner did not say a single word until the end. It would be better to at least say "Welcome" or "Thank you" in the end.

Masasan, an eel restaurant located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Tanimachi 9-chome, was visited for the first time. It is said that the head chef of the highly sought-after sushi restaurant Shizuku is supervising the restaurant. While it is unclear how exactly he is supervising, the emphasis on the quality of the rice and sauce, typical of sushi restaurants, was evident. The menu includes courses featuring eel rather than just eel dishes, positioning the restaurant more like an eel kaiseki place. The interior is clean and elegant, with a high-class counter. The eel is cooked by a young-looking male staff member, who appears to have experience in Japanese cuisine. The focus of this visit was on the eel. The price of the eel dish has increased since the opening, with the cheapest eel dish priced at 3500 yen, and an additional 300 yen for pickles and soup, and 800 yen for liver. Therefore, the cheapest eel dish with liver would cost 4300 yen. The eel used is farmed in Kagoshima, carefully selected for its size and quality. The eel is grilled in front of the customer after the order is placed, adding value to the experience. The grilling method is Kansai-style, suitable for the current season and the size of the eel. However, some might find the sauce too salty and the skin overcooked, affecting the flavor of the eel. The eel grilling process can be intricate, making it a task best left to eel specialists. Overall, Masasan offers a luxurious dining experience, though it may be considered a bit extravagant for lunch at the moment.

There is a shop located at the southwest corner of the Gokyu intersection. I heard about it from an acquaintance. The shop has been open for about a year. Two of us visited the shop. It is a small shop with about 8 counter seats. We were told it would take about an hour, so we decided to have a beer while waiting. Both of us ordered una-ju (eel over rice). It was ready in almost the expected time. It is cooked using a charcoal fire, not steamed. The skin is a bit firm. The sauce is only on the eel, so you can add your preferred sauce from the counter to the rice to customize the taste. It is delicious, but the taste may vary depending on personal preference.

Instagram's "Taiyaki Great Demon King"! Was it?? I saw a post from a lady and decided to order. The shop focuses on grilling the taiyaki on a skewer right in front of you before serving. I think it was an "Unagi Ju" set with an extra Umakimo. They grill the muscular eel carefully. They serve it with sticky and rich "Tsukimi Tororo" and even teach you how to eat it. The slightly strong saltiness may make you thirsty, but it adds to the charm of the dish.

Masaya's Eel Restaurant in Tanimachi 9-chome is a must-visit spot! The Unagi Juu Gokumei set for ¥6800 is highly recommended, featuring two whole eels, pickles, miso soup, liver, and grated yam. The restaurant, supervised by Chef Mikami from Sushi Shizuku, serves top-quality eel dishes cooked over charcoal. The eels are large and delicious, with a crispy exterior and tender interior. The dish is served with a generous amount of grated yam, adding a unique flavor. They also offer a special Unagi Chirashi for takeout, perfect for gifting. The second floor of the restaurant is a hidden eel bar with a wide selection of wines. If you're a fan of eel dishes, this place is definitely worth a visit! Enjoy your meal!

I happened to visit this restaurant because I had plans nearby. The chairs were dirty, and the rice they offered for tasting to showcase their quality was hard as a rock (although it was a kind gesture from the restaurant). Unfortunately, for this price, there are many other better eel restaurants available, so I probably won't be visiting again. It's not bad, just average.

Unagi no Masa, Osaka, Tanimachi Kyuchome - Daily posts, follow me ☝️ Other posts here → @masaki.gurume ☑️ Taste ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☑️ Price ★ ★ ★ ☑️ Atmosphere ★ ★ ★ ★ - Order: Unagi Juunari 1 piece for 3,000 yen, Unagi Juunari [Goku] 2 pieces for 6,800 yen ⚑ Atmosphere: Counter seating only, easy for solo diners ⚑ Customer base: Men and women, anyone is welcome! Budget: 3,000 yen ⌚️ Hours: 11:00-21:00 (Last Order 20:00) *Subject to change depending on supply Open on Sundays Address: 1-31 Namiki-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka, Osaka ☎️ Phone number: 050-5589-7772 Tabelog rating: 3.07 Nearest station: Tanimachi Kyuchome Station, 1 minute walk If this was helpful: - Interested → - Helpful → - Planning to visit next time →

The profile of this restaurant says "Produced by that difficult-to-reserve sushi restaurant!" but it doesn't mention which restaurant it is. And the reviews from people who have been there all say "Produced by that difficult-to-reserve sushi restaurant!" but they don't seem to really understand, which is frustrating. So, I went to check it out myself. They serve eel from Kagoshima, raised with spring water, and it's enjoyed with a not-too-sweet sauce. The idea of a not-too-sweet sauce is unique for a sushi restaurant. It was indeed delicious. However, when I saw the menu, I was shocked like Kiyoshi Maestro, with the una-ju (eel rice bowl) priced at 5,500 yen, the premium una-ju at 6,800 yen, and the aged una-don at 7,200 yen. Also, I was surprised that the soup wasn't the usual eel liver soup, but it was an optional item for 800 yen.

I had a unique eel bowl that combined aged eel, matured for 10 days, with sushi rice. This eel bowl was unlike any other I've had before, and the idea behind it was very interesting. Aging the eel helped enhance its umami flavor by removing excess moisture from the skin and flesh. By pairing the typically fatty eel with vinegar rice, the dish had a refreshing taste. Since the restaurant just opened, I look forward to seeing how they continue to improve. I'd like to try their regular course menu next time. Thank you for the meal.

Unadon <made with 1 eel> for 3,000 yen. Estimated serving time is 20 minutes. Additional side dish and miso soup for 500 yen. Eel liver yakitori for 1,200 yen. Kirin Ichiban Shibori draft beer for 680 yen. Today's kettle-cooked rice is made with Niigata-grown rice <Smile Bonds>. The sauce is light and the rice is served first with a brief explanation. The eel skin is crispy, but it's difficult to pick up with chopsticks. It could use a bit more fluffiness. Perhaps it's a matter of grilling technique. The atmosphere is stylish though. Thank you for the meal.

I felt the politeness and attention to detail. The food was simple yet delicious. Watching the cooking process in front of me made the waiting time not boring. The charcoal grilling took about 15 minutes. The eel was grilled over charcoal until the skin was crispy and fragrant, and the flesh was tender and tasty. The restaurant had a calm and bright atmosphere with a beautiful wood interior, and I enjoyed sitting at the spacious 8-seat counter. The Niigata-grown "Emi no Kizuna" rice, cooked in a pot, had a light flavor with good grain separation, which complemented the eel dish well.

A new eel restaurant opened in October 2022, located a 3-minute walk from Tani Kuzu. They offer grilled eel for around 3500 yen per eel, but they do not pre-grill them. Instead, they grill eels that have already been opened. It was expected that this type of eel would become chewy when grilled normally, and indeed it did. Furthermore, they left the eels unattended while grilling, which was disappointing. The eels are from Kagoshima Prefecture, but the focus seemed to be more on the rice and sauce than on the eel itself. Despite being an eel specialty restaurant, they served eel with the head still attached. Please take a look at the photos – it definitely looks like the head is still raw, right? The eels were not piping hot, only the skin and surface were colored, and the core was not cooked through, resulting in the head remaining raw. The service was excellent, but the sauce was too spicy. Since this is a newly opened restaurant, I believe they have room for improvement. Thank you for the meal.

Osaka [Unagi no Masa] @unamasa.honten Unagi no Masa is finally open! A genuine eel cuisine where you can enjoy freshly prepared Kagoshima eel and aged eel! Eel bowl on the 10th day of aging ❤️ The fat is rich and the skin is crispy! Freshly prepared eel bowl ❤️ This is for those who love the chewy texture! Grilled eel tail skewers ❤️ You can drink a lot with this! Hairy crab tempura wrapped in seaweed ❤️ Grilled liver ❤️ Grilled eel with miso ❤️ Eel roll ❤️ Eel chawanmushi ❤️ And to finish it off, eel somen noodles! With a variety of eel dishes and a course menu in the range of 10,000 yen, it's a great value. There's also a la carte menu and lunch options, making it very convenient! The food was delicious, and after drinking too much, a whole bottle of sake really hit me hard... lol Thank you for the meal!

I recently visited an eel restaurant that opened in Senbon-dori for lunch. I ordered a 3000 yen eel rice bowl, but the waiting time for the food to arrive was long. It would have been nice if they had informed us in advance about the wait, despite the explanations about the rice and eel. The eel is from Kagoshima and cooked in the Kansai style, which made it slightly tough and muscular. Perhaps I am more used to eating steamed eel in the Edo style? However, considering it was a large domestic eel for 3000 yen, the price was reasonable. I wish they had included pickles and soup with the meal. Also, although they provided water when we entered, they did not offer tea, which I prefer when eating eel. The rice was flavorful and delicious to chew. Additionally, I found the conversation between other customers and the staff somewhat off-putting. It seems like there are still areas for improvement since the restaurant recently opened.

Shizuoka? A super popular restaurant where reservations are impossible to get, supervised by someone famous. At the pre-opening, they served 500 meals for free and there was a huge line, so I decided to visit after things calmed down. The exterior and the beautiful interior were impressive. Since they had just opened, the operation seemed a bit new. I thought they only offered set menus, but you could also order individual items. I ordered Umaki (800 yen) and Unadon (3000 yen). They start cooking after you order, so I passed the time with a beer. It would be nice if they had a quicker menu for waiting times. The drinks were small and not cheap, so waiting can be tough. Although it wasn't on the menu, they seemed to have sake. Sitting at the counter and being able to see the cooking was great. The eel was large and looked promising. Umaki was bigger and had more eel than I expected for 800 yen, which is a good value. The Unadon was a grilled type with plenty of eel. It was a bit firm since it was only grilled and not steamed. The portion was large, and for 3000 yen, it was worth it. I heard that the menu style is different on the 1st and 2nd floors, but the explanation was a bit lacking. Hopefully, the service will improve as things settle down. Looking forward to what's to come!

The price increased from 3000 yen to 3500 yen. The service was not very friendly.

The eel was thick and very delicious♪ I was very satisfied with the carefully selected rice too!

I heard rumors and visited the restaurant, the eel flavor was excellent and the fluffy texture was amazing. Thank you in advance.

Grilled eel from Masauo Eel in Gokamachi 9-chome, served in a lacquered box.