I had hitsumabushi. It seemed like there were more foreign customers as I had to wait for about 30 minutes, but I was called in soon after walking around the area. The inside has an old folk house style. It's not very clean. The food was delicious.

During lunchtime, the town is filled with the scent of eel! I took a detour to a soy sauce shop and a mysterious seaweed shop before arriving at Saya Fukuryu, a restaurant with an old building that seems to have a lot of history. The restaurant was surprisingly spacious, with a view of the courtyard. Not feeling too hungry, I decided to order a mini unagi set. The dish arrived promptly, with two pieces of eel and rice that were deliciously sweet and tender. I enjoyed changing up the flavors with some sansho pepper and reset my palate with the soup and pickles. Although I thought it would be a light snack, I ended up savoring the aroma and taste so much that I was stuffed in the end. Thank you for the feast. ☆☆ Saya Fukuryu Address: 29-1 Okiba-cho, Yanagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture Business Hours: 11:30-14:30 / 10:30-18:00 Closed on Thursdays and the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays Parking Available

A few years ago, I had been wanting to go eat Yamefuki hot pot on a cold day, but never got around to it. Finally, on a chilly day, I made the visit. Surprisingly, there are few places in Yamefuki City that serve Yamefuki hot pot, and this restaurant serves it as a set meal. I ordered the Yamefuki hot pot set meal I had been looking forward to! It was just like I remembered from my childhood, and as an adult, it did not disappoint. The hot pot had a slightly burnt taste which added to the experience. The sauce was sweet, but personally, I prefer it a bit spicier. The rice was, of course, delicious, and I ended up finishing it all without even thinking about the next meal. I also bought some bone senbei and eel rice crackers to take home. Even when cold, they were delicious with the sweet sauce.

On the second day, on the way from Kumamoto to Fukuoka, I stopped by Yufu River because the shop I was interested in was closed, so I decided to try a casual lunch. I couldn't resist the weekday limited lunch specials, so I ordered the eel rice bowl lunch for 1650 yen and the eel set meal for 4235 yen. The tea was strong and delicious. The salad with sesame dressing was refreshing. The eel rice bowl was a DIY style where you wrap the eel in seaweed. The soy sauce in Kyushu is on the sweeter side, but the eel was soft and fragrant. Sprinkling some sansho pepper on it enhanced the flavor even more. The marinated horse mackerel was slightly sweet, but the flavor soaked in well and was refreshing. The steamed egg custard was also delicious. The eel lunch special seemed to be popular as it sold out quickly. I thought it might be a bit lacking in portion, but I ended up feeling completely satisfied. Everything was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I went to Saraya Fukuryu to buy "Unamushi" on my way back from eating sushi. The restaurant is a charming, historic wooden building that appeals to architecture enthusiasts like myself. The dining scene in Yanagawa seemed quiet, with no other customers in sight. I bought the famous "Unamushi" to take home, which was available frozen. The entrance to the dining area looked more like a souvenir shop, so I almost missed it. Although you can eat in, this time I opted for takeout. I stored the frozen Unamushi at home for a few days before slowly thawing it in the refrigerator a few hours before eating. The package of rice balls was individually sealed, and the instructions suggested poking holes with a toothpick before microwaving. I followed the instructions for a 500W microwave for about 3 minutes. I thought about using the included roasted seaweed, but I had some higher-quality Saga seaweed "noshiyaki nori" in stock, so I used that instead. The Unamushi tasted similar to steamed eel, and the seaweed complemented it perfectly. I thought having roasted seaweed for the steamed eel would be a nice touch. It was a delicious meal. Thank you!

In the southwestern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, there is Yukuhashi City. It is a historical town that prospered as a castle town in the past, and it is also the birthplace of Kitahara Hakushu. This shop has been in business since the Edo period, and it used to offer money lending services as well. The interior of the shop has a somewhat exhibition space. The shop has a deep interior with tatami mats and semi-private rooms in the front, and table seats in the back. The specialty dish, steamed eel (2,500 yen) liver suction, was ordered. The steamed eel arrived shortly after, with four pieces of eel. It may seem a bit small, but the rice covered in sauce was surprisingly filling and the hot steam lasted until the end. In the past, natural eels were caught in the nearby Yanagawa River, but now it seems they use farmed eels from Kagoshima. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

We stopped by on our drive and bought unagi musubi as a bento for my father-in-law at Wakamatsuya. The seaweed and rice ball are separated, so you can enjoy the crispy texture even after some time has passed. They also offer frozen options for those who can't eat it right away. We ate it after a while and it tasted like steamed seiro from Yanagawa. I recommend it for those who don't have much time, can't eat due to crowds, or have already eaten but still want to taste the steamed seiro from Yanagawa.

I tried Yuyama hot pot and steamed seiro, but my stomach couldn't handle it... Next to the eel street in Yanagawa, I discovered a specialty called "unamushi" at the neighboring shop "Fukuryu". They offer both freshly steamed and frozen options. I bought a canned beer from the neighboring liquor store and enjoyed unamushi onigiri with eel on top by the riverside. It costs 540 yen for 2 pieces, which is more affordable compared to the seiro steamed rice. The hot unamushi comes with nori for easy handling and has a savory soy sauce flavor. The eel pieces are smaller than the accompanying pickled radish. Eel is quite expensive, but when I asked about the eel situation in Yanagawa, I learned that most eels are sourced from Kagoshima as they are hardly caught in Yanagawa now.

When you think of Yanagawa, you think of eel, right? I wasn't very hungry, so I decided to eat eel musubi instead of a whole steamed eel meal. Among the many eel restaurants, I was drawn to a shop where eel musubi was steamed on display. When I went in, I saw a photo at the cashier! Wow! It was a picture of Takarazuka Revue, Hoshigumi's Remi Kōrin and others. There was a charm from the time of "REON!!Ⅱ" stuck on the photo, so they must have visited back then. The photo still had a fresh feel to it. Among the many eel restaurants, the reason I was drawn to this one was because Takarazuka actresses had been here before. I feel a connection to Takarazuka~ The power of attraction here might be outstanding (laughs). Eel musubi comes in a set of two pieces. It's freshly steamed and piping hot. It seems like you're supposed to eat it wrapped in seaweed. Let's dig in! The eel sits on a bed of rice mixed with eel sauce. The musubi is soft and fluffy, and tastier than I imagined. I love eel sauce with rice!! It was delicious.

I am visiting Fukuoka Prefecture for a trip. On the last day, I came to Yanagawa for the famous "river cruise". While there, I also tried the eel steamed in a bamboo basket. "Fukuryu" seems to be an eel restaurant with a long history dating back to the Edo period. It was recommended by a friend living in Fukuoka, so I had high expectations when entering the restaurant. The atmosphere was lovely with a view of greenery from the window. Yanagawa is known for its eel and "Yanagawa pot". I had a hard time choosing between the two, but in the end, I went with the eel. The eel steamed in a bamboo basket was served with so much eel that you couldn't see the rice underneath. Additionally, it was topped with shredded omelette. The steamed eel was incredibly tender and delicious. The set also came with a delicate tasting soup. It may have been a while since I last had eel. I felt very indulgent and enjoyed the meal thoroughly.

The hot seiro steamed dish was exquisite, and the atmosphere of the restaurant with stained glass and antique feel was also great. Be careful if you have a sensitive tongue. The prices are reasonable, so women might be satisfied with a half portion. Thank you for the meal!

There are many eel restaurants in Yanagawa, but the steamed eel here is truly exceptional. This is a reservation-only restaurant. The rich sauce was incredibly delicious. It's addictive. I want to go back to Yanagawa to eat here again.

Unamushi Hiruzen 1650 yen with coffee included. Good atmosphere and music.

During the day, the ranking is slightly more reasonable from around 2800, but the steamed seiro was delicious with a soft and unique texture. It's worth the price.