"Steamed eel (large size) 3800 yen. Plenty of eel and fluffy, rice was also plump and delicious! Thank you for the feast!!"

I landed in Yanagawa for the first time. If I've come this far, I can't leave without eating eel. I searched and researched various shops, and decided on this shop located relatively close to Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station. I walked from the station and found a charming building along the national highway. It's quite different from the fast food chain on the opposite side. I visited on a holiday around 11:40 am. Since all the seats were inside sliding doors and partitions, I couldn't tell if there were other customers already there. I chose a table in a tatami room on the right as I pleased. I had already studied the menu, so I immediately ordered the "steamed eel set meal for 3500 yen & sake for 450 yen". I requested the sake to be warmed. By the way, I had a 1000 yen discount ticket from GOTO, so it ended up being 1000 yen off. If I didn't have that, I might not have ordered the set meal. First, the sake arrived. Eel liver was also served as an appetizer. This eel liver dish usually comes with the steamed eel set meal, but it seemed to have been provided first as a side dish for the sake. A nice gesture indeed. While enjoying the eel liver and sake, the steamed eel set meal arrived. Oh, it's on a boat-shaped tray. A nice touch typical of Yanagawa. The tray had the steamed eel, eel liver, and pickles. The steamed eel was packed with eel, and on top of it was a generous serving of rolled omelet. The bright yellow color of the rolled omelet was shining. I took a bite of the eel. Ah, delicious. Fragrant. Fluffy texture. It had been a while since I had eel, and it really warmed my body. However, this fluffy texture... it must be because it's steamed. The rice was also pleasantly fluffy, and somehow it felt like it was blending with the eel. The rice was dyed in the color of the eel sauce. This was a nice touch. Even if the eel runs out first, I can still enjoy the rice alone. I thought to myself, but the amount of eel was more than enough. I ended up with leftover eel. What a happy surprise. Ordering the set meal was the right choice. I ate the steamed eel while occasionally nibbling on the eel liver. The contrast between the rich flavor and the refreshing taste was nice. As I was eating, more and more customers started coming in. Some had reservations. They seemed like regulars. So, I guess this place is not specifically aimed at tourists. Drinking and eating eel in the middle of the day was a pleasant moment. The simple and attentive service was nice. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the restaurant around noon on the weekend. There were no customers when I arrived, but two groups came in after me. After checking out, I visited the museum and explored the area nearby. I had made a reservation for 11:45, but I arrived a little later. I ordered the eel steamed in a bamboo basket, while my partner had the grilled eel set meal. We were able to use the Go To Travel regional coupon and Go To Eat ticket. The food was served in about 15 minutes. The eel on top of the steamed dish was tender and the sauce was sweet. The rice was evenly coated with the sauce. I got a bit tired of the dish halfway through, but the pickles helped refresh my palate. The clear soup with eel liver was light and paired well with the steamed eel. I was full after finishing my meal, but my partner couldn't finish theirs. We paid using a regional coupon, an Eat ticket, and cash, and saved about 800 yen with the Eat ticket discount. Overall, it was a satisfying meal.

I arrived in Yanagawa. Haruppi (Kodama Haruka), who has returned as an actress, posted a photo on Instagram last month of a red bridge, which is unmistakably the ferry landing of Yanagawa river descent! According to Twitter information, there is a sign from the HKT era at the nearby Hinodeya restaurant, so I visited it promptly! It was about a 5-6 minute walk from Yanagawa Station towards Tenjin, where I found a large sign. Around 1 pm on a weekday, there were a fair number of customers, but I was able to have a large room all to myself. They offer three types of steamed eel: regular, top, and special. The top and special come with a vinegar dish, so even though I wasn't very hungry, I asked for less rice with the top option. It cost 3,500 yen. After a while, the eel arrived on a boat-shaped plate. The plump eel with sweet sauce soaked into the rice was delicious! Truly authentic and delicious, being in Kyushu. The vinegar dish was a nice break between bites, and when I mentioned at the checkout that the eel wasn't too sweet, the staff said Hinodeya is still quite modest, and other restaurants are even sweeter. ^_^)

I was kidnapped by a friend and taken to this restaurant. We had eel, which is definitely better to eat during the colder months than in summer. The rice was fluffy, the eel was nicely grilled, and the sweet sauce was delicious. Thanks to the place being empty, we were able to relax in a private room at the back. It was delicious! Thank you for the meal!

I was a little late due to traffic congestion, but the owner kindly said, "It's okay! I've been waiting for you," and welcomed me. Thank you very much.

We made a reservation for 5 adults on December 26th and went to the restaurant. The staff's service was polite and nice. The eel steamed in a bamboo steamer was fluffy and incredibly delicious. We happened to choose this restaurant because we could make a reservation online, and it was definitely the right choice. I would like to go eat there again.

Yanagawa is known for its eel, which I only learned recently. There is still so much I don't know! This restaurant is located a little off the beaten path in a town famous for its rivers. I chose it because it opens at 10 am, so I made a reservation for the opening time. We arrived about 30 minutes late due to traffic, but when I called, there was no problem. A good impression even before entering the restaurant! We were the first customers, as it was still before lunchtime. Now, onto the eel - it was delicious and worth the price! The combination with kinshi egg and cucumber vinegar dish with eel is unique to Yanagawa, I suppose. Despite being an old-fashioned establishment, they accept reservations through Tabelog and card payments, which left a good impression. The parking lot is spacious, but I can only speak for off-peak hours.

A calm atmosphere in the restaurant. The steamed dishes were not too strong in flavor like in other places, and I enjoyed them until the end.

Fluffy, soft, and delicious.

Now, my husband's work site is behind Yanagawa Station, so I went to meet him for lunch as we had planned to eat together while walking along the moat. We were originally planning to go to a ramen shop, but after visiting his work site and looking around for nearby options, we found a steak and hamburger restaurant, as well as this eel restaurant a little further down the road. I checked the reviews on Tabelog and saw many positive comments. Since we were in Yanagawa, and his work site was quite far, we decided to go for eel for lunch. The old-fashioned large house had a nice feel to it. I ordered the steamed eel in a basket, and after consulting with my wallet, my husband opted for the larger portion. I asked if there was a difference in eel quantity between the regular and larger sizes, and was told it was just about the amount of sauce. So I went for the regular steamed eel at 2100 yen, and my husband ordered the larger portion with extra rice for an additional 100 yen. His dish arrived on a boat, which was a nice surprise. The eel was delicious, and my husband noted that it was cheaper than the last place we went to. The steamed eel had a rich flavor, and we were both satisfied by the end of the meal. We walked around Yanagawa afterwards, and my husband mentioned that the strong flavor made him thirsty due to sweating. Overall, it was a tasty meal and a pleasant experience.

Yanagawa City is famous for its river cruises and steamed eel dishes. This year, I received a guidebook called the "Unagi Meshi Map" created by students from Kyushu Sangyo University, so I decided to embark on a pilgrimage to the eel restaurants in Yanagawa. The students from Kyushu Sangyo University visited each eel restaurant in the city, so I aim to visit all of them as well! As I walked from Yanagawa Street towards Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station, I noticed Hinodeya on the left side as I descended from the overpass. The restaurant has raised seating areas and a poster featuring steamed eel dishes designed to look like the boats used for river cruises. I ordered the same steamed eel dish and grilled eel set as shown in the poster, along with eel liver. The steamed eel dish costs \3,500 and comes with eel vinegar, liver, and pickles. The eel vinegar had a good balance of flavors, and the eel in the steamed dish was tender and well-seasoned. The grilled eel set costs \2,700 and allowed me to savor the natural flavor of the eel. The liver was soft and cooked perfectly, offering a delightful combination of textures and sweetness. After the meal, I had a chance to chat with the owner, who mentioned that eels used to be abundant in the nearby river. I look forward to trying their natural eel dishes next time. The restaurant is not far from the station and offers great value compared to other tourist eel restaurants. It was a delightful dining experience. Thank you for the meal!