I tried the Hitsu Mabushi, a shared dish of grilled eel, at Marumiya. The eel had a crispy texture from the charcoal grilling and was thick and fatty, very delicious. The sauce was light and enhanced the flavor of the eel, which I really enjoyed. The broth in the Hitsu Mabushi was also very tasty. I highly recommend the Hitsu Mabushi for couples visiting together!

I made a reservation and arrived at 11:00 for lunch. There was only one other group around 11:00, but by 12:00, the seats were filling up, so I think making a reservation is a good idea. I ordered the set meal with sakura eel instead of unagi. The eel was very fluffy and the skin was crispy, it was really delicious. The other menu items were also tasty. However, the portion size was quite large and I ended up feeling very full, so next time I think I'll just go for the eel bowl on its own. Thank you for the meal.

I visited a restaurant while on a casual drive in search of ingredients from Kyoto and Yamato. The restaurant is located on the first floor of a building where eateries and cake shops are gathered in a residential area developed in the mountains. Inside the restaurant, there are table seating and tatami seating areas, both with spacious seating. They offer two types of eel, the recommended Shizuoka-produced "Kyosui eel" and the Miyazaki-produced "Selected eel" on the day of my visit. I ordered the Kyosui eel bowl, and it's important to note that their eel dish comes in a two-tiered box with eel and rice separated. The eel has a firm texture with rich flavor but doesn't feel heavy. The sauce is said to be passed down from a famous restaurant in the Chubu region, possibly from Seki City, and the aroma of the wood buds in the middle is wonderful, leaving no need for sansho pepper. The liver was also delicious, making for a satisfying and slightly luxurious lunch. Afterward, I headed to a nearby bakery and a vegetable direct sales store.

We went to eat at a restaurant that accepts GOTO Eat meal vouchers with my family. The skin was crispy and the meat was juicy, very delicious. My brother ordered hitsumabushi, which came with various seasonings and broth, making it enjoyable. For dessert, we had acerola jelly. It was quite dark as we were in the countryside, and we almost missed the parking lot stopper, so please be careful when visiting.

I wanted to eat delicious eel, and the balance of the sauce's sweetness and richness was excellent. The way the sauce coated the crispy eel skin was also outstanding. It was delicious, but due to the strict management during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is advisable to call ahead for confirmation. It might be helpful to decide on your order, including the timing and waiting procedures.

When I called to make a reservation on the same day, they told me to wait in my car until my order was ready for pick-up due to infection prevention measures. I said I would arrive around 5:30 pm, and they asked me to come as soon as possible. When I arrived at the restaurant, I placed my order and waited in my car as instructed. After about 10 minutes, I was allowed to enter the restaurant. It was cold inside. They talked to me about infection prevention measures. There were no other customers inside, only a few take-out customers. Around 6 pm, a reservation customer arrived, and I thought that if the restaurant was this empty, they could have seated us further inside instead of near the cold entrance. I ordered the Hyuga Set Meal with squid mentaiko, eel roll, liver simmered in soy sauce, vinegar-marinated radish and lotus root, Nara pickles and cherry pickles, liver sashimi, and dessert ice cream. Overall, I think the cost performance is good, but I preferred the taste and grilling method at Kawahara, where I went last month. The liver was plentiful and delicious. They offered a 200 yen discount for eating quietly to cooperate with infection prevention measures. However, if they are going to go this far, they should consider only offering take-out instead of allowing indoor dining.

Hirayama Mountain ◇ Eel ◇ [Umemidai, Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture] Located in a residential area with a bit of distance to walk from JR Nara Line Hirayama Mountain Station (Narayama) about 5km north of Kintetsu Nara Station. The restaurant "Oi River Eel Hidemaru" serves eel raised in the clear waters of the Oi River and the Southern Alps underground water. The shop was getting ready when I arrived at the parking lot 10 minutes before opening on a weekday. They took my order outside as a COVID-19 precaution and asked me to wait in the car until it was ready. I ordered the "Kyo-sui Eel Bowl" (4590 yen) and after waiting in the car for about 10 minutes, I was guided inside the restaurant. Just 2 minutes later, my eel bowl was served. The eel, cut into 6 pieces, was not too thick and had a crispy texture from being grilled. The sauce was light, and there was plenty of it on the rice. Although I didn't pay much attention to where the eel was from, whether it was wild or farmed, what mattered most to me was the grilling and the taste of the sauce. It was a bit disappointing not to experience the excitement of the eel being grilled and the smell of it. After finishing my meal, I said, "Thank you for the meal."

I visited a restaurant in Kizugawa City for lunch and decided to have dinner there as well. I found this place through a search, which is known for serving "Kyosui unagi," said to rival the famous "Bando Taro" brand of eel. I made a reservation for the Kyosui unagi a week before my visit. The restaurant is located in Kyoto Prefecture, but the nearest station is Heijoyama Station in Nara Prefecture, a 45-minute walk to the east. It is quite inconvenient to reach, so it is best to visit by car or take a taxi from the nearest station. I arrived at 18:05 and there was a group of four waiting ahead of me. The restaurant is on the first floor of an apartment in a residential area. The interior and exterior are clean and well-maintained. The restaurant has a setup of 3 tables with 4 seats each and 3 sunken kotatsu tables with 6 seats each. There were 2 male chefs and 2 female staff members. Due to COVID-19 measures, the female staff took orders outside and customers waited for their food outside as well. I ordered the following dishes: 1) Kyosui unagi shiro-yaki (1 eel) for 4,480 yen, and 2) Selected unagi set meal (1 eel from Shizuoka) for 3,960 yen. The dishes arrived in 15 and 16 minutes respectively. Here are my thoughts on the food: [Common points] - The eel is prepared and grilled after ordering. - Grilled over charcoal without steaming. - Each eel is around 200g. - The thickness is about 5mm. [Kyosui unagi shiro-yaki] - Served with wasabi soy sauce, rock salt, and lemon juice. - A fragrant aroma, similar to white fish. - The skin is crispy but slightly sticky. - The meat is not very juicy, unlike the eel I had in Kuwana. [Selected unagi set meal] - The skin is crispy but slightly burnt and bitter in parts. - The meat is juicier than the shiro-yaki but not as flavorful as expected. - The sauce is on the salty side and slightly spicy. - The rice is ordinary. - Unfortunately, there was no liver soup or grilled liver available. I shared my feedback with the chef later, and he explained that Kyosui unagi is difficult to handle due to its tough skin, resulting in smaller and less flavorful eels. This may explain the disappointing experience. I left the restaurant at 18:50, with 2 groups of 4 still dining.

I had been curious about Shumarusan for a long time! It is located on the border between Nara and Kyoto. Here, they handle Kyomizu unagi. There are few shops in Kyoto that handle it, and Shumarusan is especially rare because it is locally grilled. It's almost unheard of to have Kyomizu grilled unagi. The shop displays the place of origin. The interior of the shop is spacious with tables and tatami mats. Reservations are also possible. The difference in price for dishes like unagi donburi is only in the quantity. The unagi donburi comes in three sizes: Ume (1/2), Take (2/3), Matsu (1). Both Kyomizu and domestic unagi are prepared after ordering and grilled over charcoal. Today's domestic unagi was from Miyazaki. The ordered item was the carefully selected unagi donburi, Take, priced at 3330 yen (tax included). It came with soup, pickles, and either ice cream or oolong tea. It was served in about 10 minutes. They mentioned it was prepared right before serving, so the grilling time was quite short. The size was 5P, with minimal charring and a light glaze of sauce. When I tasted it, oh~! This is my preferred level of grilling! They grilled it quickly on high heat to seal in the flavor, with minimal cooking inside to allow you to savor the true taste of the unagi. The sauce was also light, not burnt, and had a restrained flavor. So, the surface was crispy, the skin was crunchy, and the flesh was firm and full of flavor as you chew. The aroma of the unagi was also very noticeable! The grilling was just right, so there was no smell or toughness, and the fat was just right. Maybe because it was prepared right before serving, the fat was refreshing, and the flavor was strong~ The quality of the unagi was good, as you could feel the soft texture and tenderness of the flesh even with the firm grilling. The fat also had a milky richness to it. They are very particular about the unagi. The sauce was a rare sweet style from Nagoya, with a rich umami and a unique flavor. It was a strong taste but had a good aftertaste, so it was refreshing. It's quite a unique and delicious sauce~ It only lightly coats the unagi, so when you eat just the unagi, you can taste its flavor without interference. On the other hand, it is lightly drizzled over the rice, so when you eat the unagi and rice together, you can feel the full flavor of the sauce. However, the strong flavor of the unagi blends well with the sweetness of the sauce. They have thoughtfully considered making both the unagi and rice delicious. The rice was slightly firm and tasty. It was my preferred level of grilling and sauce. I wonder why I hadn't come here before, haha. I would like to try Kyomizu next time and enjoy the differences with other farmed unagi. The rice had a decent amount and was quite filling. The price is a bit high, but considering the quality of the unagi and the careful grilling, it's worth it. The service from the staff was also good, so I am satisfied. Thank you for the meal~!

Kyoto's eel restaurant, Hide Maru, located in Kizugawa City. The prices are set on the higher side. Today, I tried the lunch limited edition dish called "hirumabushi," which is half the portion of the regular dish. It was served in about 15 minutes. Unlike traditional hitsumabushi, this dish didn't have eel on top of the rice. Instead, it came with a broth for dipping. The eel was cooked perfectly and had a delicious aroma. It was tender and flavorful. Maybe they use the Edo-style grilling method here? It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Hiking from JR Kamo Station to Nara Station to explore the Great Buddha Railway Ruins. Around halfway through, we had lunch at Unagi Shumaru by the Oigawa River. We arrived right at 12 o'clock, with only 2 people waiting outside, and were seated within 15 minutes. We were led to a spacious tatami room and ordered the premium white-grilled eel for 4800 yen (excluding tax) and the Hirumabushi for 2600 yen, along with a bottle of beer. We chose the Hirumabushi as it was a lunch-only option, not the usual Hitsumabushi. As a bonus, we could choose between complimentary oolong tea or dessert ice cream. After enjoying the eel, we felt energized to continue walking to Nara Station.

After a long time, I visited an eel restaurant and tried the rare Kyo-Sui eel with Kansai-style grilling. It's recommended to make a reservation in advance as they might run out. The restaurant had just reopened after the COVID-19 closure, with social distancing measures in place. Customers were required to wear masks when not eating. I ordered the eel rice bowl, which came in a two-tiered box with rice and eel served separately, allowing you to pour the sauce as desired. The eel was slightly firm, with crispy skin and no small bones. The hot soup served afterwards helped cut through the richness of the eel. The meal ended with a refreshing acerola jelly with blueberry sauce. Despite the challenges of operating during the pandemic, the restaurant's attention to detail and unique Kyo-Sui eel make it a valuable dining spot. Eating eel always seems to raise my energy levels, and today's meal was no exception. Thank you for the delicious meal. (﹡ˆ﹀ˆ﹡)♡

I ordered una-ju (eel over rice in a bamboo box) and it was delicious.

I had a delicious unagi bowl with extra sauce. It was Kansai-style and very tasty. It seems like many customers order takeout. It was quite large, so next time I want to try the hitsumabushi or order the bamboo box.

I had the grilled eel rice bowl. It was delicious. The texture and flavor were excellent.

This is a very affordable restaurant for eel lovers amidst the soaring prices of eel.

I ordered grilled eel, eel bowl, eel roll, and local sake. The eel had a great texture and was delicious without being too heavy. The eel roll was well cooked and tasty. The local sake was excellent. They also offered free coffee. Oh, it was so delicious!