I visited Yasui Konpira-gu Shrine, where a god is said to handle both cutting off bad relationships and fostering good ones. On my way back, I stumbled upon this restaurant. The eel, as shown in the photo, had no fishy smell, with a perfect balance of protein and fat, providing a satisfying texture. It was delicious with a crispy exterior and a soft interior. I found this great restaurant right after severing bad ties. I am grateful to the god.

I finally visited a restaurant that offers Kansai-style eel, which is surprisingly hard to come by in Kyoto. I was able to enter without a reservation. I was seated at the counter near the entrance (only 2 seats available). Surprisingly, all the other customers were foreigners. Perhaps this place has been introduced in foreign guidebooks or websites. The prices for the eel dishes were as follows: Regular for 3000 yen, Medium for 4000 yen, and Special for 4900 yen. You could also opt for extra rice for 150 yen, or change to liver for an additional 300 yen. The popular choice was to add shredded omelette on top, which cost an extra 200 yen. They also offered Hitsumabushi and Shirayaki. The eel had a crispy texture as expected. The surface was crispy, but the meat inside was tender and juicy. The aroma of charcoal was very pleasant. They provided extra sauce in case you felt it was not enough. I tried a little on the rice, and it made the rice taste sweet. I decided not to add more sauce to the eel to avoid diluting the flavor. Despite initially thinking the rice portion might be small due to the raised bottom of the box, I ended up feeling full after finishing it. The rice had absorbed the eel sauce nicely. The pickles were quite salty and flavorful. As for the shredded omelette, I had always thought it meant thinly sliced omelette, but here it was a thickly cooked omelette. It lacked the taste of dashi, so I wouldn't call it a rolled omelette. It had a fluffy texture and paired well with the strong flavors of the eel and pickles. It could also serve as a refreshing palate cleanser. Although the Kansai-style eel was delicious, it seems to be more popular among foreigners than Japanese. This could be due to a lack of promotion targeting Japanese customers or because Japanese people prefer the Kanto-style eel. There are many delicious eel restaurants nationwide, and the quality of frozen eel for delivery has also improved. Therefore, I cannot give it a perfect 5-star rating in terms of taste. However, as a fan of Kansai-style eel, I find it valuable to have a place where you can visit without a reservation and dine alone. I would love to visit this place again.

- Today's #foodieadventure ✨ -Kansai-style eel. The skin is crispy. The meat is juicy. Opened in 2021. The eel roll is fluffy. The service is lovely. The Day of the Ox is coming soon. Japanese people eat eel for energy during the hot summer. Less than a minute walk from Yasaka Shrine. Definitely worth a try. #DoiKatsuUnagi #eel #unajyu #eelroll #tamagoyaki #Kansai-style #Kyoto #Kyotofood #DayoftheOx #Flying #GionShijo #GionShijofood #foodie #eellover #newstore #nearYasakaShrine #lunch #lunchcrawl #likeforlikes #likeforfollow #love #instagood #happy #kyoto #japan #eel #kansai #gion

I really wanted to eat eel, so I searched for a place and found one. It was grilled over charcoal, so the skin was very crispy and the meat was tender. The sauce had just the right amount of sweetness, and they provide a bottle so you can adjust the amount yourself. It was delicious eel that I had in a long time. The service was also good at this calm and nice restaurant!

This was my first time at the Gion branch. The one-tail was the most delicious and satisfying. I recommend ordering the liver grill without a doubt. Although, it seems like the portion size has decreased compared to before. Maybe it's just my imagination.

The eel in the hitsumabushi and umaki had a crispy texture, providing a new eating experience. The menu was in Chinese and English. Next door, the queue at the beef cutlet restaurant was incredible.

The employees talk too much and their voices are too loud.

The atmosphere was great and the delicious eel bowl was amazing~ I want to go eat there again~

At one point, the Kansai-style eel restaurants had decreased so much that they were considered endangered species, but in recent years, new restaurants have started to open. One such restaurant in Fushimi has gained quite a reputation, and they recently opened a branch in the center of Kyoto. I went to try it out, but due to the impact of COVID-19, they only open on weekends for dinner. I ordered the "unaju" set, where the only difference in price is the size and quantity of eel. In conclusion, I once again felt the difficulty of Kansai-style eel. Kansai-style eel is not steamed, so proper preparation is crucial. Also, since it is only grilled and brushed with sauce, the balance between the skin and meat is important. This restaurant seems to prioritize texture over fattiness, using young eels with thin skin. However, this results in less satisfaction in terms of the "eel eating experience" due to the lower fat content. The dish arrived in about 15 minutes after ordering, so they probably have some pre-prepared items in stock. For those who understand the difficulty of cooking Kansai-style eel, the price of 2800 yen for the set might not seem high. But for those who are used to the fatty and rich Kanto-style eel, the satisfaction level might be lower. Kansai-style eel is truly challenging, as I once again realized. Additionally, the restaurant's description states that they do not accept cards, but when I visited, credit cards were accepted. It also says that reservations are not allowed, but you can actually make reservations by phone.

Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Delicious. The rice is also tasty.

It's good that the owner seemed stubborn.

The doneness is perfect and delicious.