Unagino Toyokawa
Find the store with a line of unagi devotees at any point of the day — not to look for walk-in seating but to wait for their reservation.
Restaurant Details
Behind Unagino Toyokawa’s perfectly plump Kansai-style unagi (freshwater eel) is an unwavering dedication to the fish.
If it takes a lifetime to truly become an unagi chef (the saying goes: it takes three years to master the skewering, eight for splitting and a lifetime for grilling), then the owner-chef is a true devotee. Having trained in another unagi restaurant in Osaka, their focus on the fish is palpable in every dish; appetizers are a trio of senbei made from crisped eel bones, eel wrapped in kelp and yawatamaki — burdock root rolled in eel.
Thinly sliced eel sashimi and an omelet roll with succulent unagi precede the main attraction: the unadon — aoite eel, carefully grilled over bincho charcoal served atop rice in a jubako (Japanese lacquered box). The fish’s skin is crisp, the meat still fluffy; a side of pickles and liver soup is there to complement.
Reservations are highly coveted, so plan ahead. Unagino Toyokawa is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant for 2024.
Unagino Toyokawa Access Info
Unagino Toyokawa is a 5-minute walk from Tomio Station.
Unagino Toyokawa Phone Number
Unagino Toyokawa Business Days
Unagino Toyokawa Address
3-chome-3-12 Tomio Motomachi, Nara, 631-0078, Japan
Unagino Toyokawa Cancellation Policy
Cancel your reservation at least 48 hours before the dining start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Restaurant location
The historic seat of power and faith in Japan, Nara has some of the most authentic and breathtaking culture in the entire country — and also friendly deer!
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10 meals
COURSE MENUMARUICHI FUJI AKASAKA (formerly Nyorosuke Akasaka)
Rather than steam the eel first in Kanto style, this famed Akasaka unagi specialist upholds Kansai tradition by going straight into grilling the eel for a crispier, crunchier texture.
COURSE MENUAzabujuban Hanabusa
This Tokyo restaurant sources its eels from unagi farmers in Isshiki Town, who have raised them in an all-natural environment for over 100 years. The unagi are then coated in a secret sauce, before being grilled Kansai-style over a charcoal flame.
COURSE MENUNyorosuke Roppongi
At Nyorosuke, you can experience authentic Kansai-style charcoal grilled eel dishes such as grilled eel skewers, unaju and unagi-don. Unlike most Tokyo-style eel restaurants, the eel here is not steamed—meaning it’s bursting full of flavor!
COURSE MENUUnagi Kappo Ooedo
Unagi Kappo Oedo repeatedly immerses whole pieces of eel within jars of their secret sauce, letting its flavor suffuse the meat entirely. It is then paired with sticky Yumegokochi rice for maximum texture.