You’ll find Unagi Maekawa nestled in a quiet neighbourhood along the Sumida River near Asakusa Station. The company started out as an unagi (freshwater eel) wholesaler in the Edo period (1603-1867). Now it serves some of the most luxurious unaju (grilled eel over rice) using domestically farmed eel from Unagi Bandotaro. The unagi here is grilled and steamed to perfection to give it a fluffy texture, and is marinated in the restaurant’s special sauce, which hasn’t changed since it first opened 220 years ago.
A standard unaju goes for ¥5,500 which comes with a side of soup, pickles and dessert, but you can upgrade it for a bigger eel with additional cost. You can even get side dishes like tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) with unagi inside (¥2,400), unagi chawanmushi (steamed savoury egg custard; ¥1,500) and unagi tsukudani (simmered in soy sauce and mirin; ¥2,500) which pairs well with beer.
If you can’t decide, go for the multicourse meal – it’ll get you a full size unaju and and just a little bit of everything. At lunch, course meals start at ¥9,000 for eight dishes, while dinner can be anywhere between ¥11,000 and ¥20,000.