The star of a Hamamatsu trip is unagi (eel)! 10 places you'll want to visit for a treat for yourself

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Rin is an unagi (freshwater eel) specialty restaurant about a 7-minute walk from Hamamatsu Station on the JR Tokaido Main Line. It opened in December 2020 as the second branch of Seirin, a popular Japanese restaurant in Hamamatsu.

In addition to counter seating, there are table seats and raised tatami seating as well.

Photograph:Brillat‐Savarin

The restaurant uses unagi (eel) mainly from Lake Hamana, and changes its suppliers depending on the season, including Kochi, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. Another feature is that they adjust the grilling method for each individual eel.

The "shirayaki (plain grilled eel)" is said to be light and tender, so soft that you can easily cut it with chopsticks.

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This is the “Hamanako deshiko unagi (eel) Premium Unagi Rice bowl.” The surface of the unagi is grilled over binchotan (white charcoal) for a fragrant finish.

The flesh is plump and tender, and you can enjoy the rich, refined taste of its fat. The rice, cooked in a hagama (traditional pot), is said to bring out more and more of the rice’s flavor the more you chew.

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Unagi Ryori Atsumi is a restaurant where you can enjoy Kanto-style eel made with fresh unagi (eel) from Lake Hamana. Skilled chefs prepare each eel one by one for every order, then steam and grill it.

The interior has a historic feel, with mainly tatami zashiki (Japanese tatami seating) and table seating as well.

Photograph:坂の上のまろ

The popular menu item is unaju (grilled eel over rice in a lacquered box). The steamed eel is said to be thick and juicy. It has a soft texture and is known for being tender.

The sauce is said to be rich, with a hint of sweetness.

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This is shirayaki (grilled eel without sauce), cooked without tare sauce so you can enjoy the eel’s natural flavor directly.

It comes with yakumi (condiments) such as white leek, ginger, and wasabi, so you can enjoy changing up the flavor. It is also said to taste great with yuzu kosho (yuzu pepper paste).

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Sumiyaki Unagi AoIya is a Kansai-style unagi (freshwater eel) specialty restaurant about a 15-minute walk from the south exit of Tenryugawa Station on the JR Tokaido Main Line. It is known for serving fragrant unagi grilled over binchotan (high-grade charcoal).

Inside, Hamamatsu Festival kites and tsurushi-bina (hanging hina dolls) are on display, creating a charming atmosphere.

Photograph:辣油は飲み物

They source eel from Special production regions selected for the season.

They use the Kansai-style jiyaki (grilling without steaming) method and grill the surface over strong heat until crisp. You can fully enjoy the fragrant aroma of binchotan (high-grade charcoal).

Photograph:伝説の鰻ハンター

The "unaju (grilled eel over rice in a lacquered box)" lets you fully enjoy authentic style eel. It uses one whole fatty eel.

The sauce, with the rich depth and aroma of soy sauce, coats it well and brings out the good flavor of the soft, tender flesh. It is also said to go very well with the rice made from Akita Komachi grown in Ogata Village, Akita Prefecture.

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Sakume is an unagi (freshwater eel) restaurant nearest to Hamanako-Sakume Station on the Tenryu Hamanako Line.

The calm interior offers a variety of seating, including tables, koagari (raised floor seating), and ozashiki (tatami room seating). Some seats also let you watch the cooking while you eat.

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There are three sizes of unaju (grilled eel over rice in a lacquered box): large, medium, and small. To keep the good flavor of the fat in the belly while preparing it, they use the Kanto-style back-cut method.

The surface is said to have a nice toasty aroma, and the flesh has an irresistible plump, springy bite.

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One of the restaurant's notable features is that they adjust the cooking to match the quality of the unagi (eel), which changes depending on the season in terms of the tenderness of the flesh, the firmness of the skin, and the amount of fat and small bones.

Depending on the season, they also serve wild unagi from Hamanako (Lake Hamana).

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Sumiyaki Unagi Hajime is an unagi (freshwater eel) specialty restaurant that opened in 2016. It mainly serves eel from Hamana-ko (Lake Hamana).

From the glass-walled open kitchen, you can take your time watching the eel being grilled from start to finish.

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The unaju (grilled eel over rice in a lacquered box) comes with kimosui (clear soup with eel liver) and pickles. The clear soup with eel liver has no off notes and a gentle taste, according to reviews.

They are also particular about freshness, preparing the eel only after an order comes in. The freshly grilled skin is crisp and fragrant, while the flesh has a light, tender texture.

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The photo shows hitsumabushi (Nagoya-style grilled eel over rice). This traditional eel dish started in Nagoya. First, enjoy it as is, then add yakumi (condiments) or pour over dashi (soup stock) to make it ochazuke-style, so you can enjoy it in different ways step by step.

The rice used is Tsuyahime, a variety from Yamagata Prefecture, and it is said to be known for its pleasantly chewy texture.

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Unasho is a specialty eel restaurant founded in 1978. The restaurant serves Kyosui unagi (premium farmed eel) from Yaizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Its delicate cooking has earned high praise, and some regulars have been coming for nearly 20 years. There are tatami room seating and table seats.

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The eel in the "unaju (eel over rice in a lacquered box)" is said to be carefully cooked only after you place your order.

Unusually for jiyaki (direct grilling), they add a steaming step to lock in the flavor. The thick flesh is said to have a nice springy texture, with plenty of rich fat.

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There is also a great lineup of a la carte dishes that make the most of rare parts of unagi (freshwater eel). While you wait for the unagi to finish grilling, they recommend enjoying them with local sake.

This is the “kimoyaki (grilled eel liver).” The mildly bitter liver goes well with the rich, full-bodied sauce.

Photograph:卓球少女

Hamamatsu Jiyaki Unagi Masa serves a rare "oboku unagi (large eel)," each weighing about 330g or more. They are particular about jiyaki (direct grilling), cooking freshly filleted eel without steaming it first over charcoal heat said to reach 1000 degrees.

The interior has a modern Japanese feel. In addition to box seats and Sunken kotatsu seating, there are counter seats facing the grilling area through glass.

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The "unaju (grilled eel over rice in a lacquered box)" lets you enjoy thick cuts of unagi (eel) with Hamanako aonori (green laver from Lake Hamana) and wasabi-zuke (pickled wasabi).

The unagi is grilled in the jiyaki (direct grilling) style, giving it a crisp outside and a tender inside, with its rich flavor concentrated. It is said to be nicely fatty, juicy, and very satisfying to eat.

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The "Kimo-iri Jo Unagi Rice bowl" is a limited-quantity menu item.

They dip a whole freshly grilled unagi (eel) into a special sauce refined through repeated testing. The eel meat and liver mix with the sauce, which has just the right richness, for a deep and satisfying taste.

Photograph:(￣￢￣*)じゅるぅ～

Kamabei is an unagi (freshwater eel) restaurant founded in 1974, about a 10-minute walk from the south exit of JR Hamamatsu Station. They carefully select and serve the highest quality unagi available that day from around Lake Hamana.

Behind its nostalgic old style exterior, the interior opens into a calm Japanese modern space with the warmth of wood. It is also popular with local customers.

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The "unagi-ju (grilled eel over rice in a lacquered box)" comes in three choices: Ume, Take, and Matsu. The owner carefully fillets each eel one by one and adjusts the grilling to match the day's weather.

They say the secret sauce, passed down for more than 50 years, brings out the flavor of the eel even more.

Photograph:ゆきたべゆっきー

The "shirayaki (plain grilled eel)" is a dish served with grated ginger and chopped green onion.

By quickly grilling it over charcoal, they give it a juicy finish. The far infrared effect cooks it through to the center while keeping its good flavor intact.

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Unagi no Kantarou is a popular restaurant where you can enjoy Kansai-style eel made only with unagi (eel) from Hamana-ko (Lake Hamana) and Mikawa.

In addition to table and counter seating, the restaurant also has Private room tatami rooms. From some seats, you can even watch the chefs skillfully fillet and grill the unagi through the glass.

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The "unaju (grilled eel over rice in a lacquered box)" is made Kansai style: the eel is filleted after you order and grilled over binchotan (high-grade charcoal) without steaming. It is finished with a traditional tare sauce that has been used since the restaurant first opened.

The rice is Akitakomachi from Ogata Village, Akita Prefecture. It pairs perfectly with the kabayaki (sweet soy glazed grilled eel), and it is said to be so good that you will not be able to stop eating.

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"Unagi no Shirayaki (grilled eel without sauce)" is prepared by filleting the eel after the order is placed and grilling it over binchotan (high-grade Japanese charcoal). By skewering it with metal skewers before grilling, the flesh turns plump and tender.

It is grilled at high heat until crisp and fragrant, letting you enjoy a lightly smoked flavor.

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Kanerin Unagiten is a restaurant that serves Kanto-style unagi (grilled eel) prepared by steaming and then grilling.

Seats with a view of the inner garden are especially popular, and the restaurant also has ozashiki (tatami seating) and table seating. It often gets busy right after opening, so making a reservation in advance is recommended.

Photograph:komugiro

Rare for the Kanto style, the unaju (eel rice box) features kabayaki (grilled eel glazed with sauce) crisped on the surface and rice cooked in a kama (iron pot). It is finished with the restaurant's long used sweet and savory sauce.

The freshly cooked rice has a glossy look and is praised for being fluffy all the way through. Together with the sauce, it brings out the rich taste of the eel even more.

Photograph:いまゆー88

Another draw is the wide range of unagi (freshwater eel) small plates you can enjoy. The photo shows the “umaki tamago (rolled omelet with grilled eel).” It gently wraps kabayaki-style unagi in fluffy dashimaki tamago (Japanese rolled omelet).

It is served piping hot, with a nice dashi flavor and a refined taste.