Hyperlocal Tokyo

July 24, 2024 (Wednesday)    I met up with a former boss for drinks after a long time.    It was the day of the "Doyou no Ushi" (Day of the Ox), so we decided to go for eel.    We chose Miyagawa Hon-den. When I called, they said they weren't taking reservations that day and had a limited menu.    Thinking it might be less crowded, I arrived around 6:30 pm.    My prediction was right! I was able to walk right in.    They had liver simmered in soy sauce and eel with vinegar, so we enjoyed those while we waited for the grilled eel.    The eel dish was the "Ni" from the Irohani series, priced at ¥5,390.    It was absolutely delicious! The eel was fluffy and had a good thickness. The sauce was not too sweet and quite refreshing.    The eel soup was also good, and the pickles, though unassuming, were delicious.    Established in 1893, this place is truly something special. It's an old-fashioned restaurant, but the prices are reasonable.

We visited with a group of four on a Sunday afternoon. We didn't make a reservation and the food arrived about 40 minutes after ordering. The eel is served in a bowl or a box, with options for different sizes: I, Ro, Ha, Ni, and Chu-iri. Ha is the standard size, Ro is slightly smaller, and Ni is larger. We ordered Ha this time, but it seemed to be about the same size as the Ro that our companion ordered. The taste was truly that of a famous eel restaurant. You can add as much sauce and sansho pepper as you like. The pickled vegetables served as a side dish were refreshing and perfect for a palate cleanser. The white-grilled eel we ordered was also delicious, offering a different flavor from the grilled eel.

This is a renowned local restaurant that I've been visiting since I was a child. Their eel dishes, including eel rice bowls, grilled eel, eel rolls, and eel sashimi, are all absolutely delicious! (^^) The service staff can be hit or miss, so be aware of that. ★ Grilled skewers are only available on weekdays. On the day of the "Doyou no Ushi" (the day of the ox in the sixth month of the lunar calendar), the menu is limited to eel rice bowls only. Please be aware of this. (^^)

Established in 1893, Miyagawa Honten is a renowned eel specialty restaurant representing Tokyo. Walking down Heian-dori from Tsukiji Station, I was surprised by the delicious aroma wafting from the restaurant 40 meters away. Several years had passed since my last visit, and my memory of the taste was hazy, so I decided to revisit. The vinegared dish was excellent, featuring shrimp, young sardines, and cockles with a delicate, not overly sour, flavor. The liver skewers were a luxurious treat, using what seemed like an entire eel's liver. They had a strong bitterness, but were quite delicious. The main eel dish, unagi-jyu, was quite different from my previous experience. The eel was thick and juicy, with a rich flavor but no fishy smell. The sauce was perfectly balanced, neither too sweet nor too spicy. The liver soup was particularly outstanding, and the pickles were also delicious. From start to finish, the quality was impeccable. It was a reminder of why Miyagawa Honten is so renowned. However, there are a few other restaurants that I consider to be better, so I'm not sure if I'll revisit.

Established in 1893 during the Meiji era, this is an old-established eel restaurant. It's the head temple of "Tsukiji Miyagawa no Renkai" (Tsukiji Miyagawa Association), a group of eel restaurants. The restaurant has a calm atmosphere and is staffed by experienced "older ladies." I visited on a weekday without a reservation. It took about 30 minutes for my order to arrive. If you're short on time, I recommend making a reservation. The eel is carefully grilled, and the eel sauce is spicy and refreshing. The rice, which is a bit softer than usual, is a classic. It's a truly delicious "Edomae" eel. *A side note:* Although both are written with the same character (重), "jū" (重) and "don" (丼) have different connotations. Thank you for the meal. Revisited on June 21, 2024.