300-year-old Izuei, famous for eel and other Edo favorites

The methods for cooking eel differ significantly in eastern and western Japan. The preferred Tokyo/eastern technique is to charcoal grill the eel, then steam it, coat it in sauce, and grill it again. The steaming removes excess fat and produces a prized softness of texture.

Unagi Kappo Izuei, now in its ninth generation in business, is located in Ueno, a center of art and culture, home of the Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art, a Le Corbusier-designed World Heritage Site. Here you'll experience top-quality Mikawa Mansaku-brand eels grilled to a fragrant, plump finish. We recommend trying both the kabayaki smothered in sweet and spicy soy-sauce-and-mirin, and the shirayaki, served with salt and wasabi to bring out the flavor of the eel itself.

Izuei Honten, a two-story wooden building, photographed in the Showa era