Shiroyaki Unagi

Service: traditional and friendly
Facilities: old-fashioned but clean
Prices: Slightly expensive (“real” eels are expensive anywhere in Japan!)
Strong points: True traditional Japanese eel restaurant.

Hamamatsu City is famous all over Japan for some of its large companies (Yamaha, Kawai, etc) but it also known all over the country for one of its gastronomic specialties, eel, or unagi/鰻!
Eels have been a favorite food in that City for untold ages to the point that they have developed different competing “schools” as pertains to its preparation!

One of the most celebrated restaurants is Atsumi in Naka Ku, the downtown area.
Even in freezing weather customers form a queue a long time before they open for lunch!

It was first opened in 1907!
The English and Japanese noren/entrance curtain proves it is also popular with expats!

Be it downstairs or upstairs, it looks venerable indeed!

Only the signs are modern!

Very traditional surroundings. Old fashioned but clean, the more for it that the establishment is entirely non-smoking!

These critters will end up in our plates and bowls!

The Missus ordered “Kabayaki/蒲焼 style” set. The eels are dipped into “tare/sauce” while being grilled over charcoal.
The tare makes the difference, and it is a good indication of the proficiency of the chef!

The Missus ordered it with some tare on the rice, too.

I ordered the “shiroyaki/白焼き lunch set”.
Shiro stands for white, and yaki for grilled.
Shiroyaki means that no tare was applied on the eel while being grilled.

But I ordered it on top of rice seasoned with tare for perfect balance!

The great thing about shiroyaki style is that you can season each piece of eel with grated garlic, ginger, onion or wasabi before savoring it!

The liver/kimo” of the same fish is served in a clear and delicious soup!

And they always serve a Shizuoka fruit for dessert!
In this case muskmelon!

Eel Restaurant ATSUMI
430-0934 Hamamamtsu Shi, Naka Ku, Chitose Machi, 70
Opening hours: 11:30~13:40, 17:15~19:30 (could close earlier if run out of eels!)
Closed on Wednesdays (with two more holidays either on Tusdays or Thursdays. Reserve beforehand anyway!)
Reservations highly recommended
Credit Cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

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