Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan｜東屋

It’s our first trip since covid. We’re so glad to have chosen here as the first place to eat. We’ve dearly missed unagi dish, the best we had was in Kyoto near Arashiyama. Maybe due to the preference of locals here, the unagi is softer, more tender. The charcoal Smokey flavour is definitely in the sauce! Can tell that the eating house has been around for super long. Lovely traditional dining room, and the host was very patient with us despite our very basic Japanese. Do make reservation prior to coming.

Superb view on the garden. Tender unagi . Perfect.

Every time I come to Kawagoe, I try to call the arbor, but I can't get into it. The breezeway and courtyard resemble a relative's house where I spent summers as a child, and I feel at ease. The eel sauce is not too sweet and you can really enjoy the eel flavor. If you eat it with a sweet sauce, you'll want to order Shirayaki as well, but Azuma-san's unagiju is enough. There are no charges for private rooms, so whether or not it's good for the restaurant to have customers who are satisfied without ordering additional items like Shirayaki is another matter.