Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan｜髙橋屋

Extremely high quality unagi rice. The parking was initially a bit hard to find, but luckily their staff was holding a sign and guided us to where we need to park and go for the restaurant. The restaurant seems to be new and operated by a family. From looking at the menu, you could sort of tell their passion towards making good unagi rice. We had a “natural unagi” and another which we think is farmed unagi. Both were really good and cooked to perfection. They were nice to tell us in advance that it will take around 40 mins to make. Highly recommend this restaurant!

Fantastic new restaurant. Everything was fresh and delicious.

An eel specialty store that sells Kansai-style Kabayaki. The set of Shirayaki (half body) and Eel bowl (half body) was the best. In particular, Shirayaki is a style that is eaten after being lightly roasted over charcoal, and there are plenty of condiments available so you can enjoy it in a variety of ways. If you compare it with eel bowl, you will understand the goodness of each. I also ate Hamamatsu's natural eel (small), which had a creamy flesh and was really delicious. It was such a waste not to have rice, so I couldn't resist and had to get some extra rice. It's a taste that makes you think, ``I'm glad I came to Lake Hamana.'' The pickles were also delicious, and even I, who don't like store-bought takuwan because they are too sweet or too salty, enjoyed them. I'm also happy that they use thinned melon instead of cucumber. (They are both locally handmade items.) Regarding the price: It seems that the price has gone up from a few years ago, but I don't think it can be helped. Regarding access: Please note that the store is very inconspicuous, the entrance is in an alley, and there seems to be no parking lot. It looks like a pub in a back alley. (I wonder if it was made by someone from a shop like that?) Service and Atmosphere: Although the interior of the restaurant is small, it has a bright interior, and the owner and his wife (?) were very friendly and we listened to many stories about Unaginoya and the above-mentioned Oshinka. Overall review: This is a hot spring area with many eel restaurants, and I think it's a hidden gem among the many other standout restaurants. However, the number of seats is small, so it is not suitable for groups.