Ike Edoyakiunagi Asahitei
Other Japanese Food
From its Edo-style unagi to heirloom cedar furniture, every bit of this award-winning unagi restaurant in Nara breathes excellence and decades of legacy.
Restaurant Details
When Morimoto Hideki took over Ike Edoyakiunagi Asahitei, an unagi joint established in 1964, he was already accustomed to the demanding world of unagi chefs. His father — whom Morimoto describes as “an eccentric man” — was a revered unagi master from Tokyo and had insisted he begin training in the art of grilling freshwater eel at 18, even though grilling is traditionally the final step in a lengthy apprenticeship.
Diners come knowing every aspect of the restaurant is steeped in history. Located in Uda, once the lumber town of Nara, the restaurant is decked with tables cut from a single 400-year-old cedar tree. The wainscoting is made from Kasuga cedar, now protected and unharvestable, while the signs and shelves are crafted from 800-year-old cedar. Elsewhere, the transoms in the partitions, such as shoji screens, date back to the Edo period.
Nowadays, Morimoto employs Edo-style grilling techniques inherited from his father. He insists on personally sourcing freshwater eel, believing that, like the patterns of kimonos and the nuances of people, quality must be seen firsthand. Morimoto steams the eel beforehand to remove excess fat. The tare-coated unagi is then placed atop a bed of fluffy Koshihikari rice purchased from local farmers. The accompanying pickles are made from local root vegetables, and the soup stock is enriched with Hokkaido kelp and two types of bonito flakes.
The journey to a bowl of unadon — eel on top of rice — is long and meticulous but ultimately rewarding. Even the chopsticks are carefully selected for their compatibility with the eel: fragrant Yoshino cedar.
Michelin Guide accolades:
2017 - Bib Gourmand
2022 - 2024 - Bib Gourmand
Ike Edoyakiunagi Asahitei Access Info
Ike Edoyakiunagi Asahitei is a 7-minute walk from Haibara Station.
Ike Edoyakiunagi Asahitei Phone Number
Ike Edoyakiunagi Asahitei Business Days
Ike Edoyakiunagi Asahitei Address
29 Haibarashimoidani, Uda, Nara 633-0241
Ike Edoyakiunagi Asahitei Cancellation Policy
Cancel your reservation at least 1 week before the dining start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Restaurant location
The historic seat of power and faith in Japan, Nara has some of the most authentic and breathtaking culture in the entire country — and also friendly deer!
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10 meals
COURSE MENUMARUICHI FUJI AKASAKA (formerly Nyorosuke Akasaka)
Rather than steam the eel first in Kanto style, this famed Akasaka unagi specialist upholds Kansai tradition by going straight into grilling the eel for a crispier, crunchier texture.
COURSE MENUAzabujuban Hanabusa
This Tokyo restaurant sources its eels from unagi farmers in Isshiki Town, who have raised them in an all-natural environment for over 100 years. The unagi are then coated in a secret sauce, before being grilled Kansai-style over a charcoal flame.
COURSE MENUNyorosuke Roppongi
At Nyorosuke, you can experience authentic Kansai-style charcoal grilled eel dishes such as grilled eel skewers, unaju and unagi-don. Unlike most Tokyo-style eel restaurants, the eel here is not steamed—meaning it’s bursting full of flavor!
COURSE MENUUnagi Kappo Ooedo
Unagi Kappo Oedo repeatedly immerses whole pieces of eel within jars of their secret sauce, letting its flavor suffuse the meat entirely. It is then paired with sticky Yumegokochi rice for maximum texture.