Obana
Freshwater eel with a Michelin star in 2020, just 20 minutes from Tokyo Station.
Restaurant Details
Far from the tower blocks of the city center, the old neighborhood of Minami-senju has a much more historic vibe. This freshwater eel restaurant benefits from setting up in this location, with a wide open tatami-floored dining room — in stark contrast to the claustrophobic counters of the central business district.
The recommended specialty here is grilled eel with tare sauce, served on a bed of rice. Alternatively try shiroyaki, a very simply served eel which you can season with salt and wasabi, or just enjoy as it is. You’ll be waiting for around 40 minutes after ordering, but thankfully they offer some great small dishes for you to tuck into while you wait. Foremost among these is the umaki: a Japanese omelet with sliced eel sandwiched in between.
Easily accessible from Ueno, this 2020 Michelin-starred restaurant is the place to go for both unagi first-timers and long time fans.
Michelin Stars:
2020 - 1 Michelin star
2021 - none
Obana Phone Number
Obana Business Days
Obana Address
5-33-1 Minamisenju, Arakawa City, Tokyo, 116-0003, Japan
Obana 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
Over 14 million residents call Tokyo home. Functioning as Japan's economic and cultural center, it's no surprise the metropolis often appears at the top of travelers' bucket lists. Here, you can find everything from traditional tea houses to futuristic skyscrapers.
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10 meals
COURSE MENUToshima Manryo Ichigetsuan
Enjoy traditionally-prepared unagi dishes in this Odawara restaurant, housed in a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. Toshima Manryo Ichigetsuan uses exclusively blue-backed “ao-unagi” eels, said to account for only 10 percent of mature eels.
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!