Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten

The crispy pork with Sichuan peppercorns has a strong Sichuan peppercorn flavor. The crispy pork is a bit tender and goes well with rice, but it’s a bit too salty, so I didn’t eat much of it. I had dinner too early, and I’m hungry again after watching a drama…

Today’s focus is to recommend an eel rice restaurant! Nodaiwa is within walking distance of Tokyo Tower. It has a history of more than 200 years and has one Michelin star. The restaurant is small and the menu is simple, with various eel rice sets, but it is really delicious! It is a restaurant that I will eat every time I go to Tokyo!

Michelin one star restaurant. You can see Tokyo Tower across the street from here. The seats in the restaurant are a bit small, but the service is very good. We both ordered grilled eel, which tasted very good. The eel was steamed first and then grilled, which was relatively light, different from the eel rice style in Kansai, and those who like heavy flavors may not be used to it.

There are three chefs in Tokyo, known as the three gods of Edo-style cuisine. Among them, Master Kanemoto Kanejiro, known as the God of Eel, is the owner of Nodayawa. In order to taste eel cuisine, I made a reservation more than a month in advance. At that time, I was told that only the annex of the main store had vacancies, but it might not be Master Kanemoto who was in charge. I was a little disappointed, but I still confirmed the reservation. I booked at 5 o'clock and arrived at the annex early. There were two old ladies inside. After seeing the name of the reservation, I made a phone call and was taken to the main restaurant for dinner. I was so lucky. When I sat down at the main restaurant, an old lady introduced one by one in fluent Mandarin, and communication was barrier-free. Finally, I ordered the eel heavy set meal, which is a classic. The set meal includes appetizers, white grilled eel and eel rice. Since I had eaten at Horaiken in Nagoya before, I had high expectations, but I didn't expect that the taste was not disappointing at all. Whether it was white grilled or soy grilled, the taste was super good, with moderate saltiness and sweetness. The eel was very soft and glutinous after steaming, and it was no exaggeration to say that it melted in the mouth. This pilgrimage will be etched in my memory.

Noda Iwa, a well-known restaurant, is a century-old restaurant that sells eel rice in the Edomae River. It is run by the current fifth generation. It is one of the must-try restaurants. I went to the website to make a reservation, but the restaurant does not accept online reservations. I called again and found out that reservations are not limited to lonely gourmets. I was eating alone, so I came directly to the restaurant. If there was a seat, I would be seated. If there was no seat, I would have to wait. I knew that eels are in great demand during the summer, which is the best time for eel rice. I also knew that a good quality eel is not cheap. But when I came to the restaurant, of course I wanted to try other methods, so I ordered a set meal. First, there was an eel jelly, which was made from the soup made from eel bones and internal organs, frozen and condensed into jelly, and then sandwiched with eel. It had a fresh taste, a soy sauce flavor and a sweet taste, and it felt refreshing and not greasy. It was good. Then there was a white-grilled eel. I felt that the fat had been drained after steaming, but I did not taste the uniqueness of the eel selection, and the taste was also light. It felt soft and moist, and only the outer part was crispy. The only saving grace was the hot iron plate that the dish was served on, which was able to keep the fish warm. The main character was a box of unagi. I don't know if the set meal included two ways of eating one eel, and the unagi was not completely covered with the rice, which was a bit disappointing. After eating it, the taste was still bland, the fish was thin, and the oily aroma was gone. The kabayaki was not too sweet, but it did not have a barbecue aroma. The rice was also okay, with each grain in place and a chewy texture in the middle. I wanted to add some sansho, but it was too pungent. From my previous visit to Nodaiwa, I learned that the owner tried to pair eel rice with wine, so I ordered it specifically to open my eyes. But unfortunately, the pairing effect was just average, and the taste of the dish was not enhanced. Overall, it was still lower than I expected, maybe I had too high expectations!

It has been about 200 years since its establishment and is now run by the fifth generation of successors. Nodaiwa is very meticulous in handling the flavors, and the eel is made with a sauce that has been passed down for 200 years. In order to remove excess fish fat and muddy smell, the white grilled eel at Nodaiwa is steamed first and then grilled. It is very soft and a little difficult to pick up. Price: Lunch 3,000-18,000 yen; Dinner 3,000-18,000 yen Business hours: Lunch 11:00-13:30; Dinner 17:00-20:00 (closed on Sundays) Address: 1-5-4 Higashiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo