Unagi Yokocho｜Motomachi Kobe

I visited Unagi Yokocho, a restaurant tucked away in an alley connecting Kobe’s Chinatown, Nankinmachi, to the Motomachi Shopping Street.

It’s a long-established eel restaurant that’s highly popular among local residents. The interior is fairly spacious, with around 10 table seats and about 3 traditional tatami seating areas.

When I entered the restaurant, the staff guided me to a seat in the back, so I ended up sitting at a window-side table in the farthest corner. The restaurant had a calm atmosphere with gentle music playing in the background, so I was able to relax while waiting for my meal to be prepared.

Even though the bustling Chinatown is just nearby, filled with people and energy, the inside of this restaurant feels like a quiet, separate world.

The lunch menu offers three options: Kabayaki Set Meal, Unajū (grilled eel over rice in a lacquered box), and Unadon (grilled eel over rice in a bowl).

This time, I ordered the Unajū for 3,500 yen.

After about 10 minutes, the server brought out the Unajū along with red miso soup and pickles. That moment of anticipation before lifting the lid is truly exciting, isn’t it?

It’s probably steamed before being grilled—the texture is soft and fluffy. The eel was rich with fat, and the sauce was perfectly balanced—it was absolutely delicious.

The pickled daikon had a nice spicy kick and was very tasty, and the red miso soup with eel liver added a great touch as well.

Compared to other eel restaurants, the prices are quite reasonable and offer great value for money. So if you’re looking to boost your energy, I highly recommend giving Unagi Yokocho a try.