Eel　Aoba｜Minato-Motomachi, Kobe

I visited Aoba, one of the well-known eel restaurants in Kobe.

Aoba also has a location in Sannomiya, but this time I went to the branch near Minato-Motomachi Station. It’s located down a side street next to the WINS off-track betting facility, just a short walk south of the Hanakuma Castle ruins. As you get closer, you can smell the fragrant aroma of grilled eel, so it’s easy to find. Honestly, the smell alone in front of the shop is enough to make you feel like you could eat three bowls of rice.

The same area is home to several famous eel restaurants, such as Aoyagi and Unagi Yokocho near Nankinmachi. Around noon, the places are usually full and you’ll have to wait if you don’t have a reservation, so I made sure to arrive a bit early, around 11:30.

This time, I ordered the “Premium Unaju” (5,000 yen) and grilled eel liver (500 yen).

After about 10 minutes, the unaju was ready and brought to the table. There’s always something exciting about lifting the lid of a lacquered box, isn’t there? Aoba’s unaju is generously packed with eel laid neatly across the entire box, and the moment you see it, you’re hit with a strong sense of “this is eel.”

Three generous pieces of eel are placed boldly on top, making you even more eager to dig in. I take a bite first to savor the smoky aroma and rich flavor of the eel, then sprinkle a moderate amount of sansho pepper before continuing. Aoba’s eel is prepared in the Kansai? (Wait correction: Kanto-style per Japanese text) — steamed first and then grilled, the classic Kanto-style unaju. It’s incredibly fluffy and tender, and the charcoal-grilled aroma—strong enough to drift outside the restaurant—is simply outstanding.

It’s also wonderfully rich and fatty, which makes it absolutely delicious.

It also comes as a set with miso soup containing enoki mushrooms and tofu, along with pickled cucumbers and daikon radish.

The grilled eel liver was also nicely coated in a sweet and savory sauce and grilled to perfection. Along with the charcoal-grilled aroma, it had the liver’s distinctive flavor, and it was absolutely delicious as well.

It’s a long-established and well-known restaurant, so many people are probably already familiar with it, but if you haven’t been yet, I highly recommend giving it a try.