Komagata Maekawa Asakusa Main

cuisine

Japanese
Kaiseki
Seafood

Eel

area

Asakusa・Oshiage

Access

1 minute from Asakusa Station (A18), exit A2
3 minutes from Asakusa Station (G19), exit 4
5 minutes from Asakusa Station (TS01)

Price

¥5,000~¥10,000
¥10,000~¥15,000

Good For

Concept :

Komagata Maekawa is a historic 220-year-old unagi (eel) restaurant, founded in the Edo Period. Located on the Sumida River, they serve exquisite eel dishes alongside relaxing views of Asakusa, Komagatabashi Bridge, and Tokyo Skytree.

Eel is a nutritionally rich seafood item, containing nutrients such as high-quality proteins and vitamins. Since the Edo Period, there has been a custom of eating eel on the Day of the Ox, and it gained notoriety among the ordinary masses for being a luxury dish. As a representative ingredient of Japanese cuisine, eel is a must-eat while visiting Japan.

Key Points :

Domestic eel is characterized by its plump and soft flesh. Due to wild eel’s current classification as an endangered species and a desire to actively partake in environment conservation, Komagata Maekawa uses a domestically produced brand of eel called the “Unagi Bandou Tarou,” which is raised in an environment as close as possible to the natural environment of wild eel in order to achieve a flavor closest to that of wild eel. The Unagi Bandou Tarou is a rare breed that can only be eaten at a limited number of restaurants in the Kanto region.

The most famous of eel dishes, which are also popular options served at Komagata Maekawa, are Unaju (grilled unagi eel over rice) and Unagi Kabayaki (grilled unagi eel). The secret sauce used in Komagata Maekawa’s dishes has been the same since its founding, which is a reason why the taste has remained consistently delicious for about 220 years.

Typically, the sauce for Unagi Kabayaki is made using sugar or alcohol, but Komagata Maekawa uses a dry Edo-style sauce made only from soy sauce and mirin, in order to complement and preserve the delicate flavor of the eel.

Recommended Dishes :

The Unaju set comes with a soup, pickled vegetables and a dessert. Komagata Maekawa offers a choice between specially selected domestically farmed eel (M: ¥5,900, L: ¥7,200, XL: ¥8,500) and Unagi Bandou Tarou (M: ¥7,300, L: ¥8,600, XL: ¥10,600).

The Unagi Kabayaki set comes with rice, a soup, pickled vegetables and a dessert. Again, a choice is offered between specially selected domestically farmed eel (M: ¥8,500, L: ¥11,100, XL: ¥13,700) and Unagi Bandou Tarou (M: ¥10,600, L: ¥13,900, XL: ¥16,500).

Komagata Maekawa also offers several Japanese kaiseki courses (8-dish: ¥11,000, 9-dish: ¥13,000, 10-dish: ¥15,000~¥19,000, 11-dish: ¥22,000). At the Asakusa main branch, the ¥11,000 course is only available for lunch. The ¥17,500 course and the ¥22,000 course are only available at the Asakusa main branch. Reservations are required.

Komagata Maekawa directly negotiates with and imports wines from wineries throughout Spain in order to pair high-quality wines that complement the eel. Red wine is recommended for Unagi Kabayaki, and white wine is recommended for Shirayaki (steamed and grilled unagi eel), which is eaten with soy sauce and wasabi.

All rooms at Komagata Maekawa are Japanese-style exuding a calm atmosphere. Private rooms and large halls accommodating 4-30 people are also available, whether it be for a family outing, business meeting or large group banquet. Enjoy the taste of this historic restaurant from the Edo Period.