Ise-Shima, known as "Mikketsukuni" (Land of Food), a land that offers food to the gods, is a treasure trove of food, with fresh seafood and mountain produce caught in a naturally blessed area. Ise City is actually home to many eel specialty restaurants. We will introduce a carefully selected list of eel restaurants unique to Ise City, including a long-established eel restaurant where you can enjoy eel drenched in a secret sauce, and an eel restaurant with reasonable prices!
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Mie Prefecture, bordered by both the sea and the mountains, is an easy place to catch eels, and eel farming was popular during the Meiji period.
Cheap and delicious eel is available in Mie Prefecture, and the custom of eating eel has been deeply rooted in the area for a long time.
Eels are also familiar to the people of Ise; there are about 40 eel restaurants in Ise-Shima, and a story called "The Filial Eel" has been passed down at the Geku Shrine of Ise.
Ise City is home to many long-established eel restaurants, and the people of Ise have their own favorite "my own eel restaurant."
Filial Piety is a heartwarming story about a young man named Yayoshi who lives in a town near the Geku Shrine of Ise, and starts selling eels as a peddler in order to feed his sick father healthy eels.
Yayoshi's eel merchants prospered as "filial eels," and it is said that the traditional flavor of "filial eels" has been passed down to modern-day eel restaurants in Ise City.
On the Day of the Ox in the Doyo Period, there has long been a custom of eating healthy foods that begin with the letter "u" to pray for good health, and this was the day to eat udon noodles and melon.
There are various theories as to why eels began to be eaten on Doyo no Ushi no Hi, but it is said that it began when an eel restaurant owner consulted with Hiraga Gennai about their difficulty in selling eels during the summer when eels are out of season, and Hiraga Gennai suggested that they sell eels on Doyo no Ushi no Hi.
There are two ways to grill eel: Kanto style and Kansai style.
The most common way eel restaurants in Ise City grill their eels is the Kansai style, which offers a savory flavor and satisfying texture.
Enjoy tasting the different sauces and grilling methods at each restaurant.
Unaka is an eel restaurant located between the Outer Shrine and Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu Shrine, making it easy to visit before or after worship.
The eel at Unayoshi is grilled Kansai style, rather than steamed, giving it a crispy outside and fluffy inside.
They are particular about the sauce and rice, using only Ise soy sauce, mirin, and sugar for the sauce, and Koshihikari rice from Yokowacho, Ise city, which brings out the flavor of the eel.
This exquisite bowl of rice is topped with a lavish amount of eel so large it spills out of the bowl, making it a must-have dish for eel lovers!
They also offer takeaway eel bento and broiled eel, and have a menu for children, so they are also recommended for families with children.
The store, with its distinctive Japanese appearance, is located in a residential area, but it also has a parking lot, making it easy to get to by car.
| Address | 1-15-19 Okamoto, Ise City, Mie Prefecture |
| contact information | 0596-28-3358 |
Okamoto Tansui is an eel restaurant located near Meirin Elementary School, about a 7-minute walk from Ujiyamada Station.
Okamoto Tansui uses eel from Isshiki, Mikawa, Aichi, a famous eel producing area, which is grilled all the way through over charcoal so that the outside is crispy and the inside is soft and fluffy.
Most eel restaurants in Ise City have sweet sauces, but Okamoto Tansui is known for its spicy sauces, and has many fans.
Take-out is also available, and eel bento boxes can also be arranged for delivery (please call in advance).
| Address | 1-15-19 Okamoto, Ise City, Mie Prefecture |
| contact information | 0596-25-8288 |
Charcoal Grilled Eel Minamiya is a sister restaurant of Matsukazeken, a 60-year-old long-established restaurant in Futami-machi, and Unagi no Nanke, a popular eel restaurant in Matsusaka.
Carefully selected domestic eel is grilled over the highest quality Ise-Shima Binchotan charcoal, and the sweet secret sauce brings out the rich flavor of the eel.
In addition to the standard bento and rice bowls, we also recommend the condiment rice bowl topped with plenty of spring onions! Please enjoy the eel combined with condiments.
The interior of the store is clean and equipped with counter seats and table seats, making it an easy place to visit for both individuals and groups. There is also a large parking lot that can accommodate up to 26 cars.
| Address | 21-1 Shinkai, Misonocho, Ise City, Mie Prefecture |
| contact information | 0596-63-5454 |
Sashishio is a long-established eel restaurant located an 8-minute walk from JR Isuzugaoka Station.
This restaurant has been loved by locals for many years for its reasonably priced and hearty eel dishes. They also offer a delivery service within a 20-minute radius of the store.
Sashishio uses thick-fleshed eels from Miyazaki Prefecture, and only uses newborn eels, available from mid-June to early autumn.
Newborn eels are farmed eels that grow quickly and have soft, fatty, high-quality meat. Don't miss this opportunity to try them.
"Mabushi," a specialty of Sashishio, is rice with sauce mixed in advance and is popular among people of all ages.
The Japanese-style interior features both table seating and tatami seating, creating a relaxing atmosphere.
| Address | 193-3 Toricho, Ise City, Mie Prefecture |
| contact information | 0596-22-3696 |
Chiyoyuki is an eel restaurant located near the clear stream "Miyagawa".
They use eel shipped directly from Kyushu, and their homemade sauce is made by blending and aging high-quality, additive-free seasonings.
The "Ise Imo Unatoro Zen" which uses grated yam, a local specialty of Taki Town, is a special lunch menu that can only be enjoyed at Chiyoyuki.
In addition to this set meal, which features grated Ise potatoes that are sticky enough to be picked up with your fingers and stretched in dashi broth, and carefully selected eel, there is also a wide variety of limited-time, great-value lunch dishes available, such as eel rice bowls, eel chazuke, and hitsumabushi.
There is also a wide selection of single dishes on offer, including Kanto-style steamed dishes and shirayaki dishes, which are rare in Ise.
Chiyoyuki's specialty, Shirayaki, can be enjoyed with special chirizu sauce and Yamatotachibana salt.
The restaurant is equipped with table seating, seats, private rooms, and counter seating, so you can relax and unwind.
| Address | 926 Honmachi, Omata-cho, Ise City, Mie Prefecture |
| contact information | 0596-26-3181 |
We have introduced five recommended eel restaurants in Ise City.
In addition to the restaurants introduced above, there are many other eel restaurants in Ise city.
Some stores accept takeout orders, but if you want to eat freshly grilled eel, it's best to order by phone.
When you visit Ise, try finding your own eel restaurant.
The Doyo no Ushi Days in 2024 will be on July 7rd and August 23th.
Why not try eating eel on Doyo no Ushi no Hi to ward off summer fatigue?
