Dishes Featuring Freshly Grilled Eel and Seasonal Flavors

Unagi Kappo Toishi

Tabiiro’s picks: signature dishes

Charcoal-grilled unagi prepared with the restaurant's distinctive jiyaki technique

Clay-pot-cooked white rice with the appetizing aroma of a fresh batch

A selection of ingredients sourced from across Japan

Eel paired with seasonal touches

An Experienced Chef's "Omakase Course with Eel and Seasonal Dishes"

The "Eel and Seasonal Omakase Course" begins with appetizers, hot dishes, and sashimi prepared with select ingredients from across Japan, followed by "Unagi Shirayaki" as the grilled dish. The restaurant's distinctive seasoning has made this "Unagi Shirayaki" a favorite with many diners. A particular highlight comes at the end of the course with "Unagi Kabayaki" and white rice cooked in a clay pot. Made with an entire eel, the "Kabayaki" is prepared Kansai-style without steaming and grilled more intensely to create a crisp, fragrant exterior. Each bite brings out the eel's rich umami. The freshly grilled "Kabayaki" and freshly cooked clay-pot rice are served separately, allowing the flavor of each to be fully appreciated. This course, distinctive to "Unagi Kappo Toishi," makes even the final bowl of rice something to look forward to.

Popular pairings

"Unagi Shirayaki" with inventive seasoning

"Shirayaki (Plain-Grilled Eel)"

Shirayaki is commonly eaten with wasabi and soy sauce, but "Unagi Kappo Toishi" takes a different approach, seasoning it with salt, sansho pepper, and black pepper. The result is a fragrant dish that fully brings out the eel's natural savory flavor. Because the shirayaki is grilled without being dipped in any liquid, it develops an even crisper texture than kabayaki, with savory flavor and toasted aroma unfolding with each bite. This one-of-a-kind preparation is a taste found only at this restaurant. Full-flavored yet light on the finish, it also works well as a dish to savor little by little with drinks. It is especially recommended as an extra dish with a meal or for a final bite before finishing.

Restaurant highlights

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  Made with ingredients chosen through the owner's discerning eye and exacting standards

  Select Ingredients That Capture the Flavors of Each Season

  The owner believes that "there are many delicious things, but "good ingredients" and "delicious ingredients" are not the same," and places great importance on choosing ingredients that are truly worth using. As much as possible, the restaurant uses domestic ingredients, selecting seasonal products from across Japan. Highlights include bamboo shoots in spring, hamo in summer, matsutake mushrooms in fall, and fugu and "Matsuba crab" in winter. Guided by the desire to "serve dishes worth more than their price," the restaurant invests heavily in the ingredients used for each dish.

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  Local sake, rare labels, and Japanese whisky

  Fine Drinks Selected to Complement the Cuisine

  The owner selects the drink list to complement the food. Sake centers on local Kyoto labels, including rare selections, with at least seven varieties available at all times, ranging from fruity styles to clean, dry ones. The lineup changes regularly, bringing new sake to discover with each visit. The selection also includes Japanese whiskies such as "Yamazaki" and "Hibiki JAPANESE HARMONY," along with shochu, wine, and other well-chosen drinks.

Interior

Kappo-style dining with the chef's craftsmanship on display

A refined interior for leisurely dining

In keeping with the restaurant's name, stone is incorporated into the simple, understated interior. Both table and counter seating are available, with the counter offering a view of the chef at work. Warm wood and soft lighting create a calm atmosphere suited to dates, business meals, and dining with someone special, as well as quiet solo meals.

From the Tabiiro Editorial Team

The appeal lies not only in the eel, but also in the seasonal flavors available throughout the year. The strong commitment of "Unagi Kappo Toishi" is evident throughout, particularly in its method of grilling the eel deeply without steaming. The eel served here is distinctive enough to make the restaurant worth traveling some distance to visit.