One can feel the history of this Unagi restaurant the moment you enter its cozy interiors. Much of it seems maintained for decades, from the wooden furniture to the beams along the walls, and the kitchen beside the entrance where eels are transformed by the chef into something divine through kabayaki. Due to limited space, seating arrangements are tight and intimate. At peak meal times, the wait can last around 45 minutes, building anticipation while you soak in the details surrounding you and nibble on some pickled vegetables. When the grilled eel arrives layered over a steaming bed of rice, its glistening sheen and caramelised, crisp surface could not look more appetising. The meat is soft, white, and fluffy, with the sweet soy sauce marinade balancing its smokiness and tenderness. In terms of service, it’s interesting to say the least. The chef himself focuses on preparing each meal with care and expertise, while the service staff is attentive and polite, highlighting a longer wait time can be expected and serving what they can before the main dish. The proprietor’s wife who oversees the dining room has quite a character, she’s able to engage in some English, and I could not help but notice some sassiness coming through in the way she speaks and her body language. She does rock a traditional outfit well, I must add. Read on in other reviews to learn more about her. At the end, she greeted farewell with a graceful bow, and the incredible eel remains the star of the show, which ended my visit on a pleasant note.

+3

The eel was not very thick and had a lot of small bones. The sauce was overly salty, and the overall flavor lacked balance, with saltiness being the dominant taste. The only standout feature was the rice, which was pleasantly chewy and had a great texture. The side dishes were quite ordinary. Overall, it wasn’t very tasty.

Cash-only. No vegetarian options. Walked into Hatsu Ogawa 初小川 in Asakusa 浅草on a weeknight around 6:30pm and the shop was completely empty. We were seated at the center table which seats 6. Ordered Unagi Ju Jo 鰻重　上 for ¥5,000 plus soup ¥50, Mozuku ¥600 and beer. Extra large rice can be had for an additional ¥300. A small dish of fried eel bones (hone senbei 骨せんべい) was provided to go along with our beer. SERVICE: 3 stars Service is dry. Staff are neither cheerful nor smily, but they do their job with the straightest of faces. They have been in business since 1909, so they know how to cook eel. ATMOSPHERE: 4 stars Atmosphere is clean, dust-free and orderly with a decorative cabinet of talismans. FOOD: 5 stars Unagi box is delivered with three meaty pieces of unagi and really tasted delicious. The texture of the unagi was so soft and yummy, and the rice they use matches the texture of the meat and the tare たれ perfectly. The tare is not overly sweet or sticky. It’s just perfect in my opinion. A nice blend of light soy sauce, light sweetness, and light viscosity. Shichimi and sansho are available as condiments in ceramic boxes with flat spoons for dusting. Their sansho is not the ultra-fragrant overpowering type, which I appreciated, because it’s too easy to over dust too much sansho in one spot and regret it. OVERALL: 4 stars I would DEFINITELY come here to eat unagi again. I would have to say that Hatsuogawa is one of the top 3 unagi places I’ve tried in Tokyo. At this price range ¥5,000, it might be the best I’ve had in Tokyo! I just wish they would play some background music to break the silence and give the place a little bit of atmosphere. Total 2 Unagi boxes, 2 mozuku, 2 bottles beer, 1 bottle of sake ¥1500, extra bag of senbei ¥450 = ¥14,750. 3.79 on Tabelog. Yummy!

+3

Beautiful timeless interiors, delicious food. Some reviews said foreigners are not accepted however this was not the case, was welcomed with the lovely owner.

Delicious unagi. Medium and large size options. Thought it was funny that she knew we were Americans and immediately said no vegan, no vegetables. Shows the reputation we have. Nonetheless it was really good.