Umaimon Yakiissho

Umaimon Yakiissho is unique in multiple ways. For one, it’s a very popular unagi restaurant in Isesaki City, Gunma — a prefecture that is not especially known for its unagi dining culture (that honor belongs to Aichi). What’s also particularly distinctive about Yakiissho is the fact that it’s squarely in the Kanto region, it prepares its unagi in a distinctly Kansai style. What’s the difference? Kanto-style unagi, popular in eastern Japan, steams its eels first before grilling it, which is said to give it a softer, fluffier bite. Kansai-style, on the other hand, arose in western Japan, and forgoes this steaming process to grill the eel directly, which makes it much crispier, forming a crunchy crust on the outside. The chefs at Umaimon Yakiisho time the cooking such that they pull it off the grill right before it burns, giving the eel’s natural umami a huge boost. Both have their own devotees, but Yakiissho sticks to its guns: if you’re looking for Kanto-style, you should probably be looking elsewhere. But a single bite from the Kansai-style unagi at Umaimon Yakiissho can convert even the most devoted Kanto-style diehards: its unagi sauce is made from a special mirin with no preservatives or additives, as well as a blend of two local soy sauces, giving it a flavor that can’t be found anywhere else. But that’s not all that sets it apart. Yakiissho is also famously particular about where its eel comes from. The restaurant purchases mainly from Isshiki on the eastern edge of Mikawa Bay, which is one of the most famous fishing ports in all of Aichi — the prefecture of Japan most renowned for its unagi. The eels are raised in a carefully monitored environment meant to emulate a natural environment as closely as possible, resulting in their fat content being high and their skin soft — making the eventual crispy texture of their skin particularly satisfying. This is complemented by the amazing combination of fluffy domestic rice and a fiery blend of two types of Japanese sansho peppers, the budo sansho notable for its tingling sensation, and the aromatic asakura sansho. These come together to give even greater dimension — both in terms of texture and taste — to the already-delicious unagi. This is made all the more enjoyable when enjoyed in Umaimon Yakiissho’s serene traditional interior design, which includes an interior garden called a nakaniwa.