Sumiyaki Unafuji Daimaru Kyoto Villa

In Nagoya, the birthplace of Hitsumabushi and a super battleground, Sumiyaki Unafuji, a restaurant specializing in eel dishes, opened a branch in Kyoto on September 29, 2023. I was so excited to know that the green eel I was so impressed with in Nagoya five years ago was now available in Kyoto, but I kept putting off my visit because of my “I can go there anytime…” mentality.

Two years later, when it was getting hot again, I thought, “It’s time to go eat eel!” So one evening after work, I headed to Sumiyaki Unafuji Daimaru Kyoto Villa in Shijo-Karasuma. I headed to the restaurant with the highest expectations that I would be able to enjoy the same quality of eel in Kyoto as at the main restaurant in Nagoya…

A large restaurant with a total of 91 seats in one of Kyoto’s most venerable department stores…Sumiyaki Unafuji Daimaru Kyoto Villa is a restaurant like this… 

Sumiyaki Unafuji Daimaru Kyoto Villa is located on the 8th floor restaurant floor of Daimaru Kyoto, one of Kyoto’s most venerable department stores located in Shijo-Karasuma. Take the elevator up to the 8th floor, just across from the terrace in front of you. Go around the floor to the other side and you will see the entrance of the restaurant, which has a wide frontage. To the left of the entrance is a large window, beyond which there is a space where artisans are processing unagi (eel). If the timing is right, you can watch the eel being processed in person, so it may be interesting just to pass by the store while shopping.

Sumiyaki Unafuji Daimaru Kyoto Villa has a total of 91 seats, including 8 counter seats (there is also a private room that can accommodate up to 12 people). Looking at the spacious interior of the restaurant, I felt that “it is very bold of them to suddenly open such a large restaurant in the middle of Kyoto…”. But Kyoto is a place where the consumption of eels is one of the highest in Japan every year, so they must have that much confidence. In fact, when I was there, the restaurant was not only fully booked, but there were quite a few seats filled with customers…

A huge portion of one and a half eels… What was the limited menu item I ordered at Sumiyaki Unafuji Daimaru Kyoto Villa, Deluxe Eel over Rice in a Box with Liver, and what did I think of it?

Let me introduce the limited menu item, Deluxe Eel over Rice in a Box with Liver, that I ordered at Sumiyaki Unafuji Daimaru Kyoto Villa on that day (priced at 9,590 yen including tax). After placing my order, I was first served… 

Cucumber and kelp with sesame paste as an appetizer. About 10 minutes later, while I was sipping my tea while eating this, the Deluxe Eel over Rice in a Box with Liver was brought in front of me on a tray… 

This extra-large portion contains 1.5 eels. The lid of the box is not closed, and the volume is so large and powerful. What’s more… 

This Deluxe Eel over Rice in a Box with Liver also comes with uzaku, pickles, and clam soup. With all this to eat, any eel lover should be very satisfied, don’t you think?

Now then, let’s start with the eel liver that is served on the right side of the stacked boxes… It is plump and has a mature taste with the aroma of burnt sauce and just a little bit of bitterness. There are six eel livers in all. In other words, the liver of six eels is contained in this one-person serving of unaju. It’s extremely extravagant, isn’t it? However, I have a feeling that the liver is a bit thinner than the one I had at the Sumiyaki Unafuji Head Shop in Nagoya five years ago… well, it is still fat enough compared to the livers at other restaurants.

After picking the eel liver, I moved on to the main dish, grilled eel… The eel meat, which is grilled at a high temperature of up to 1,000℃, called “Jiyaki”, is crispy and fragrant on the surface and fluffy on the inside. The thickness of the meat is totally different from that of eels from other restaurants. The sauce is a little sweeter than the one I had in Nagoya, but it has a mild and matured taste, and the sauce goes well with the eel. However, I was not as impressed as I was when I had it at the main restaurant in Nagoya. The quality of the eel seems to have declined compared to five years ago…well, it’s really only on a trivial level. Perhaps my memory correction was too strong.

While using the powdered pepper on the table, I finished this Deluxe Eel over Rice in a Box with Liver in one go in about 5 minutes. There is no other place in my memory that serves such a thick eel, and I left the restaurant thinking, “I knew it, Sumiyaki Unafuji is good…”. This thick-fleshed blue eel is worth a try, even for those in Kyoto who are picky about eels. Please find an opportunity to visit the restaurant on a Doyo no Ushinohi or any other day of the year and try it for yourself.

Examples of other menu items at Sumiyaki Unafuji Daimaru Kyoto Villa (prices include tax) 

• Natural eel (1) Market price 
• Extra large Hitsumabushi (for 3-4 persons) 16500 yen 
• Heavenly Blue Eel 16000 yen 
• Nagayaki set 7950 yen 
• White grilled set meal 5840 yen 
• Superior Eel over Rice in a Box 5640 yen 
• Small Eel bowl 3440 yen 

Note: Eel bowl and Hitsumabushi, Take-out menu is also available.

Sumiyaki Unafuji has grown into a chain of 10 restaurants without my knowledge…Sumiyaki Unafuji Daimaru Kyoto Villa is a 3 minute walk from the nearest station, Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line (Shijo Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line) 

I am not sure if you know this, but it seems that Sumiyaki Unafuji has expanded not only in Kyoto, but also in Tokyo and Osaka, and has now grown to a chain of 10 restaurants including the main restaurant. To be honest, I personally feel a little sensitive about this situation…. It is good to have more chances to eat delicious eels, but I think that high quality eels are not that easy to get. I hope that the quality of eel will not decrease due to the increase in the number of restaurants in the future. 

Now, here are the details of the restaurant… 

P.S. If you are looking for delicious eels in Kyoto, please stop by this article below…