Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten
Tokyo, Japan
⭐1 Star
The Experience
From Michelin Guide
5th-generation Kanejiro Kanemoto keeps alive the family culinary legacy. Having started helping out at the restaurant as a boy, he has devoted himself to unagi for over 80 years. While hewing closely to Edo grilling styles, he doesn’t forget to add a twist of his own. Unseasoned broiled unagi dressed with caviar is an inspiration from his days wandering from restaurant to restaurant in Paris. Still working the kitchen today, Kanemoto is a master craftsman who has devoted his life to the grill.
Unique Things
From Visitor Experiences
Unique / Unconventional Things About Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten, Tokyo
1. A Nearly 200-Year-Old Legacy with a Secret Sauce Recipe Passed Through Five Generations
Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten has been in operation for almost two centuries, maintaining its authenticity and premium quality throughout. The house secret sauce, a key element of their signature unagi dishes, has been carefully passed down through five generations, preserving the original flavors since the restaurant's inception.
2. Use of Wild Eels and Seasonal Serving Practices
The restaurant is renowned for catching and preparing wild eels, which are considered superior. When wild eels are out of season, they serve cultured eel, making it highly recommended to visit during peak eel season for the best experience. This practice highlights a commitment to quality and seasonality that is uncommon in many modern restaurants.
3. Traditional Edo-Style Ambiance with Modern Refreshments
While the restaurant retains a traditional Japanese atmosphere with tatami rooms, wood, flowers, miniature trees, and impressive tableware, it has also refreshed its interior with new tatami and painted walls. This blend of old and new creates a serene and elegant dining environment that respects tradition while feeling fresh and inviting.
Ingredient Stars
From Visitor Experiences
The most honored or signature ingredients at the Michelin-starred restaurant Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten in Tokyo are:
Freshwater eel (Unagi): This is the star ingredient, featured prominently in their signature dishes such as unaju (grilled eel over rice) and shirayaki (plain grilled eel). The eel is prized for its tender, flavorful meat and is carefully grilled to achieve a fluffy texture on the outside with rich umami inside.
Special soy-based sauce: The eel is coated with a rich, savory sauce whose recipe has evolved over generations, balancing soy sauce and mirin to complement the eel’s flavor perfectly.
Fluffy steamed rice: Served as the base for unaju, the rice is essential to balance the rich eel and sauce, providing a soft, slightly sticky texture that enhances the dish’s harmony.
Grated daikon radish: Often served as an accompaniment, the grated daikon adds a refreshing, slightly spicy contrast that cleanses the palate between bites.
Elegant pickles: These are served alongside the main dishes to provide texture and a subtle acidity that complements the richness of the eel.
These ingredients together create a refined and traditional Edo-style eel dining experience that Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten is celebrated for, emphasizing quality, tradition, and balance in their signature dishes.