Houraiken

I came at 405pm on a Tuesday evening and there was only a short queue. After few minutes, they started to register us and given a time of 430pm. At 430pm sharp, they called all the groups with 430pm to enter. I think come in an evening will have shorter queue. The unagi definitely worth it and really delicious. You can spend time to visit atsuta jingu before the evening queue.

Other than the restaurant doesn’t take reservation and the wait time can be very long (in our case it was over 2 hours), this eel fish specialty restaurant is excellent. Highly recommended you leave you name to the restaurant and they will tell you around what time you should come back, then go to nearby izakaya (Japanese tavern) or a cafe to have a drink and some snacks before the proper meal. The eel fish is grilled to perfection, they teach you to eat it in 3 different, personal favorite is still eating the original way without any extra seasonings or soup. Highly recommended the grill eel fish liver, it is very tasty and the taste texture is surprisingly chewy instead of silky. Service wise, is friendly and efficient once you get into the restaurant. Atmosphere wise they have a tiny little Japanese garden which is quite pretty, the dinning hall are very traditional style meanwhile you get to seat on comfortable chairs and proper table instead of tatami.

Another Unforgettable Restaurant This is another must-visit restaurant for me whenever I come to Nagoya. I have to say, they serve the best unagi rice bowl I’ve ever had in my life. If you’re planning to eat here, I highly recommend getting in line and writing your name down for a reservation. I arrived at the restaurant around 10:40 AM on a Monday, even though it opens at 11:30 AM, and I finally got to eat at 1:10 PM. While waiting, you can visit a nearby temple to pass the time. Whatever you do, don’t miss out on the unagi rice bowl! And let me warn you—don’t hesitate to order the largest size, or you’ll regret it. When you’re here, you have to go all in! The hot, fluffy rice paired with perfectly grilled eel, coated in a secret sauce perfected over nearly 200 years, is simply unbeatable. The eel’s skin is thin and crispy, the aroma is incredible, and the taste is rich yet never overwhelming—there’s absolutely no fishy smell. I love this restaurant so much, and I think about it every time I visit Japan.