Insiders know this too — Zhongli serves “unagi don” that’s close to the Japanese flavor!

Text and photos byHappy Cloud

Alright!! I admit I’m a foodie — with good food and drinks, life is happy and joyful!! That day it was raining, but because I really wanted to eat unagi don, I found out about an unagi don place in Zhongli that’s supposed to be amazing. No matter the weather, I still went out for food!!

It was raining pretty heavily, so I didn’t take any exterior photos. It worked out just right — they opened at five for business. I’d seen online that this place is often fully booked, so I came prepared to wait for them to open!!

Hahaha, lately it seems there have been quite a few shops in Zhongli where you need to make a reservation or wait for them to open. Being as spontaneous as I am, yet still eager to get my meal smoothly, I had no choice but to wait for them to open, Up!!

Maybe it was because of the weather, but when they opened that day, we were the only table — so happy!!

But before long, people started coming in one after another, and some were there to pick up takeout unagi don. Wow!! It seems this must be a shop known only to insiders — almost everyone was there for the unagi don, even those getting takeout, hahaha!

We also ordered the unagi don, but since my little Pipi doesn’t like unagi don, we also ordered a Plum Pork N.<饭，还点了{J白笋跟日式炸鸡，嗯！！点得不多，反正是来吃吃看，好吃，下次还会再来噜！！

The interior decor is very Japanese, and so is the music. The owner has written the shop rules largely on the wall — seeing them made me understand and laugh!! “Unagi slow,” don’t rush, and no smoking, oh~~~ hahaha, that’s amusing. The shop name is pretty fun too.

Hmm!! After waiting a while, the Plum Pork N arrived.<饭上桌，后来鳗鱼饭，日式炸鸡，{J白笋也都陆续上桌，有等很久吗？？想了一下，似乎是还好耶！！也可能是因为目前店里头只有我们啦。

Plum Pork N<饭，食材还不错，味道也不差；肉的处理软硬适中，米饭也好吃，不过对我来说跟鳗鱼饭比起来，当然不在同一个世界噜！

The unagi don from “Unagi Slow” was really delicious. Hmm!! It’s absolutely as people online say — better than Hizenya. At first, I didn’t know what the secret to its deliciousness was. I was just curious — is the eel fresh, killed on the spot? Could it really be like what I saw in Naritasan, Chiba, Japan?? Do they actually have chefs in the shop killing the eels?? Or is it like most eel sold in shops in Taiwan, pre-processed outside the store??

Though I had some doubts, I didn’t ask. I decided to wait until the unagi don arrived and I tasted it, then I’d casually ask!! The eel that entered my mouth was truly delicious — the charcoal-grilled heat was perfectly controlled, and the eel was well-prepared. It really came close to the unagi don I’ve had in Japan. The flavor of the sauce was similar too, and the rice had already come very close to the texture in Japan. This unagi don will definitely make me a repeat customer!! The eel was so good — it’s just a pity that it lacked the “sansho” pepper you get when eating unagi in Japan. Hmm!! Next time I should bring my own or ask the shop.

I happily enjoyed my unagi don along with some tasty Japanese-style fried chicken. The coating ratio and oil temperature of the fried chicken were well-controlled — the juices were sealed inside, and one bite was simply heavenly!!

While enjoying the meal, I got the chance to chat with the owner. I asked him: “Is your eel prepared using the Kansai method?? Or the Kanto method??” At first, he seemed busy and didn’t answer right away, but later he chatted with me. He said they now use the Kanto method, and very rarely the Kansai method. I can’t confirm that part myself, but at least I learned how the eel is prepared in the shop.

Then, as we continued chatting, I learned that the eels are indeed killed fresh in the shop. Before each meal service begins, they process the eels — it’s definitely super fresh. Also, when I went to the restroom, I unexpectedly discovered such a large fish tank, with live eels swimming in it. These eels, in flowing water, gradually lose the earthy taste in their bodies. Hmm!! One of the reasons I really like the eel here is that it has no earthy flavor.

In the kitchen behind the transparent window, there were already processed eels. Hmm!! It’s true — they’re really killed on the spot!! Though it’s a bit cruel, it sure is delicious!!

I told the owner that the eel here is really delicious and close to the Japanese flavor, but it lacks one element. Hahaha, he immediately knew it was the “sansho.” He said they used to have it on the tables when they first opened, but later noticed customers weren’t using it much, so they stopped providing it as a standard. But he said, next time I could ask him for it, and he would give it to me. Hahaha, is that the kind of understanding between insiders and foodies??

Zhongli having such a delicious unagi don place is truly heartwarming. Simple flavors, fresh ingredients, plus a specially made sauce — pure deliciousness. Now you can enjoy this in Zhongli too — it’s really too~~~ wonderful. Hmm!! I think, knowing where to get good unagi don in Zhongli from now on, I’ll be really happy!!

Unagi Slow – Charcoal-grilled Eel Specialty Shop
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Address: No. 16, Datong Road, Zhongli District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
Phone: 03-422-5544
Business Hours: 11:00–14:00, 17:00–12:30 AM (Fridays & Saturdays until 1:30 AM, closed on Mondays)

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