The best ever!! "If you haven't had this unagi rice, you haven't really been to Hamamatsu"

▲ Speaking of unagi rice, Hamamatsu comes to mind first—the "Oi-kei" style of Hamamatsu unagi rice.

Reporter: Chen Zi-Yin / Reported and photographed in Japan

"If you haven't had the unagi rice here, don't say you've been to Hamamatsu!" It turns out even Japanese people use this kind of phrase, which sounds especially endearing. Mr. Yamamura, a Japanese local, continued, "When it comes to unagi rice, Hamamatsu is what comes to mind." When even die-hard unagi rice fans say this, you know how amazing Hamamatsu's unagi rice really is!

Indeed, that day’s unagi rice might have been the most delicious I’ve ever had in my life. There are at least over 100 specialized unagi restaurants in Hamamatsu, each with their own unique sauce recipes and grilling techniques. Though the ingredients may seem simple, there are countless flavor variations in this single bowl of unagi rice.

Many unagi shops in Hamamatsu are tucked away in back alleys—so much so that you could be walking through a residential area and suddenly stumble upon an unagi restaurant. Like the one we tried, “Bentenjima Yamamoto-tei,” located in a residential neighborhood, but in fact, it has been around in Hamamatsu’s Bentenjima district for nearly 40 years.

▲ A simple bowl of rice and a bowl of soup are the perfect pairings for unagi cuisine.

It turns out, there are different preparation methods for unagi rice between the Kanto and Kansai regions. If the unagi is first grilled alone, then steamed to soften it before being brushed with sauce and grilled again, it’s considered the Kanto style. On the other hand, if it’s not steamed first but simply brushed with sauce and grilled directly, resulting in a crispy surface, that’s the Kansai style. Hamamatsu, located between Tokyo and Osaka, is home to many unagi restaurants offering both styles.

A simple bowl of rice, a bowl of soup, and a piece of unagi—this is absolutely the best way to enjoy unagi cuisine. The golden-brown grilled unagi, with its surface glistening from the fat, lets you taste its freshness with the very first bite. The sauce and fish juices burst in your mouth, and the fish meat and skin must be eaten together, paired with a spoonful of white rice, to fully savor the authentic taste of Hamamatsu unagi rice.

"Bentenjima Yamamoto-tei"
Address: 0431-0214 Shizuoka Prefecture, Hamamatsu City, Nishi Ward, Maisaka-cho, Bentenjima 3221-10
Business Hours: 11:30 to 22:00
Closed: Thursdays
Average Price: JPY 5,000–5,999 (approx. TWD 1,600–1,900)