Tender texture and aromatic fragrance — a 200-year-old eel rice dish from Tokyo’s suburbs

Text and photos byUnbound

Eel rice has always been one of the iconic dishes of Japanese cuisine, and it’s also a local specialty that I, Unbound, always look forward to trying whenever I visit Japan. On a previous trip to “Little Edo — Kawagoe,” a suburb of Tokyo, I thought that enjoying traditional eel rice in such a nostalgic and retro old street would be a perfect match, so I found this eel rice restaurant called “Kogawa Kiku,” which boasts over 200 years of history. Not only was the grilled eel incredibly delicious and satisfying, but the building itself also had a charming traditional vibe that left a deep impression on me. I really loved it.

That morning, after a long journey from central Tokyo via JR, I transferred to a sightseeing bus to reach Kawagoe’s old town (I’ll share more about Kawagoe’s sights later on Up). Upon arrival, since it was close to noon and I was starving, I headed straight to Kogawa Kiku (おがきく) for lunch and dug into a hearty bowl of eel rice Up！

After walking for a while under the blazing sun, I quickly found Kogawa Kiku, housed in a traditional Japanese wooden building. This building has quite a background — it was constructed in 1924, making it nearly 100 years old, and is recognized as one of Kawagoe City’s “Important Urban Landscape Buildings.” Though I’m not an expert in architecture, I could still appreciate its elegant beauty.

At the entrance, there’s a delicately crafted Japanese-style wind chime and a fabric curtain with the shop’s name printed on it

Not only is the architecture impressive, but the delicious food at Kogawa Kiku is also highly acclaimed. Established in 1807, the restaurant has over 200 years of history and is now managed by its seventh-generation owners. It’s also a certified “Washoku Selection gourmet” establishment.

Pushing open the wooden door, a friendly elderly shop assistant greeted us. Perhaps because it was a weekday, even though it was the lunch rush hour, the place wasn’t fully packed, and we were lucky enough to be seated right away.

There are plenty of seats spread across two floors. The first floor is a regular table-and-chair dining area (no need to remove shoes), while I sat on the second floor in the tatami mat section where shoes are removed. The dining environment was very clean and comfortable, with a good amount of space between tables, giving diners a sense of privacy.

As soon as we sat down, the staff served us hot tea, towels, and a menu. There’s even a Chinese version of the menu, but I forgot to take a picture of it. Let me briefly introduce the unagi donburi (grilled eel rice) that everyone comes here for. Based on the portion size of the eel, it’s divided into three options: “Nami (standard),” “Jou (large),” and “Toku (extra-large),” priced at 2,850, 3,400, and 4,500 yen respectively. All options come with pickled vegetables and a clear soup made with eel liver.

My friend and I ordered the standard and large portions of unagi donburi respectively, then eagerly awaited the arrival of this delicious meal. Fifteen minutes later, all our dishes arrived at once. The large and standard portions came in different lunchboxes, and the pattern on the box of the large portion was absolutely beautiful.

Appearance of the large portion unagi donburi lunchbox

Appearance of the standard portion unagi donburi lunchbox

The eel liver clear soup was really light and refreshing. However, I’m not a fan of offal, so I didn’t try the eel liver. My friend said it had a slightly bitter taste. The pickled vegetables had a nice crisp texture, and eating a bite or two between bites of eel rice added a different flavor dimension.

▲ Eel liver clear soup and pickled vegetables

Now, the star of the show — the grilled eel — makes its grand appearance. As soon as I lifted the lid of the lunchbox, the sweet and savory aroma of the grilled eel wafted out. The large portion had slightly longer pieces of eel than the standard one, but the delicious taste was just as amazing.

Large portion unagi donburi (top) and standard portion unagi donburi (bottom)

What makes grilled eel so beloved is its tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture with that perfectly sweet and salty flavor. Kogawa Kiku’s eel is exactly like that. The restaurant brushes its signature sauce onto carefully selected eels, then grills them over charcoal while basting both sides to lock in the flavor. The exterior gets a beautifully golden-brown hue with a slight char, making it look incredibly appetizing.

After taking a few bites of the tender, sweet, and fragrant fish, paired with some delicious Japanese white rice, it felt truly amazing when you’re hungry. The eel at this restaurant has just the right balance of fat and lean — some eel restaurants serve eel that’s too fatty, which can feel overly rich if you eat too much, but Kogawa Kiku’s eel doesn’t have that issue.

Additionally, the eel has a good thickness to it, so it doesn’t feel insubstantial, giving a satisfying bite. Both my friend and I finished our lunchboxes completely, leaving not even a single grain of rice behind. Clean plate club, mission accomplished.

After finishing our meal, we noticed that most of the other diners had already left, so I quickly snapped a few pictures of the dining environment to share with you all. Isn’t it a really comfortable place?

Overall, I really enjoyed the eel rice at Kogawa Kiku. The eel was flavorful and aromatic, and the rice was chewy and springy. The service was also very warm and friendly, and the environment was clean and comfortable. If you’re visiting Kawagoe and wondering what to eat, the over 200-year-old Kogawa Kiku is definitely a great choice.

Kogawa Kiku (おがきく)
Business hours: 11:00–14:00; 16:30–19:30 (last order at 19:00). Closed on Thursdays.
Address: 3-22, Ichibangai, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0065, Japan

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