Unagiya Ichinoji

Unagiya Ichinoji is a Japanese restaurant at Robertson Quay that focuses on one thing: unagi, or freshwater eel. It is the first overseas branch of Miyagawa Honten, an eel specialist that started in Tsukiji, Tokyo, in the 1890s. The Singapore shop opened in April 2018 under its own name.

According to the MICHELIN Guide, the group had about 20 restaurants in Japan when this branch opened. Its fourth-generation owner, Yoshida Yoshisada, chose Singapore after noticing more and more visitors from the city at his Tokyo shops.

How the eel is cooked

The eel is steamed first, then dipped in mirin and a tare sauce and grilled over charcoal. Steaming keeps the flesh soft, and the grill gives the skin a crisp, glossy coat with a smoky taste. When the restaurant opened, its live eels came from an Indonesian farm run by Japanese operators. A glass window lets you watch the chefs at the grill.

What to order

The menu is built around three regional styles of eel on rice. Each one shows a different side of Japanese eel cooking.

• Hitsumabushi: the Nagoya style. Chopped grilled eel sits on rice and is eaten in stages. Try it plain first, then with nori, wasabi and spring onion, and finally with hot dashi poured over.
• Seiro mushi: the Fukuoka style. The grilled eel is steamed with rice and egg in a bamboo box.
• Mamushi donburi: the Osaka style. Eel on rice with grated Japanese yam, mentaiko and egg to stir through.

Smaller plates have included an eel omelette, eel sushi rolls, an eel salad and crunchy eel-bone crackers. There are also bento sets, such as one that pairs eel with wagyu steak. Menus change over time, so check what is available when you visit.

The setting

The dining room is small, with about 34 seats. It is styled like an old Japanese shopfront, with a tiled roof, a wooden signboard and simple wooden furniture. The mood is casual. It suits a relaxed lunch or an easy dinner after a walk along the river.

Good to know before you go

With so few seats, it is worth booking ahead, especially at weekends. The restaurant takes online reservations through Chope. If you are new to eel, hitsumabushi is a good first choice, because you can taste it several ways in one meal.

Robertson Quay is a pleasant riverside walk upstream from Clarke Quay. The quay itself has plenty of cafés and bars for a drink before or after your meal.

Nearby

For more Japanese food, browse our list of Japanese restaurants in Singapore. Other picks in the wider area include Rosso Vino for Italian food and Sushi Oono for sushi. You can see every restaurant in Orchard and River Valley, or plan a shopping day on Orchard Road.