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Hakata Famous Yosizuka Unagiya
博多名代 吉塚うなぎ屋
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[Hakata Nakasu] Meiji-era Eel Specialist: Hakata Nadai Yoshizuka Unagiya
Located near Nakasu and Kushida Shrine in Hakata, Hakata Nadai Yoshizuka Unagiya has been serving eel since the sixth year of the Meiji era (1873). Originally established in Yoshizuka before moving to Nakasu, the restaurant remains dedicated to the art of kabayaki. It is a perennial favorite on the Tabelog ‘One Hundred Eel Restaurants’ list, with over two thousand eight hundred positive reviews. The interior feels like a traditional canteen—unpretentious and focused—but its commitment to grilling techniques and signature sauce has made it a frequently mentioned name among Fukuoka eel enthusiasts.
The restaurant’s standout feature is its unique ‘konashi’ grilling technique. While typical Kansai-style kabayaki is grilled directly over charcoal without steaming, which can sometimes result in a tough texture, Yoshizuka’s method involves kneading and gently tapping the eel during the grilling process. This allows excess fat to render out while ensuring the surface is heated evenly. The result is an eel with a crispy, smoky exterior and a fluffy, tender interior where the bones are virtually undetectable. Many diners find this texture sits perfectly between the soft, steamed style of Tokyo and the firm, direct-grilled style of Kansai, offering a unique, layered mouthfeel.
Another impressive detail is how the sauce is served. The unaju (eel over rice in a lacquer box) comes in two layers—one for the rice and one for the grilled eel—with the sauce served separately in a small dish. The secret sauce, used since the restaurant’s founding, is slightly sweet with a rich umami depth and a thick consistency. You can decide exactly how much to dip or pour over your rice, allowing you to adjust the flavor as you eat. This ensures the final bite remains perfectly balanced, preventing the eel from becoming overly salty or sweet, while preserving the crispness of the skin and the sweetness of the meat. The accompanying liver soup (kimosui) is also excellent, featuring a firm, springy liver texture and a clear, refreshing broth that highlights the eel’s natural flavor.
The menu focuses primarily on unadon and unaju, categorized by the number of eel fillets, and typically includes liver soup and pickles. Some diners prefer to order a smaller portion and add more later, while others go straight for the ‘Tokujo’ (special) to enjoy the different textures of the eel in one go. Beyond kabayaki, the restaurant also offers shirayaki (plain grilled), which can be enjoyed with wasabi and soy sauce or on its own, providing a clean contrast to the sweet, savory notes of the kabayaki. Overall, the restaurant presents ‘Fukuoka-style eel’ in its most direct form—relying on technique, sauce, and ingredient quality rather than elaborate presentation.
Unique Cooking Techniques
The eel here is grilled over high heat, creating a mouth-watering, crispy exterior while keeping the inside succulent. The special sauce is equally unique; unlike the standard practice of drizzling sauce over the eel, here you are encouraged to dip the eel into the sauce yourself, much like sashimi. The sauce is rich and deeply memorable.Furthermore, the temperature and texture of the rice are handled with precision. Its subtle sweetness provides a perfect contrast to the eel, making it impossible not to enjoy every bite of rice alongside the fish.
Eel and Sauce: A Commitment to Quality
Hakata Nadai Yoshizuka Unagiya is extremely particular about its ingredients, selecting eel raised in regions like Shizuoka, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima to ensure top-tier quality in every bite. The century-old secret sauce is the pride of the restaurant, adding an incomparable flavor to every serving of kabayaki.
Hakata Nadai Yoshizuka Unagiya is more than just an eel restaurant; it is a culinary landmark steeped in history and culture. From the careful selection of ingredients and the preservation of cooking techniques to the attentive service, it embodies the essence of Japanese cuisine. Next time you visit Hakata, step into this century-old establishment and experience it for yourself.
Sit down, dip a piece of crispy kabayaki into that rich, thick sauce, and pair it with a bowl of steaming hot rice—it is the most direct form of satisfaction you can find here.
Yoshizuka Unagiya Video Introduction
Useful Japanese for the Restaurant
Click the Japanese text to hear the audio 🔊
We create free audio menus in collaboration with stores. If you are interested, please contact us! goodxssss@gmail.com
Excuse me
Menu, please!
Order, please
This one, please
Thank you for the meal
Water, please
How do I eat this?
A small plate, please
May I take a photo?
Excuse me, please change the grill net.
Check, please
Where do I pay?
How much is it?
Can I use a credit card?
I will pay in cash
May I have the receipt, please?
Click the Japanese menu names to hear their pronunciation
Prices are subject to the menu on-site.
💡 Tip: Click the Japanese calligraphy to hear the audio!
💡 Don't know how to say the quantity? Click here
All rice dishes include eel liver soup.
Unagi Donburi
うなぎ丼
Premium Unagi Donburi
上うな丼
Special Unagi Donburi
特うなぎ丼
Unajū
うな重
Premium Unajū
上うな重
Special Unajū
特うな重
Grilled Eel
蒲焼
Plain Grilled Eel
素焼
Unagi Chazuke
うなぎ茶漬
Eel Wrapped in Omelet
うまき
Eel with Vinegared Cucumber
うざく
Grilled Eel Liver
きも焼き
Eel Course Meal
うなぎ会席
8 Items
梅８品
11 Items
竹１１品
13 Items
松１３品
Bento Box
幕の内
Eel Bone Crackers
骨せんべい
Unagi with Plum Sauce
うなぎ梅しぐれ
Raw Carp Slices
鯉の洗い
Small Side Dish
小鉢
Chawanmushi (Steamed Egg Custard)
茶碗蒸し
Red Miso
赤出し
Pickles
漬け物
Fruit
果物
Draft Beer
生ビール
Asahi Super Dry
アサヒ スーパードライ
Bottled Beer
瓶ビール
Kirin Ichiban Shibori
キリン一番搾り
Sapporo Lager
サッポロラガー
Yebisu Beer
エビス
Premium Malts
プレミアムモルツ
Non-Alcoholic Beer
ノンアルコールビール
Shochu
焼酎
Oolong Tea Mix
ウーロン割り
Soda Mix
ソーダ割
Bottle
ボトル
Sweet Potato Shochu
芋焼酎
Kurokirishima
黒霧島
Kuro Isanishiki
黒伊佐錦
Isami Shochu
伊佐美
Kissuke
吉助
Barley Shochu
麦焼酎
Iichiko Shochu
いいちこ
Rice Shochu
米焼酎
Yamabotaru
山ほたる
Soba Shochu
蕎麦焼酎
Unkai
雲海
Sake
日本酒
Senpuku Jōsen Ginmatsu
千福上撰吟松
Senpuku Karakuchi Honjozo
千福辛口本醸造
Nishi no Seki Tezukuri Honjozo
西の関手造り本醸造
Tengumai Yamahai Junmai Genshu
天狗舞山廃仕込純米原酒
Mikisen Junmai
三千盛 純米
Whiskey
ウイスキー
Old Parr
オールドパー
Highball
ハイボール
Single
シングル
Double
ダブル
Soft Drink
ソフトドリンク
Coke
コーラ
Orange Juice
オレンジジュース
Cider
サイダー
Oolong Tea
ウーロン茶
Sparkling Water
炭酸水
Yoshizuka Unagiya Map
Hakata Nadai Yoshizuka Unagiya Restaurant Information
- Budget: Approx. 3,000–3,999 JPY (official estimate); user reviews average approx. 5,000–5,999 JPY
- Category: Eel (Unagi)
- Phone：092-271-0700
- Reservations: Accepted (limited seating available for reservation)
- Business Hours：
- Mon, Thu–Sun: 10:00–21:00
- Tue, Wed: Closed
- Closed Days: Every Tuesday and Wednesday (Hours and holidays may change; please confirm with the restaurant before visiting)
- Address: 2-8-27 Nakasu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
- Access：
- Approx. 350 meters walk from Nakasu-Kawabata Station (Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line) along the river toward Kushida Shrine
- Approx. 240 meters on foot from Kushida-Jinja-Mae Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Nanakuma Line (the distance from Kushida-Jinja-Mae Station is also listed as approx. 281 meters)
- Other: Walk approx. 350 meters south from the Meiji-dori ‘Hakata-Ohashi’ intersection; from the National Route 202 ‘Nakasu-Shinbashi’ intersection, walk approx. 150 meters north. Near ‘Baraka Parking 103’.
- Child-Friendly: Yes (infants, preschoolers, and elementary students are welcome), strollers are allowed
- Payment Methods: Credit cards accepted; electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted
- Smoking Policy: Entirely non-smoking (ashtray provided outside the entrance)
Other Notes: Approx. 151 seats (including 2nd-floor counter and table seating, 3rd-floor private rooms). Private rooms available (a room charge of 10% of the food and drink bill applies). Takeout available. Parking available (limited to approx. 5 cars). Multilingual menus (English, Simplified Chinese, Korean) are provided.
Fukuoka Hakata Food Guide
Fukuoka Independent Travel Guide
Japan Independent Travel Guide
