Obana

A large gate in the Minami-Senju neighborhood marks the entrance to Obana, but you don't walk straight into the restaurant. Instead, you pass through a quiet Japanese garden – complete with a small Inari shrine – that also serves as the waiting area. The main building itself is a classic structure from the Meiji era, housing a large, open dining room floored entirely in tatami mats. You’ll leave your shoes at the entrance before finding a seat on a cushion at one of the low, short-legged tables. The entire experience is built around a single principle: every eel is prepared from scratch only after it has been ordered. This traditional Edomae process – grilling, steaming, then grilling the eel again – creates an exceptionally tender texture, but it also means a wait of 30 to 40 minutes for your main course. The menu is focused almost entirely on unagi. The primary dish is *unaju*, grilled eel glazed in a sweet tare sauce and served over rice in a lacquered box. There's also *shirayaki*, a plain grilled version served simply with salt and wasabi for you to season yourself. Appetizers like *umaki*, an eel-filled omelet, and *kimosui*, a clear soup with eel liver, are good to have while you wait. Obana does not take reservations, and the reputation for quality means a queue forms well before the 11:30 AM opening. It’s common for staff to take your main order while you’re still standing in line in the garden. An English menu is available, but be sure to have cash on hand, as cards are not accepted.