Japanese Restaurant Unagi Hayashiya Kawagoe Store — Restaurant in Kawagoe

We heard that kawagoe has always been famous for unagi bento style meals so we checked the google maps and just picked this one closest to the bus stop 😊

The bus stop is 仲町nakamachi and only about 2 minutes walk. To our surprise after we got our ticket for the queue it took less than 5 minutes to get our table.

Since we didn’t come this way often we decided to go for both grilled eel and wagyu set meals. I loved the eel tasted so freshly grilled and wagyu was so buttery soft. And they fit rice so well. It came with soup and tsukemono or pickled vegetables.

I noticed that not only Japanese customers but also lots of international tourists came.

Also funny facts about the store was that when I went to the restroom there were tracks all the way to the back room. In fact from the entrance there was also tracks. I just didn’t pay attention. After talking to the staff she said this was a warehouse that stored rice so that tracks were for...

川越は、蔵造の街並みを中心に鰻料理店が数多くありますが、その中で最も人気のある店で、平日・休日問わずランチタイムは大混雑し、予約をしていなければ利用できないか、もしくは長時間待たされる可能性があります。休日は閉店間際に至るまでその人気ぶりを博していますが、平日の15時以降であれば比較的客の数も多くなく、予約なしでも利用することが出来ます。 古民家を彷彿させる、落ち着いた雰囲気の内装です。入口付近の客席はテーブル席ですが、店の奥にはお座敷席もあります。全ての客席は4人以上のテーブル席であるため、混雑時間帯における単身及び少人数での利用は敬遠される可能性があります。川越駅・川越市駅・本川越駅から距離があるものの、川越の蔵造の街並みは歩いているだけでも興味を引くお店が多いため、周辺を散策しながら訪れるのもいいかもしれません。専用の駐車場は無いため、近隣のパーキングスペースに車を駐車させる必要があります。 空いている時間帯に利用したからか、スタッフの接客対応の質も、給仕される鰻料理の質も、極めて素晴らしかったです。スタッフはいずれも、常に店内を清潔且つ快適に過ごせるようキビキビと動き、無駄がありません。また、適度な距離で接客し、必要に応じて客に鰻の美味しい食べ方を教えてくれます。給仕される鰻料理も、見た目こそ奇を衒ったものはないものの、ふっくらふんわりと仕上がっています。表面のパリっとした食感も決して固すぎず、またタレも甘すぎずしょっぱすぎず素晴らしい味付けとなっています。

There are many eel restaurants in Kawagoe, especially those in the Kura-no-machi (warehouse district), and this is the most popular among them. It's very crowded during lunch time, both on weekdays and holidays, and if you do not have a reservation, you may not be able to use the restaurant or may have to wait for a long time. On weekends and holidays, the restaurant remains popular until close of business, but on weekdays after 3:00 p.m., there are relatively few customers and you can use the restaurant without a reservation. The interior has a relaxed atmosphere reminiscent of an old private home. Seating near the entrance is at tables, but there is also tatami room seating in the back of the restaurant. All seating is at tables for four or more people, so singles and small groups may be discouraged during busy hours. Although the restaurant is far from Kawagoe, Kawagoe-shi, and Honkawagoe stations, it's a good idea to visit while strolling around the area, as many of the stores in the Kura-no-machi (warehouse district) of Kawagoe are interesting just by walking around. Since there is no dedicated parking lot, you will need to park your car in a nearby parking space. Perhaps because I visited during an open period, the quality of the staff's service and the quality of the eel dishes served to us were both very excellent. The staff always moved briskly and efficiently to keep the restaurant clean and comfortable. They also serve customers at a reasonable distance and teach customers how to enjoy the eel when necessary. The eel dishes served are fluffy, though nothing fancy in appearance. The crispy surface is not too hard, and the sauce is not too sweet...

Grilled eel has never been my favorite because I often find the sauce too sweet and thick. However, this one struck the perfect balance with a delightful charcoal-grilled flavor.

In addition to the eel, we ordered a beef box, which was surprisingly good—tender without being greasy. The thick slices of beef had a subtle grilled aroma that was pleasing.

Beyond the food, the service was exceptional. The server at the front door was very friendly, even offering us the chance to enter early since I had a little one with me. We chose not to, as we were waiting for others to sit together with group

Another interesting finding is the metal track that starts at the front of the shop and runs through the restaurant, leading directly to the backyard...