Kyo Unawa Honten — Restaurant in Kyoto

Check your receipt and be careful for 10% overcharged fees!! And they force you to order more food!

We entered the resto around 5:30 and there were a few empty tables. It’s saying that we didn't have reservations and we had to finish eating before 7 o'clock, and we agreed. Then when ordering, the waiter said that two people can't just order one set of eel rice, we must order two. But I said I was not hungry and I don't like eel rice, just because of my husband likes it so we came. My husband ordered a set of deluxe large portion. After I made it clear that I really couldn't order one more, the waiter said then you can just order a side dish. We agreed and ordered a side dish. Then the waiter showed an unfriendly attitude and the sound of putting the plates was very loud. We ordered sake but she didn't ask if we wanted it hot or cold, she served us cold and we said we wanted it hot. When we finally left, no one greeted us, and we saw that 10% of the seat fee was charged on the receipt. I don't know how they feel it’s ok to charge customers extra 10% based on their poor services? Imagine someone couldn’t read kanji will not understand what’s the 10%. It’s a trick and I never saw this in other Japanese restaurants. The food is expensive and the taste is average. Anyway, I can't tell the difference from other restaurants. They may think that they have a high-end taste, but what's the point if the services can't match? When traveling in Japan, the Japanese people we met were generally friendly. Later, on Google Maps, I also saw some comments of other foreigners complained about the 10% overcharge. Seems like it’s just for...

I had the pleasure of dining here and trying their signature hitsumabushi, and it was nothing short of amazing. The eel was perfectly grilled — crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside — with a rich, smoky-sweet tare sauce that soaked beautifully into the rice. I loved the traditional serving style: starting with the eel and rice as-is, then adding the fresh condiments (green onions, nori, and wasabi), and finally pouring in the flavorful broth for a comforting ochazuke finish.

The presentation was thoughtful, and even small details — like the gold leaf garnish — made the dish feel special. The staff were warm and attentive without being intrusive, and the atmosphere had that cozy, authentic Japanese feel.

If you’re in the area and want to experience one of Japan’s most satisfying eel dishes in all its variations, this place is...

The restaurant is a little bit off of the main road, so be careful not to miss it. There is a short path to the front of the restaurant.

We arrived right when they opened on a weekday. We were asked if we had reservations. We did not so we were told we could come back in about 90 mins. Initially we were going to wait but then found out that you can order to go.

So we ordered to go instead of waiting. It was a bit odd that very few people came during the time we waited for our to go order. I wonder why they just didn’t seat us.

Anyway the unagi was great and the presentation for even the to go box was nice. The bento box itself was of a high quality. Not some plastic or styrofoam container. There is a small park about two blocks away where...