Unagi Sora — Restaurant in Kyoto

I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant and would ask people not to go unless you want to be humiliated by quality of food and customer service, based on my own experience.

We (4 adults and 1 child of 6 years old) walked in tonight as we heard that this restaurant serves nice unagi don, my favourite Japanese meal. Food you could order on the manu were very limited, which was quite disappointing. The noise from ventilation(?) was so loud that we could hardly hear each other although we sat next to each other. It took a quite long time for the food to be served, which we understood that it took take for food to be cooked after ordered. It didn’t taste as expected, according to a Google review of 4.8, as I had far better unagi don either in Japan or other countries. But, this was not the worst.

As the unagi wasn’t cooked thoroughly, the meat tasted a bit raw, so were the tiny fish thorns. Our child tried his best to eat, chew as well as spit out thorns, but still one thorn got to his throat and it was causing a lot of pain.

After we spoke to the staff, they called ambulance and said someone would come and help, free of charge. So we assumed that the restaurant was going to take some responsibilities as it was mainly caused by improperly cooked/grilled unagi.

But we were charged 50,000 Japanese Yen by hospital for a fish thorn which was actually done by the father, as the hospital staff couldn’t perform any treatment after initial check. We were decent enough to pay full restaurant bill, while the restaurant denied any responsibility.

The whole thing was so upsetting that we thought it was a shame that a restaurant could treat its customer so inconsiderably. A restaurant that doesn’t respect its reputation and its customers definitely isn’t worth any recommendation. I wish they could respect the value of their reputation and have some basic sense of...

DO NOT EAT HERE. The food is bad. My boyfriend got a mid-level unagi set (not the cheapest one, 3900 yen for half) and he gave me a bit of the eel to try and it tasted like ammonia, so I told him to stop eating it. He also ordered the egg with eel in it and hid it in his bento box lol. I unfortunately ordered the super expensive (6000 yen for a half order) wild caught eel so I felt compelled to eat it (it did not taste like ammonia) but it just wasn’t good and started giving me some stomach discomfort when I left the restaurant. The sauce they have isn’t thick and is light in flavor, and the soup it came with tasted like warm water. Not a “light dashi flavor,” I’m talking like straight water with a few leaves in it.

The great reviews are incentivized just like others have said, which we should’ve taken as a sign to leave. 300 yen off if you write a review (presumably a good one). Our bill for the sets and egg (we ordered no drinks) came to 11,300 yen, for comparison. The half sets were about 3700-3900 yen so either way you’re spending a bit of money here.

Maybe ownership changed or something because last time we were in Kyoto in 2023 we tried to come but they were fully booked. When we went this time, it was less than half empty at prime dinnertime on a weekend and looking at other customers’ faces, they didn’t look happy with their meals, either.

EDIT: Totally got food poisoning from here. Took 2 charcoal pills once I got to the hotel since I was feeling sick to my stomach once I left and still got diarrhea in...

Unagi don, the classic Japanese grilled eel rice bowl, is an absolute triumph of flavor and comfort. From the first aromatic whiff of the kabayaki sauce – that sweet, savory, and gloriously sticky glaze caramelized over the eel – to the final satisfying bite, it’s pure culinary joy.

The star is the unagi itself. Perfectly grilled, the eel achieves a sublime texture: crisp, slightly charred edges giving way to unbelievably tender, fatty, and melt-in-your-mouth flesh beneath. The rich, deep flavor of the eel is beautifully enhanced by the complex kabayaki sauce, balancing sweetness (mirin, sugar) with savory depth (soy sauce) and a hint of smokiness. It’s an

Crucially, this isn't just about the eel. The foundation matters. Fluffy, perfectly steamed Japanese short-grain rice serves as the ideal canvas. It soaks up the delectable sauce and eel juices without becoming soggy, creating harmonious, flavorful bites. The subtle vinegar hint in warm rice complements the eel's richness perfectly.

Often garnished simply with a sprinkle of sansho pepper (offering a unique citrusy, tingling note) or perhaps some crisp nori strips for texture, unagi don showcases how exceptional ingredients, treated with respect and skill, create magic. It’s deeply satisfying comfort food that feels luxurious. Warm, rich, smoky, sweet, and savory – a bowl of unagi don is an unforgettable, soul-warming experience worth every penny. Pure...