Unagi no Naruse Sapporo Chuo

The restaurant features a setup where you can choose from three types of eel—domestically farmed, American eel, and foreign-farmed—and combine ranks of Ume, Take, and Matsu with volumes of Regular, Premium, and Deluxe. The kabayaki, grilled after ordering, has a fragrant, slightly charred surface and a fluffy, tender interior, and pairs perfectly with a sauce that is not overly sweet. The biggest attraction is the high cost performance: you can enjoy authentic unajū (grilled eel over rice) for less than half the price of a long-established eel restaurant. Condiments such as green onions and pickles are also served.

It is located on the basement first floor of a well-situated building 88 meters from Nakajima Park Station. The space, apparently a former live house, has been converted into an eel specialty restaurant, offering a clean, calm atmosphere where you can enjoy your meal at leisure. Its unpretentious, casual feel makes it pleasant to drop in, and it operates in two shifts for lunch and dinner.

Unagi no Naruse is an eel specialty restaurant chain that operates locations nationwide with the concept of “authentic eel at reasonable prices.” On July 27, 2024, it opened its Sapporo Central branch near Nakajima Koen Station, and, while drawing attention in online news, it has been gaining popularity among local customers as a good-value place for eel.

Mr. Yamamoto, the representative, founded "Unagi no Naruse" out of a desire to make eel a more familiar everyday meal and has expanded it into a nationwide chain. His commitment is evident in efforts to balance quality and accessibility, such as maintaining a style of grilling after an order is placed and offering a menu structure that allows customers to freely combine eel types and grades.