I prefer grilled dishes. Thus, a grilled eel rice bowl (unadon) is my go-to choice whenever I crave a satisfying meal. This lip-smacking unadon bowl comprises eel fillets tossed in unagi sauce (homemade), placed above cooked rice. Create this appetising sauce at home – people can sense its aroma from a distance. This homemade sauce is the game-changer of my unadon recipe. Unagi sushi is the most popular dish at Japanese eateries due to its incredible taste. However, have you tried this satisfying rice bowl (unadon)? I completed my higher studies in Japan, where I discovered that steamed rice layered with tare is the most comforting meal for the Japanese locals.

What is Unadon?

Cooked over charcoal, unadon is a comforting Japanese speciality placed above a rice bowl layered with grilled eels. Unadon gets its exceptional taste and flavour from tossing it in the tare. Unadon is an abbreviation of unagi donburi, denoting the serving of grilled unagi in a donburi (a large rice bowl). Unaju is the term used to denote unagi served in a lavish rectangular wooden box (jubako) with a lid.

Cooking Method

The cooking method used to prepare Japanese fish and eels is termed kabayaki. Seasoned professionals use this method to prepare eels, where they clean the live eels properly and cut them into rectangular pieces. Then, they skewer the pieces, dip them in the soy sauce and cook them over the charcoal. In Tokyo, chefs broil the skewered eel without the sauce, and term it shirayaki. Before dipping in the sauce, they steam umagi and grill it.

Restaurant Dining Info

Japanese restaurants specialising in unagi preparation offer both unaju and unadon, and the price differs based on your chosen rank and weight.

• The average grade is termed ume or nami
• The premium grade is matsu or tokujo
• The superior grade is termed take or jo.

When is the Best Time to Eat Unagi?

Unagi is a beloved and widely available dish at five-star Japanese eateries. However, are you aware that it is the most expensive Japanese dish? Statistics reveal that it is so costly that around 26% of people consume it only once every six months. Around 15.8% of people eat it once a year. However, there is a day when you will find every Japanese making this lip-smacking dish and consuming it – doyō-no ushi-no-hi (Midsummer Day). This dish is packed with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins E and A, and protects us from the scorching heat. In July 2025, the Japanese locals will observe Midsummer Day on the 19^th and 31^st.

Ingredients required to make comforting Unadon

Yields up to four servings

• 2 unagi fillets
• Steamed rice

(One fillet weighs up to 150 grams)

• Neutral oil or cooking spray for broiling

For the sauce

(You may use packaged sauce. However, the homemade unagi sauce tastes exceptional and is ready quickly.)

• ¼ cup mirin

Note: You may replace mirin by adding water, or sake and sugar. If substituting mirin, the ratio should be 3:1

• ¼ cup soy sauce

Use gf soy sauce if you want to make a gluten-free sauce.

• 2½ tablespoons sugar
• 1½ tablespoons sake

Replace it with Chinese rice wine

• Japanese sansho pepper

Instead of buying a live eel, you may purchase pre-grilled eel fillets and reheat them before plating. In Asian or Japanese groceries & several online stores, vacuum-sealed grilled eels are available for sale.

Directions to prepare a homemade grilled eel rice bowl

• Prepare the homemade sauce (Recipe shared below)

• Cut unagi fillets into two halves.

• Grill eel fillets. Before removing them, apply a substantial amount of homemade sauce.

• Place steamed rice in a bowl and top it with the cooked eel fillets nicely coated in the homemade sauce.

Broiler Method

• Preheat the broiler to high for at least 5 minutes.

• Place a rack in the centre. It should be around 20 cm away from the top heating source.

• Once preheated, place the unagi pieces in a baking tray layered with foil. Lay the skin below and broil it for up to ten minutes. You only need to broil on one side.

• Once broiled, coat it with sauce and broil for one more minute. And, it is ready!

Note

You can also make this dish in an oven. The cooking method remains almost the same. Comment on my latest social media post for the detailed guide. I will DM the baking method to you.

Sauce Preparation

• Gather the necessary ingredients for making homemade sauce.
• Whisk sake, mirin and sugar. Once whisked, add soy sauce. Cook this sauce till it thickens, you observe bubbles and the quantity decreases by more than half. It usually takes around twenty minutes.