Grilled Eel Rice Bowl (Unadon)

Name: Grilled Eel Rice Bowl (Unadon)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 2 cups (400 g) Japanese short-grain rice; 2 cups (480 ml) cold water, plus more for rinsing; 4 prepared grilled eel fillets (unagi kabayaki), about 5 oz (140 g) each, thawed if frozen; 1/4 cup (60 ml) Japanese soy sauce; 3 tbsp (45 ml) mirin; 2 tbsp (30 ml) sake; 1 tbsp (13 g) granulated sugar; 1/2 tsp (1 g) Japanese sansho pepper, plus more for serving

うな丼 UnadonSay it: oo-nah-DOHN

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 9, 2026.

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Unadon is a Japanese rice bowl topped with fillets of grilled eel brushed with a sweet soy glaze. It is eaten year-round, especially in summer, and is a familiar dish in Tokyo and Nagoya. The eel is tender and rich, the tare is glossy and savory-sweet, and the hot rice absorbs both. At home, prepared grilled eel makes the dish practical without losing its essential character: caramelized glaze, delicate fish, and a clean finish of sansho pepper.

Grilled Eel Rice Bowl (Unadon)

うな丼, Unadon

Pronounced oo-nah-DOHN

Serves: 4
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 1 hr
Level: Easy

Dairy-free

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: contains fish, soy, gluten. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

Rice and eel

2 cups (400 g)400 g (2 cups) Japanese short-grain rice
2 cups (480 ml)480 ml (2 cups) cold water, plus more for rinsing
4 prepared grilled eel fillets (unagi kabayaki), about 5 oz (140 g) each, thawed if frozen

Tare glaze

1/4 cup (60 ml)60 ml (1/4 cup) Japanese soy sauce
3 tbsp (45 ml)45 ml (3 tbsp) mirin
2 tbsp (30 ml)30 ml (2 tbsp) sake
1 tbsp (13 g)13 g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar

To serve

1/2 tsp (1 g)1 g (1/2 tsp) Japanese sansho pepper, plus more for serving

Method

Rinse the rice in a bowl of cold water, swirling gently, until the water is mostly clear; drain well. Put it in a rice cooker with 2 cups (480 ml) cold water and cook according to the machine, or simmer covered in a heavy pot until tender. Keep hot.
Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook 2-3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the glaze is glossy and slightly reduced. Remove from the heat.
Heat the broiler to high and set a rack about 6 inches (15 cm) from the element. Place the eel fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet, brush generously with tare, and broil 2-3 minutes, until hot and the glaze bubbles at the edges.
Divide the hot rice among four deep bowls. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of tare over each portion of rice, then lay one eel fillet on top.
Brush the eel with a little more tare, sprinkle with sansho pepper, and serve immediately, with extra tare and sansho at the table.

Regional variant: Hitsumabushi (ひつまぶし)

Serve the same eel and rice in a lacquered box or wide bowl and divide it into four portions. Eat the first plain, the second with chopped scallions, shredded nori, and a little wasabi, and the third with hot dashi broth poured over the rice. Finish the fourth portion however you like; warm 2 cups (480 ml) dashi for the broth and keep the tare alongside.

Cook's notes

Prepared unagi is already cooked and glazed; reheat it gently just until hot so it stays soft and does not dry out.
Cook Japanese short-grain rice slightly firm rather than mushy; the hot rice should soak up the tare without turning soupy.
If the tare reduces too much, loosen it with a splash of water; it should coat a spoon lightly.

Serve with

Japanese pickles, clear soup or miso soup, and green tea.

Make ahead and storage

The tare can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated; assemble the bowls just before serving so the rice stays hot and the eel remains glossy.

Grilled Eel Rice Bowl (Unadon)