Enjoy the perfect harmony of flavor created by SORA’s exclusive branded eel,
carefully selected rice, and rich house-made sauce.
Our Commitment to Unagi
At our restaurant, we make no compromises, starting from the very feed given to our eels, using only naturally derived ingredients without any chemical substances.
Our eels are carefully raised by trusted producers in Kochi Prefecture, blessed with rich water quality and an ideal environment, and are cultivated with great care using our patented proprietary method.
For their feed, we generously use mantis shrimp and horse mackerel—ingredients delicious enough for people to enjoy themselves—while strictly controlling every stage, from ingredient quality and the rearing environment to the final result.
The ultimate eel, “Tenku Unagi.”
Its deep umami and refined lingering flavor create a truly special taste that only SORA can offer.
We are the only specialty restaurant in Japan where you can enjoy our original branded unagi.
Our Commitment to Rice
Together with Hachidaime Gihey, a long-established rice specialist in Kyoto, we developed a special rice designed to bring out the very best in our unagi.
Carefully selected varieties are blended in our own unique proportions, with every detail—from aroma and texture to the definition of each grain—designed to harmonize perfectly with the richness of the eel and the deep flavor of the sauce.
A special rice created exclusively for unagi and specially made for SORA.
Its fluffy texture and refined sweetness further enhance the umami of the eel, leaving a rich and satisfying finish on the palate.
Made possible only through SORA’s uncompromising dedication to ingredients,
we invite you to enjoy the ultimate pairing of “unagi × rice.”
Our Commitment to Sauce
Traditionally, unagi is grilled with sauce applied three to four times,
but at our restaurant, we intentionally apply the sauce only twice
to bring out the natural flavor of the eel to its fullest.
Our special house-made sauce is carefully prepared and slowly simmered to deeply enhance the natural flavors of the ingredients.
With nothing unnecessary added, the sauce concentrates pure umami, creating a rich depth of flavor even with just two applications.
We invite you to savor the deep, distinctive flavor unique to SORA, brought to life through the skill and dedication of our craftsmen.
The Story Behind “Tenku Unagi” — Born from the Owner’s Deep Love for Eel
A Question That Sparked a Journey:“Why do they all taste the same…?”
Inokuchi, the owner and a passionate lover of eel, spent years traveling across Japan — dining at renowned eel restaurants in every prefecture except Hokkaido and Okinawa. Over time, however, he began to question the uniform taste of farmed shirayaki eel.
“No matter where I went, the flavor was always the same — and I often noticed an unpleasant fishy aftertaste.”
Then one night, he happened to watch a food program introducing wild blue eel caught at the river mouth in Okayama Prefecture. The segment mentioned that these rare eels had a particular fondness for mantis shrimp, which made up a large part of their natural diet.
From a Home Experiment to Two Patents
This revelation led Inokuchi to a bold idea:“What if I tried feeding mantis shrimp to farmed eel? Could it make them taste better?” Driven by his deep affection for eels, he installed large agricultural tanks at his home and began raising 120 eels himself.
For the next two years, despite numerous challenges, he continued to collect data — changing the feed in each tank and tracking differences in growth and flavor, all through trial and error as a dedicated amateur.His passion eventually caught the attention of the prefectural fisheries research center and universities.With their support, his work led to two patents—one for the feed and one for the farming method.
Flavor Backed by Scientific Research
We deliberately minimize the amount of fish oil—known to increase fat content—in the feed we use. This allows our eels to develop their own natural, high-quality fat for a cleaner, more refined taste.
In fact, scientific analysis has shown that our eels contain up to 20% more of certain free-form amino acids—glycine, alanine, and proline—which are directly linked to better taste, compared to standard farm-raised eels.
By working only with producers who fully understand and share our passion and research-backed methods, we have succeeded in creating Tenku Unagi—a premium farm-raised eel with no off-flavors, even when served as shirayaki. Please enjoy this ultimate expression of unagi, born from the deep dedication of our owner, Inokuchi.
