(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan)

Within a three-hour drive from most Kanto bases, Ashikaga is an appealing city filled with rich samurai heritage. The city is home to Japan’s oldest university, a majestic Buddhist temple built on the grounds of a former samurai residence, and the vast Ashikaga Flower Park, famous for its impressive wisteria blossoms.

Now is a great time to visit the flower park, which was named one of the “10 Dream World Travel Destinations” by CNN in 2014. The beautiful location is home to dozens of wisteria, an 80-meter wisteria tunnel and two 160-year-old wisteria trees.

Outside the park, another historical site almost as old as the wisteria trees at the park, Toristune, a washoku restaurant boasting 140 years of business, serves a delicious unagi eel lunch. Tabelog, a Japanese gourmet website, recognized this restaurant as one of its 100 top unagi restaurants.

My family and I waited about 20 minutes to be seated during a recent visit, but you can also make a reservation in advance if you want to avoid the potential long lines. Inside, the wooden interior and private tatami rooms were inviting and the perfect setting for a washoku meal.

We ordered Nidanju, Toritsune’s signature dish, for 3,300 yen ($21). The two‑tiered lacquered bento set includes unaju broiled eel over rice and toriju broiled chicken over rice. Chawanmushi steamed egg custard, salad and miso soup were served on the side.

Since these meals are made to order, we had to wait 30 minutes to receive our lunch. Our long wait was rewarded when our freshly grilled eel and chicken were finally served.

I guess some of you may try to avoid unagi eel since the ray‑finned fish has a bit of an ugly appearance, but I cannot emphasize enough how delicious it is when it is charbroiled. It is sweet, smoky, incredibly tender, buttery, and has a melt‑in‑your‑mouth texture.

Toritsune’s eel was grilled over high‑quality charcoal, and it was exceptionally tender and savory, with a rich, layered flavor enhanced by the restaurant’s secret sauce.

Toriju in another lacquered box was equally impressive. It was fragrant, juicy and perfectly grilled in a sweet‑savory glaze. When eaten together with the rice, the sauce soaked in beautifully, creating a well‑balanced and deeply satisfying flavor.

We were very happy with the quality and portion size of our lunch. After this, we definitely understood the hype around this historic place and agree that you shouldn’t miss a stop here if you plan to visit the area!

Toristune (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan)

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