DISH RESEARCH · Main dish
Unadon
Also known as: うな丼
Namiko Hirasawa Chen’s selected unadon broils supplied pre-grilled freshwater eel, brushes it with homemade soy-mirin-sake-sugar glaze and places it over steamed rice in a bowl.
About Unadon
Research draft based on the references below. These notes describe particular recipes and presentations; ingredient connections are still being reviewed.
Namiko Hirasawa Chen’s unadon places glazed eel over steamed rice in a bowl. This Japanese home version begins with supplied pre-grilled freshwater eel rather than a live fish.
The homemade glaze combines mirin, sake, sugar and soy sauce. It simmers until reduced and thickened, with a little water available if the same sauce has reduced too far.
The fillets are cut to fit the bowls and placed skin-side down on oiled foil. Broiling blisters the surface before the same glaze is brushed over the eel for a final brief broil.
Steamed rice receives some of the glaze before the eel is placed on top. More of that same sauce finishes each portion, with ground Japanese sansho pepper optional.
The author describes the sweet caramelized glaze as a defining aroma. Bowl presentation is the selected unadon form; her lacquered-box, baked and foil-pouch methods remain separate preparations.
Ingredients in Unadon
Recorded ingredient connections, rather than a complete recipe. Explore an ingredient for more detail.
- Short-grain ricebase
- Eelprotein
- Soy Saucesauce
- Sugarsweetener
- Green oniongarnish
- Norigarnish
- Soy based saucesauce
Ingredient connections awaiting review. Versions and preparation vary.
Origins & food traditions
Explore the countries and cooking traditions associated with this dish. These connections do not establish a single birthplace or limit where the dish is eaten today.
Associations in the cited sources
These describe source-specific cultural or geographic connections. Catalogue links may still need review.
- Countries & places
- Japan
- Cooking traditions
- Japanese / Namiko Hirasawa Chen broiled pre-grilled-eel unadon
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.