Japanese restaurant chain Miyagawa Honten has opened its first overseas outlet with Unagiya Ichinoji at Singapore’s Robertson Quay.

Its Japanese head chef trained for three months in a Miyagawa Honten outlet to master the skills needed for creating unagi. The chain first steams the unagi before grilling it. All cuts are marinated with sansho (the Japanese equivalent of Sichuan peppercorn) and kuro shichimi (a traditional blend of seven black spices) before being basted with tare sauce while being charcoal grilled.

The signature Hitsumabushi is offered in three sizes, and options are unagi over rice with nori, wasabi, green onion or dashi. Side dishes include unagi chawanmushi, unagi bone cracker, unagi sushi roll, unagi omelette, unagi salad and unagi simmered boiled liver.

The 34-seater restaurant does not accept reservations.

Miyagawa Honten launched 125 years ago in the Tsukiji district of Tokyo.