Yamasei 山勢 (Matsumoto, Tabelog Bronze)

Was in Matsumoto to do a bit of hiking in the beautiful Kamikochi during silver week and visited Yamasei (Tabelog 4.21) which has been recommended by many people in this sub.

Tiny operation with a husband and wife team catering a 13-seat restaurant that was almost full despite the lingering rain aftermath of Typhoon no 25.

Yamasei uses female Deshiko eels from Lake Hamana due to their extra thick bodies.The restaurant also deliberately cooks on electric grill instead of hot coals as Tomi-san wants guests to appreciate the natural flavour and fragrance of the eel without any distortion from the charcoal smokiness.

Eel and Soft-Shelled Turtle Tasting Menu (26K yen), visited late September 2026.

– Kinoko no Owan: an autumnal potpourri of mountain mushrooms (Rikobo, Kurifusentake, Komuso, Sakura Shimeji, Tamagotake, Hanabiratake, Urabeni Gawari, Amitake) cooked with dashi and ginger. Soothing, aromatic with tons of umami.

– Kimoyaki: skewer using three different parts of the eel: liver, neck and fin. Each bite offered varied contrast between crispy, grainy, meaty, and gelatinous textures.

– Suppon yaki: shoulder blade and liver of the turtle lathered in a flavourful tare glaze then grilled until caramelized and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Utterly delicious and was the highlight of the meal.

– Shirayaki: minimalist style in order to emphasize the natural taste and texture of the eel. Came with condiments on the side such as salt, wasabi, lemon, and soy sauce.

– Uzaku: kabayaki eel and refreshing salad of tomato, daikon, moreheiya and myoga. Lovely balance between the sauced eel and the cooling sanbaizu vinegar.

– Suppon Dashi: a combination of collagen-rich turtle meat and empera (turtle shell) in a light but deeply impactful, broth that was immensely drinkable. Naga negi added zing and crispy texture to help offset the gelatinous bits of the meat.

– Unaju: masterfully grilled with stronger char on the outside, while the inside stayed soft and yielding. The tare is made by blending two types of soy sauce from the local 120 year-old Okubo Brewery. Went really well with the al dente-cooked Kijimaidara rice from Shinano region, especially when gravity started to make the sauce and eel fats to drip down into the hot rice underneath.

– Nukazuke: vegetables pickled in nuka rice bran.

– Anmitsu: shiratama (rice dumpling), anko (red bean), matcha kanten (matcha agar), and peach drizzled with kuromitsu (black sugar)