Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant

Man Man Japanese Unagi at Keong Saik is easily one of the most established and popular unagi restaurants in Singapore — and it surely didn't disappoint. We ordered the Double Layer Hitsumabushi, which turned out to be a perfect choice for three people to share. Served in a traditional wooden tub (hitsu), the dish came with beautifully grilled eel over fluffy rice. What makes Man Man stand out is that their eels are freshly prepared from live ones — you can actually see them swimming in the pond at the entrance before they're expertly grilled to order. The eel was superbly done — tender and creamy on the inside, yet with a crisp, caramelised skin glazed in their signature unagi sauce. The balance of flavours and textures was just right. We also had the chawanmushi, which was silky smooth and delicately seasoned, complementing the meal perfectly. Service was efficient despite the crowd, and the traditional Japanese ambience added to the authentic dining experience. Overall, Man Man truly lives up to its reputation. For anyone craving authentic, freshly grilled unagi, this is the place to go. Highly recommended!

not a huge unagi fan but this was genuinely so good…😩🤌🏼 I loved that the unagi came in small bite-sized pieces— soft & melty on the inside w a nicely charred caramelisation of the skin I got the 𝑯𝒊𝒕𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊 𝑼𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒊 𝑫𝒐𝒏 [$35]! first time trying hitsumabushi! kinda fun bcuz there are diff ways to enjoy it! u can divide ur bowl into 4 portions: 1️⃣ eat the unagi & rice as it is 2️⃣ add the condiments (spring onion, wasabi, seaweed) 3️⃣ pour in the hot tea to turn it into a warm, savoury ochazuke 4️⃣ end off w ur fav method! ✌🏼 I ending up preferring the ochazuke method, but I ate the unagi pieces separately so they’d keep that crisp exterior also tried a piece of unagi liver & it has a p unique taste & texture! slightly bitter w a strong umami note & it had a rather soft & creamy texture alm like a spr tender foie gras, def an acquired taste! tried my friend’s wagyu don too, but I’d say go for their unagi don, it was def the highlight of the meal heheh ⭐️ this meal was def on the pricier side, but the quality + cozy ambience makes it worth the splurge imo 🤭✨

Personally think the my fav unagi is still the one at bugis. It is nice and crispy here, but I feel a bit too chewy in some parts of the unagi, while some parts area nice, crispy and soft. Surrounding is quite interesting in a quiet garden!!

I don't eat unagi since i am able to feel every single tiny bones in my mouth. However, it seems that good unagi really makes a difference. The unagi bones disintegrates upon chewing, thus i barely could feel the bones. Just my pick, the unagi tamagoyaki dish is the best dish.

This is the nicest unagi I’ve ever tasted! The skin is perfectly crispy while the meat remains tender and flavourful, clearly grilled with great care over fire. You can really taste the quality and attention to detail when it melts in every bite. They also offer a smaller rice portion option which is a thoughtful touch for lighter eaters. The only downside is that the place can be a bit tricky to find, as the entrance isn’t directly facing the street and there’s some renovation work going on at the front of the shop.

With family visited today. Food nice 👍, service ok, service staff was not very charming but we come here look for nice food. If looking for nice unagi will be the good choice.

A hidden gem tucked away in the park along Keong Saik Road! This small, cosy Unagi restaurant gives off the vibe of a traditional Japanese family-run eatery that is warm, intimate, and welcoming. The service was excellent from (Lan) our waitress, she was attentive, efficient, and always smiling and helped us very promptly when we had issues ordering via the QR code. The Unagi itself was fantastic, super crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and not overly sweet or drowning in sauce. You can really taste the texture grilled from the chef’s expert hands….hands down one of the best Unagi dishes I’ve had in Singapore! They also offer a variety of side dishes and set meals, including Chawanmushi, pickles, salads, and even Unagi eel livers. There’s a grater provided in the meal to grate your own wasabi as well. Everyone needs to come here to try at least once in their lifetime!

Such delicious eel for the birthday husband. Nice taste and cozy environment. A bit pricy but portion is big, we are very satisfied, and both dessert and nice too.

First time here, we ordered the month special Unagi with scallop Taste 1/1* What wonderful bowl of Unagi, fresh, crispy edges, nicely seasoned, with fresh wasabi Value 0.5/1* 50 for a bowl of unagi and scallop still going to be on the expensive side, was not outstanding enough to be well worth it Service 1/1* Fast and friendly, though gotta mention, no one came to help carry stroller in and out Cleanliness 0/1* I wanted to like the place, but gave me the feeling of a dirty basement Overall/Revisit 0.5/1* Would revisit if wife's in the mood for it Paying for ambience? 0/-1* NO Above and beyond? 0/+1* NO

I came across Man Man some time ago while walking from Duxton Road to Keong Saik Road. I only mention this bit of information because Man Man is tucked in the back of a shophouse which faces Keong Saik Road, while Man Man itself faces a pedestrian access path / park that people typically use as a shortcut. Despite it's hidden location, apparently queues here for their dinner service can reach up to an hour or more. Having just had lunch there (I hate lining up), I can see why people go through the trouble of waiting. At the top of the steps and just inside the glass doors leading into Man Man are 3 large, thigh-high tanks with water flowing into them. These tanks are home to live Anguilla japonica - Japanese eels, or (once grilled) "unagi". It is quite fitting that one's first encounter upon stepping foot into Man Man is the main course because it truly is the star of the show here. The restaurant has tables spread out in the oddly shaped space, along with a bar counter that faces both the chopping board, where the eels presumably shuffle off their mortal coil, and the binchotan grill where they get transformed into unagi. The menu features several types of hitsumabushi (a specialty of Nagoya city), unadon and smaller side dishes (such as unagi cooked in tamago). I settled on a large unadon, which was served within 5-10 minutes and was the perfect size for lunch. Without going into too much detail, not all unagi is created equal, and sometimes you end up with something that has the consistency and texture of chewing on a rubber hose. This is NOT the case at Man Man, where they serve the real deal, and which is the perfect combination of flaky meat combined with the slight crunchy/chewiness of the charred skin. Barring a plane trip to Japan, this is one of the most authentic unagi meals you will ever have anywhere (with my benchmark being Marushizu in Tokyo). Coming to a total of S$45.65 (after service and tax), it is also a lot cheaper than that plane ticket. For that price, you will not leave hungry as the unagi is served on a generous portion of rice, with a small tofu appetizer, gari (pickled ginger) and a bowl of suimono (clear soup), along with a cup of cold barley tea. The only thing I recommend is asking for the sansho pepper as a touch of the ground pepper really rounds out the flavor of the unagi. Oh, and they have takeaway too if you really hate lining up!

Tried Hitsumabushi for the first time in Singapore and it was amazing! It's a different way of eating unadon - you take a little bit of eel and rice into a bowl and eat it with dashi stock. SO GOOD! It's definitely on the pricier side but so worth it. The eel had so much flavor and it was nice to be able to eat it with the broth. Gonna be on the lookout for this in Japan.

The restaurant was the latest by Chef Teppei. Interestingly the entrance to the place was at the back. Reached the place about 20 minutes before it opened and there was a queue of about 15 persons in front of me. The 6 counter seats were the first to fill up. The place was quite smoky. One could even smell the smoky grilling smell before entering the place. The place was decorated in a light wooden look. By the way I did see a customer who bought a couple of fresh eels back too. Tables were placed quite near to each other. There was barely place for bags but lucky I selected a table by the shelf, therefore got place in the shelf for bag. On the table, there was condiments such as sweet sauce, unagi sauce, spicy, Japanese pepper and chilli powder to help yourself to. Refillable Iced tea was served. Kimoyaki (Liver) ($9.80+) Looked quite charred, It was chewy with smoky although it was a tab bitter at certain parts. Yahatamaki ($14.80+) Unagi roll stuffed with pickled radish in it. Crunchy and tangy. Large Kouhaku Histsumabushi ($39.90+) Unagi Served with Mentaiko Sauce, Soup, Pickles, Broth, Spices. The dish was a January special. To eat Histsumabushi, divide the serving into 4 parts. 1) Have one serving in the small bowl which is also known as torizara, to enjoy the dish in its original tasteyakumi 2) Second serving, add the yakumi (condiments such as fresh wasabi, chopped spring onions and green onions). I spend quite a lot of time busy grating the wasabi. The fresh wasabi really peaked up the dish. 3) Third serving, add the lightly-flavored dashi (made from simmering fish or meat) broth. The dish reminded one of teochew porridge. 4) Eat the Last Serving the way You Like best. As for me, I like it with the broth and freshly grated wasabi in it. The layer of Mentaiko Sauce was a tab too little to make a different to the dish. Although there was long queue, most customers finished their meals quite fast.

We came here at 12:30 pm on a Monday and there was NO line. Taste 5/5: If you love unagi, your dream will come true. Really flavorful unagi, perfect sauce on top and perfectly bbq. The level of attention to its detail is great - love the fresh wasabi you are getting for you to make fresh wasabi yourself Price/Value 5/5: For a midsize set you pay S$29 and for a large set S$39. Yes it's more expensive than hawker center but you get quality food and we are talking about unagi, a fresh wasabi, a soup and you get a good portion of it. I'd recommend the large size if you crave unagi. I ordered the midsize one and regretted after the first bite to not have taken the large size one This place is perfect for lunch or generally if you just want to get food quickly. It's not a place for a candle light dinner where you sit for hours. We'd come here again for sure!

Man Man is a very well-known restaurant in Singapore, and I can definitely see why now! The unagi here is some of the best that I've ever had! Just know that the queue can get quite long, so I would recommend showing up before it opens. Otherwise, you'll end up waiting outside in the heat. This place is a bit pricey as well, you'll probably spend around S$30+ per person here. Food: - Unagi Hitsumabushi: This is basically an unagi-don set, with a broth that you can pour on to the rice, plus miso soup. I would definitely recommend adding the broth as well, which mixes fantastically with the taste of the unagi. I got this in the regular size, and this was plenty of food for me. - Unagi Bone Crackers: We got this as an appetizer, and it was surprisingly good! The crackers are very crispy and had a nice smokey taste to them. Wait: I arrived at 11:40am on a Saturday for lunch (it opens at 11:30), and waited about 35min. I've heard the line can definitely get over an hour, so would recommend going early if possible.

Be prepared to queue for a long time for this place! But it is completely, 100% worth it, because eating here was SPIRITUAL experience for me. All the ingredients are so fresh. The taste of everything is perfect. The unagi is so crispy, yet tender because it is grilled to perfection. They give you real wasabi to grate, and that was so delicious. I honestly savored every bite. I could eat this every day.

Oooooh-nagi And so, the 2017 Michelin Singapore Guide is out, with a bunch of new entries and new recommendations. One of them? Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant. I've heard the reviews, I've seen the queues and I have to admit, my first reaction was, "crazy, I won't queue for that". How wrong I was. If not for my colleague suggesting Man man for a group dinner, I might have never gone to try it, despite my love for Unagi. #1 Tip. If you're going to be arriving anytime after 5.30pm, be prepared to wait. We got there at 5.20pm (our office is pretty nearby) and still ended up being the 6-7th group in the queue. The restaurant is small and cozy and really reminds you of Japan. What makes this restaurant different from other restaurants serving Unagi? The Unagi is freshly killed, skewered and grilled in the restaurant. Medium Donburi ($25.80+) We decided to go with the basic, although the sight of everyone having the Hitsumabushi made us regret that decision a bit (oh well, gives me a reason to come back). After one bite, all I could say was......... life changing. What ever idea I had of what a good unagi should be and taste like went completely out the window. The sauce was flavourful without overpowering the natural sweetness of the eel and the eel.... oh my. It was tender, juicy, it melts in your mouth and tasted so.... pure (I can't even find the right words to describe it). Bottom line, I can see why it received its Bib Gourmand. Only draw back would be the queue but despite that, it still easily gets 5 stars from me.

Definitely something to get when you missed the unagi don from Japan. Their Hitsumabashi is really what you will get at Japan, totally in love with the crispy & soft texture. Good stuff that is worth our time to queue for it.

Easy to get to from the MRT. When I got here, there was a long line in the rain.. but the unagi was SO worth it. By far the best unagi I have had. The unagi was so fresh, delicate yet we'll flavored. There are freshwater eels in the restaurant (in a tank), so I'm guessing thats how the freshness is maintained. The bento don let's you experiment with how you want to eat it - with soup, wasabi, seaweed, sauces, or all of the above! It is a little pricey at $29++, but definitely worth it when you feel like treating yourself!

Having lived in Nagoya, I really miss hitsumabushi, or grilled eel eaten several ways, e.g. with rice, with wasabi, with soup, etc. My benchmark for hitsumabushi is Atsuta-Horaiken in Nagoya, so it's quite high. So I was excited to hear from my Japanese salon that a place specializing in hitsumabushi opened up nearby. I finally had a chance to check out Man Man, and I can say that the experience exceeded expectations! Sure it helps that the eels are shipped live from the Nagoya region. But the execution of the dish also was excellent, with just the right amount of sauce and char. Service was also excellent (and no service fee either!). The place fills up quickly on weekdays for lunch, but seems to also empty fairly quickly, so if you would like to avoid a queue, come a bit later around 1. Definitely a great addition to the Japanese food scene in Singapore!

Love this place a lot! They import their live unagi from Japan and they guarantee that this is the cheapest place to enjoy Japanese unagi in SG. My partner had the kabayaki unagi set $26.8 and I had the shiraiyaki set with the same price. The unagi tasted really really fresh! My partner and I agreed that Man Man Unagi tasted better than the one in Japan with one michelin star. We also had mini unagi with vinegar as appetizer, really nice but a bit too salty and tamago which was really fluffy & delicious. I was also lucky because I didn't have to queue as I came during odd hour, otherwise be prepared to wait at least an hour. Location a little hidden, but the area outside the restaurant is very conducive for queuing, me thinks!

Man oh man what a unagi place! Ever since I watched Friends I have been wanting to eat Japanese Unagi but all past attempts were just soso (even in Japan) and in my opinion could never compete with Western eel dishes. However, as I am a sucker for Japanese food I had to give Unagi one more try. Thank God, I did because the Hitsumabushi set (eel three ways) is one of the most delicious meals I had in a long time. I had the large set: it was way too much food but I still finished all since it was so good. Aaaaaand, although the restaurant is super busy the service is awesome. All wait staff is mega friendly and attentive (yes for regular tea top-ups). So, delicious food and awesome service: 5 stars!! Worth the hype!

Really nicely chargrilled unagi - shipped in weekly from Japan and grilled by a team of Japanese Pretty authentic experience However don't think the broth meal is worth getting , not too much a difference for the three different ways you can have the unagi and rice ; then again we were not porridge people $20 odd for a meal - hearty and nice though long crowds expected due to the small restaurant tucked in keong siak - worth the wait though!

Extremly delightful. I was visiting my gf in SG and she took me to this unagi heaven. The signature menu with seaweed soup is worth to have. If you are planning to visit SG, this is where you must go.

What a sinful Saturday... This is my second attempt to dine in this restaurant. First time I quit because the queue was ridiculously long... and I determined that I would succeed this time. The dinner starts at 6pm. We arrived at 5pm, and we were the second in the queue. Less than 10mins, another 10 more group arrived... and by 5.30pm I couldn't see the tail of queue at all. Not exaggerating... it's really loooooooong queue! It is a small restaurant, and if you miss the first round, it will take another 1hr to come to your turn. They don't limit the time, means you can eat as slow as you want. The unagi is so delicious. It is so fresh as they slaughter the eels on the spot. It is so yummy that the price is no longer important. The staffs are very friendly and know very well the food they serve. I ordered Hitsumabushi, and I love it! I am not a porridge person but i am really falling in love with this one. My favorite is adding the unagi rice to the soup, and sprinkle the spring onion and seaweed. And I like to grate some fresh wasabi on top. The price range is $30 per person. Reasonable for this quality.

Man Man Unagi stands out in Singapore as a restaurant that is passionate about serving quality, authentic chargrilled unagi at accessible prices. The entrance is humbly tucked in a back alley that you might not notice if you weren't looking for it. As you walk in, you're greeted by nothing less than two pools of live unagi. I like a restaurant that knows what they stand for and isn't shy about it. Around 8:30pm on a Thursday, there wasn't too much of a line and we were seated almost immediately. Most of the tables are cozy, which is typical of a Japanese restaurant, so smaller groups are more ideal. Most come here to try unagi three ways, and that's exactly what I got, the Butamabushi for S$18.80+. The unagi was so fresh and perfectly basted. Basically the three ways are unagi with rice, unagi mixed with the side ingredients (seaweed, scallion, and wasabi), and lastly unagi with the ingredients and with a soup/dashi broth. You actually divide the serving into four parts, and the last part is eaten in your favorite way. My favorite was with seaweed and a hint of wasabi. The refillable ice green tea was also very welcome, and I'm glad they didn't pinch on small things like drinks. We also got a small side dish of unagi bone crackers for S$6, which probably wasn't necessary, but it was different and fun. Bravo for going all out on unagi by sourcing and preparing it like nobody else in Singapore.

Wow! It was my first time and I wow-the suitable word in describing what I had. My 2hr queuing is paid off. The grilled unagi is sooo tasty and chewy. The unagi sauce tastes really good, make sure that you have it on. Definitely will come back again!

The best unagi I have ever eaten! I didn't know about this place until my friend recommended to me. You won't miss this place with its long queue outside the entrance. Everyone is orderly with a small number queuing right outside the door and an empty passage way for pedestrians to walk through then the longer queue starts so don't be deceived if you only see a few people at the door. My friend and I waited an hour which would have been longer if we were a bigger group. The place is pretty small which explains the long queue. We got a seat near the counter where they prepared the food. We were lucky to face the side of grilling the unagi instead of the side of slicing the unagi which was quite a bloody and unpleasant sight. You can also choose not to look up and just dig into your food. The unagi had really crispy skin and tender meat. To justify the waiting time to myself, I ordered the medium portion which was definitely filling and satisfying. We each paid about $30 which is value for money given the quality and portion of the food. Service was also polite and pretty attentive.

Worth the queue and money too Fresh eel and I like to scrap the fresh wasabi Just hope they can expand and have more seats

They basically do one thing here and it is eel. Also it is really good. I mean really, really good. There will probably be a line formed outside at any time of the day. Don't hesitate to wait in that line, because the absolutely fresh barbecued eel on rice is worth it. They have a tank of eels in the restaurant, and so your meal was probably swimming 10 minutes before you ate it. The portion is good-sized but not huge, so at least order the medium size eel/rice bowl, which is about $19 US.

A very small restaurant that specialises in eel rice. The food gets five stars. The eel is chargrilled to perfection, and served on a bed of short-grained white rice, with a side of fresh wasabi. The price is reasonable for the quality. This place does not take reservations so wait times can be long. The line that forms outside the restaurant on the park connector makes it awkward for others using the park connector. The ventilation of the restaurant is also wanting, you will leave smelling like grilled fish!