Hitsumabushi

Me and eel? We don't click.
I mean, that slimy creature is just ewww. Have you ever seen those in the tanks at Carrefour, Giant or any other hypermarkets? Yucks!

 

 So whenever I dine in a Japanese restaurant, unagi is definitely crossed off the menu. But my friends have an opposite idea.... 

 

We agreed to meet for dinner to catch up. Sato-san texted me and asked me to wait for him and a few other friends at Tawaramachi subway station, which is just one stop away from Asakusa station on Ginza Line.

 

  So we met at 7.30 pm after they finished work. I had no idea where they were taking me for dinner. We walked for a good 5 minutes from the subway exit until we reached a certain restaurant, Asakusa Unatetsu. It seemed popular cos it was full and customers had to wait to be seated. Luckily they already made a reservation earlier so we were ushered in without waiting for too long. 

 

 

After we were seated, the waiter handed us the menu. I quickly flipped through the pages, and to my horror, the only thing that I could eat from the menu was Unagi. T____T  

 

They asked me to choose what I wanted, and I told them the truth hesitantly. They felt bad but they challenged me to try it anyway. haha... According to them, this restaurant offers one of the best dishes in the area. 

 

Not wanting to disappoint them, I thought it was time to do some fear factor and gave it a try.

 

We ordered this.

 

 

It is Hitsumabushi, a dish with grilled eel with sweet Teriyaki sauce on steamed rice served in a wooden bowl. There are actually two types of Hitsumabushi; Tare - with soy sauce, and Shio - broiled plain unagi with salt.

All of us ordered the Tare version.

 

You can enjoy this meal in three different ways! The restaurant even prepared cards showing us how to enjoy it.

 

 

First, just eat it as served to experience the natural flavour.
The fillet was crispy outside and soft inside. I thought it tasted like chicken.

 

Second, add some green onion and fresh grated wasabi, and mix them in the bowl.
I liked this way to eat the most!

 

I had the opportunity to grate my own wasabi!

 

 Third, put some green onion, wasabi, and pour some Dashi (soup).

 

To my surprise, the dish tasted great! I finished them all! So guys... don't judge a dish without tasting it first or should I say, don't judge the animal by its look. hahaha...   

 

The restaurant has English menus so don't worry if you can't speak or read Japanese. The menus are a little pricey, approximately 3000 yen for the Hitsumabushi set, but you get good food and a good dining experience.

 

The service was great too. The waiter was checking us every now and then to make sure everything was good. Perhaps because my friends told him I was a friend from Malaysia, and it was my first time trying it.

 

Uetake-san, Sato-san, moi, Takasaki-san, Mouri-san

 I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are a fan of unagi, or for those who want to try something different in Tokyo.

Address :

Asakusa Unatetsu

1-43-7, Asakusa, Taitou-ku, Tokyo, 111-0032

Tel : 03-3841-1360

Access : Tsukuba express Asakusa Station A1 exit 1-minute walk
Subway Ginza Line Tawaramachi Station 5-minute walk
Subway Toei Asakusa Line Asakusa Station 7-minute walk
Tobu Isesaki Line Asakusa Station 7-minute walk

Opening day & hours: Opens everyday except Tuesdays from 11.30 am ~ 10.30 pm (Last order at 10 pm)