Life-changing Unagi in Nagoya
My virgin experience having hitsumabushi was undeniably satisfying (perhaps even life-changing). It was by far one of the best meals that I had during my recent trip to Japan in May this year.
Hitsumabushi was a dish introduced to me by my friend who was accompanying me on the trip. I had never heard of this dish before, and have never been a big eater of unagi. However, I knew I could trust my friend's recommendation wholeheartedly because he has exquisite taste and he is also an avid foodie like me. Nagoya was the last city that we were visiting on our trip and my friend raved about how this was a must-try dish in the city. The restaurant that we eventually decided on, Atsuta Houraiken, has several branches, but we went to the one located in the Matsuzakaya department store in the Sakae area.
Despite arriving fairly early for dinner (shortly after 5pm), there was already a snaking line outside the restaurant. Fortunately the line moved fairly quickly and there were plenty of seats to rest while waiting. The service was fairly quick, and their signature dish comes in two sizes - the regular bowl is priced at ¥3,600 and the large portion goes for ¥5,100. I decided on the regular, and the portion was still extremely reasonable, with a generous serving of unagi.
What's unique about this dish is the specific method of consuming it. Essentially, one has to divide the main dish into 4 equal portions. First you enjoy the eel and rice as it is. The next step is to add the condiments. Third, you add a broth, and finally, you can enjoy it any way you like. The wasabi really gave the dish a nice dose of freshness, while the broth was fairly light. Personally though, I didn't add that much of the broth while eating but drank more of it at the end.
Overall, it was indeed a pleasant surprise as I don't usually eat eel, so I was really impressed. Certainly a must try if you visit Nagoya, and undoubtedly one of the things I now miss most from my trip.
[Grade: A+]
Hitsumabushi was a dish introduced to me by my friend who was accompanying me on the trip. I had never heard of this dish before, and have never been a big eater of unagi. However, I knew I could trust my friend's recommendation wholeheartedly because he has exquisite taste and he is also an avid foodie like me. Nagoya was the last city that we were visiting on our trip and my friend raved about how this was a must-try dish in the city. The restaurant that we eventually decided on, Atsuta Houraiken, has several branches, but we went to the one located in the Matsuzakaya department store in the Sakae area.
Despite arriving fairly early for dinner (shortly after 5pm), there was already a snaking line outside the restaurant. Fortunately the line moved fairly quickly and there were plenty of seats to rest while waiting. The service was fairly quick, and their signature dish comes in two sizes - the regular bowl is priced at ¥3,600 and the large portion goes for ¥5,100. I decided on the regular, and the portion was still extremely reasonable, with a generous serving of unagi.
What's unique about this dish is the specific method of consuming it. Essentially, one has to divide the main dish into 4 equal portions. First you enjoy the eel and rice as it is. The next step is to add the condiments. Third, you add a broth, and finally, you can enjoy it any way you like. The wasabi really gave the dish a nice dose of freshness, while the broth was fairly light. Personally though, I didn't add that much of the broth while eating but drank more of it at the end.
Overall, it was indeed a pleasant surprise as I don't usually eat eel, so I was really impressed. Certainly a must try if you visit Nagoya, and undoubtedly one of the things I now miss most from my trip.
[Grade: A+]
