One of my friends maintains that the reason Americans think eel is gross is because the English word eel sounds slimy and unappetizing. Unagi （うなぎ、鰻), on the other hand, actually sounds like something you would eat, and because restaurants prepare it and serve it like fish, any visual squick factor is removed. I really like the texture and flavor of eel, which is best in summer and fall. Conbini eel isn’t terrible, and regular restaurant eel is great, but if you really want to experience eel, go to a restaurant that specializes in it.
Delcious unagi at Namaza-ya
Searching for dinner and drawn in by the delicious smell outside the restaurant, my friend and I wandered into Namazu-ya (なまず屋*) in Ichinomiya （一宮). This restaurant specializes in eel, and 95% of the menu is eel based. Eel is typically served cooked in teriyaki sauce (soy, sugar, mirin). My friend and I both decided to try the うな重 (una juu; eel served in a lacquer bowl or box) for 1600 yen. This set came with a bowl of white rice, a bowl of herbal broth, and picked vegetables. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten eel this perfectly cooked. It was mind-blowingly delicious: the meat was delicate and melted in my mouth, and the flavors of the eel and the sauce were superb: complex, but not overpowering. The portion size was just right since we were asked how big a bowl of rice we wanted (small was plenty). The pickles were homemade and delicious, and the broth had that great 薄い quality to it which perfectly complemented the full flavor of the unagi and sauce. Also popular were varieties of うなぎ丼 (unagi-don), eel cooked in sauce served over a bowl of rice).
The front of the shop from the street.
なまず屋 Namazu-ya
愛知県一宮市神山1-10-19
Aichi-ken Ichinomiya-shi Kami-yama 1-10-19
Tel. 0586-44-8888
Five-minute walk from JR Owari-Ichinomiya Station (JR尾張一宮駅) and Meitetsu Ichinomiya Station (名鉄一宮), west-exit side (西口).
Open 11:00-14:30; 16:30-21:00
Closed Wednesdays; open on national holidays.
Menu in Japanese only.
Average price: 1500 yen
There is no official website, but you can read reviews here (in Japanese):
Ichinomiyan’s review (Ichinomiya City)
Tabelog (restaurant review site)
Notes
*The kana on the sign uses one of the old hiragana no longer in use for な. It looks a bit like ふ, but is pronounced な。
I’m not a fan of seafood at all and have certainly never considered eel, but based on your description I think I’ll give it a try when I find a good restaurant. And you’re right about how unappetising “eel” sounds, especially compared to 鰻!
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I had never eaten eel in the States, although I know some Asian fusion places I liked served it. If you don’t like seafood but like fish, I think you’ll enjoy eel.
Thanks for the comment!
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[…] two words that come to mind are local seasonal. While Japan celebrates its local specialties like Nagoya unagi and Kyoto tofu, Japan is a fairly small country in terms of size. Because the climate of the […]
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