Ota City, Tokyo, Japan｜Hasegawa

Very nice, elegant Japanese eel restaurant. The restaurant, somehow, manages to feel modern and traditional at the same time. We ordered the “unaju” (Unagi over rice served in the lacquer boxes with some pickled sides and soup). It was delicious. The eel was plump and incredibly soft, with an almost fluffy texture that melts in the mouth. The rice was cooked perfectly, with a slightly firm and sticky texture (as Japanese rice usually is) and the pickled veggies are a perfect accompaniment. I’ve had unaju elsewhere before in Japan, and when compared to the others I’ve eaten, this unaju is less sweet - meaning the sauce the Unagi is glazed with isn’t as strong here. I enjoy a sweeter Unagi as a personal preference, though the bed of rice underneath seemed to capture much of sweetness of the sauce. This isn’t a fault, my friend enjoyed this more as it was less sweet, so it all depends on personal taste. I can’t fault this place. Service was good, and the ambience was nice. I hope to be back again.

I visited for the first time in over 20 years. The interior of the store, which had a good atmosphere with a Showa feeling, has changed and has become modern and fashionable. The reason my companion wanted to come here was the eel ham here. I saw something and wanted to try it, so I ordered it immediately. (And I poked half of one before taking a picture, so it's a bit cut off 😆) I don't really like the taste, but my companion said it was delicious. And there is no doubt about Unaju! It's been a long time since I had delicious eel. The scallop salad was also delicious.

I went there for the first time in 31 years. For me, the threshold was high, and it was a store that I couldn't go to unless I had confidence in myself. I was finally able to go. The shop has been refurbished and is beautiful, and the waiting area outside is equipped with fans, coolers, and water dispensers, making it easy to wait. It was full of people. Reservations are not accepted for July and August, so I have no choice but to go. But, after all, it was an eel that I wanted to eat even if I waited. Soft and delicious kabayaki with firm rice. It was just the right balance. It is an impression that it is cheap at 5000 yen for special. There is no draft beer, but bottled beer is the correct answer here. The chopped toro was really delicious.