Iida, Nagano, Japan｜Unagiya

The way of grilling makes the skin crispy. The season when the eel is fatty is good, but the season when it is not fat may be a little lacking in juiciness. (For that reason, the umami is condensed, so it's perfect.) It feels good to have grated yam with hitsumabushi condiments. Unaju is also very satisfying. Both bone crackers and liver soup are good. The Japanese pepper is ground in a mill, so the scent is fresh.

First of all, you will be served bone crackers with tea, so you will have to pick them up and wait. It didn't take as long as I thought, and the bowl was brought in a little over 10 minutes. Sauce and Japanese pepper are placed on the table, but as the instructions say, first of all, enjoy the original taste of eel without adding anything. The way of grilling was Kansai style, and the grilled skin had a crispy texture. Next, add sansho (Japanese pepper), and you can feel the freshly ground flavor from the pepper mill, which will make you want to eat more. Combined with the heavily seasoned grilled liver, the bowl of rice was also eaten up. At the checkout, you will be handed a 5-yen coin tied with a red and white string along with your change, and will say ``I wish you luck.'' I was very happy and full of happiness.

In October 2022, I stopped by for lunch on a trip with a work colleague. I made a reservation in advance and chartered a sightseeing bus. We arrived late due to traffic, but the store staff was waiting for us outside the store and guided us to the sightseeing bus. First of all, I was moved by the hospitality. Since there were a lot of people who made reservations, I had told them the menu in advance, but they provided it very smoothly. As for the eel, every menu has a very large volume and is a good value. The compatibility with the sweet and salty sauce was also outstanding. The daimyo gozen is really luxurious, and the eel is protruding! The interior of the store is also atmospheric, and it will make you feel like traveling. This is a shop that I definitely want to visit on my next trip to Nagano. Thank you very much for your help.