Katori, Chiba, Japan｜Unasen

I went without making a reservation, but the eel was served about 25 minutes after ordering. It seems that it usually takes about 40 minutes, and the shop recommended a reservation. The eel and eel are so big that you can't even see the rice.

I love eel, so I don't think it's possible to go all over the country, but I would like to visit as many delicious restaurants as possible in Chiba Prefecture. This time, I visited Unasen-san in conjunction with a visit to Katori Shrine. It seems like it's only open for lunch, so it's a shame for drinkers, but I stopped by for lunch before visiting the shrine. From Katori Station, get off at Omigawa Station, which is two stations ahead in the direction of Choshi. It's about a 20-minute walk from there, but the scenery along the river will get you excited about eating eel. I think it is necessary to make a reservation as it is a small shop and there is not enough capacity to just pop in. In my case, it was a weekday, but I called at 10am and was able to make a reservation for 1pm. When we arrived, the eel was brought to us within 10 minutes without any confirmation of our order. (It seems that if you don't say 1 eel and a half when making a reservation, it will be a regular eel juju.) To be honest, I was looking forward to waiting for several minutes while drinking beer, but I think that the reservation time equals the serving time. . At first glance, it looked like a small bowl, but it was filled with soft rice and fluffy eel on top, so I was filled with pickles, tsukudani, beer (a large bottle), and sweetness. The unagiju was a very elegant dish with the eel that had been made fluffy over time, soft rice, and a light sweet sauce. I think the lotus flower is a better weight than the chopsticks. (Additional sauce is provided, so you can add more if you feel it is too thin.) There were some parts where I thought the flavor could have been a little stronger, but the small fish and eel head tsukudani that came with it had a strong flavor, so the total might be just right. (You can also get eel head tsukudani at Honjo Azumabashi's Tsukudani, but it is a delicacy that is rarely eaten. I was surprised that Unasen's eel head tsukudani was soft and mushy.) I felt that the taste was similar to Owada in Kashiwa when it comes to eel restaurants in Chiba Prefecture. Although he is similar to Mr. Yamada from Sawara, I was surprised at how completely different he is. I once again realized that eel has a lot of depth. It's run by an elderly couple, so it's a riverside restaurant where time passes quietly and slowly. And it was a very gentle eel dish. Thank you for the meal.

(Used in December 2021) Chiba eel tour. This time, it was my first time using Unasen, a famous restaurant in Omigawa that was recommended to me by a friend. In conclusion, I really liked it. I think this elegant sauce with a distinctly sweet and umami flavor is a rare sauce that you won't be able to experience anywhere else. ■Cooking/taste We visited with 2 people, 4,000 yen for one eel, and 1,000 yen for grilled liver, for a total of 9,000 yen including tax. By the way, 1.5 eel pieces are a good deal at 5,000 yen, so next time I'd like to try the upper eel pieces. The eel itself was quite thick and large. Both steamed and grilled, it has just the right amount of seasoning, has just the right amount of crumbly texture, and has a uniquely sweet sauce that stands out. I think this sauce is very flavorful, refreshing, and sweet, and is perfect for eel, which is basically a rich type of fish. Jubako is also unique in that the bottom is rounded and not angular. I feel like the mouth is made wider for that reason. So, there isn't as much rice as it looks, but the hostess says that you can get refills, so if you don't have enough rice, feel free to ask for more. Like other authentic eel restaurants, the eel is prepared every time you order it, so I think it would be best to make a reservation in advance. All the other customers had ordered in advance before coming to the restaurant, so they were served within a few minutes of being seated. The eel ju is a set of two pieces of eel boiled in kabuto (simmered eel head in tsukudani), pickles, and liver soup (and a mandarin orange as a bonus). In particular, this is my first experience with stewed eel, but the eel has a melty texture, probably due to the fact that it has been stewed properly, and I think it would go well as a side dish with hot sake. The liver grill is priced at 1,000 yen, which is high compared to other stores, but the quantity is about double that of other stores, so I think it's a reasonable price. This is also grilled with the same sauce as the eel, so I enjoyed it with the same elegant taste as the eel. ■Service/Atmosphere It is run by a man and a woman (husband and wife?), with the husband doing the cooking and the wife-like person serving the customers. I made a reservation by phone in advance and visited. There were about 5 or 6 tables in the restaurant. This is what a typical local roadside independent store looks like.