Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan｜鰻 久田

Had ramen at 寶龍 for lunch. Great taste, cheap price. Every bowl individually cooked. Heaven. Then my friend want grilled eels on rice and we saw 鰻 久田 on the opposite side of the road. The elderly gentleman warned us that it was all eels (as we look like unknowing tourists) and show us the price. Grilled eels on rice from ¥4000 to 8800, depending on the grades of the eels. Not cheap but the eels above the charcoal looked great. Took the advice on the ¥4800 option, plus some Sapporo draft beer. He took his time grilling, after the eels were filleted by his helper next to him. Bits of cheese were also served. Turned out that Mr 久田 has a cheese empire, with a dozen outlets in Japan. Wrote a few books about his enterprise. From the old photos in one of the books, he was a handsome man in his younger days. Friendly and direct, chatting to us in broken English, with his charm undiminished by his age. Then the eels on rice came, with a simple soup and some pickle vegetable (to cleanse the taste buds between bites). The eels were grilled just right, with the right amount of sweetness, grease and spice in a heavily balance. Mocha was offered after I downed the tasty dish in a flash. Thank you Mr 久田. Really appreciate the wonderful cooking and friendliness. At this moment, I do not feel any hostility towards our Eastern neighbour. Love you Japan! Love you Hokkaido.

Very delicious Unagi

This is a restaurant where you can prepare and grill your food after ordering. It takes some time, but it's well worth the wait. If you want to see the chef in action, we recommend sitting on the left side of the counter. The exquisite charring of the eel's fat and sauce gives it a delicious aroma that only comes from freshly grilled eel. The staff are very pleasant and this is a store that I would like to visit regularly.