Kita City, Tokyo, Japan｜Tsugumi-an

This is one of the top three Eal restaurants according to the Japanese foodie website tablelog and absolutely worth your trip. If you like Eel, this is the place you should visit, even if it is a bit of a commute. Please beware however that you will need a reservation in order to eat there and the person on the phone only speaks Japanese.

"Tsugumi-an" is a restaurant where you can eat chicken and eel dishes, located a 7-8 minute walk from Komagome Station on the JR Yamanote Line. It was closed for a long time until it reopened in May 2022. The store is only open for three days on weekends. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to make reservations, as it is limited to one group (two people) each for lunch and dinner. On this day, two of us made a reservation at 12:00 on Saturday. The shop is run in a corner of an old private house. From the counter seats, you can watch your meal being prepared by the chef and his wife. The only menu available for both lunch and dinner is the Omakase Course (14,000 yen including tax). The lineup of Omakase courses is as follows: ■Appetizers - Soaked cucumber, pot-fried whitebait, mullet and dried squid, pickled wasabi, and shallots. ■Yakitori-Liver- ■Yakitori-chicken wings- ■ Grilled eel fillet and liver ■ Grilled eel from chestnuts ■Shirayaki eel ■Unaju ■Suimono/Pickles The course started with an assortment of appetizers that went perfectly with alcohol, followed by two yakitori dishes and four eel dishes, including eel jus. When I asked the owner why he was serving yakitori, he told me that when he first opened the restaurant, he used to cook and sell wild bird thrush instead of eel dishes, and as a result of that tradition, he still serves yakitori today. It seems that there are. The ``liver'' was ``pretty'' and had no odor, and was delicious with a rich flavor that filled your mouth. "Chicken wings" are served with the bones removed. The "crispy" texture of the skin was addictive, and the amount of salt was perfect. I would like to order more if possible. ``Unagi no Kurikarayaki'' is a dish made by wrapping eel end meat around a skewer and grilling it. It was delicious with a chewy texture and an easy-to-eat taste with no bitterness. ``Shirayaki eel'' comes in two types: the fatty belly part and the bland tail part. I ate it with salt and Japanese pepper instead of wasabi. The main dish, ``Unajyu,'' is a Kanto-style dish that is steamed and then grilled. Also, after the eel is grilled, the bones are carefully pulled out with tweezers before being served. When eating Kanto-style eel jus, you are often concerned about the bones, but you can eat Tsugumi-an's eel jus without worrying at all. The eel was grilled over gas rather than charcoal, but that didn't bother me at all. According to the general, adding charcoal to the water used to cook rice neutralizes the distinctive gas smell when you eat it. Despite being such a legendary restaurant, I was moved by the way the owner and his wife put the customers first, such as saying, ``We apologize for the expensive lunch.'' If I can go this year, I would like to visit again.

Detailed evaluation 4.6 I came to Tsugumi-an, a yakitori and live eel restaurant in Komagome. I managed to make a reservation and it is a visit with 3 people. As I walked from the station with a map in hand, I arrived at a private house with few street lights. At the entrance, when I was taking pictures of the dimmed signboard and lantern with the word "eel" floating on it, the proprietress opened the door. It was just the time of the reservation, so I guess he came to see how people were feeling. My impression was that he was soft-spoken and a wonderful person. Take off your shoes at the entrance and go up I felt like I was guided to the living room of a private house rather than a tatami room. You don't feel like you're in a store, you feel like you've been invited into your home. I greeted the general who was preparing the food and took a seat. There are only 3 chopstick rests on the table, so it seems that it is reserved only for us. If you ask me, I heard that the maximum is 10 people a day, day and night. Today we had a meeting at the venue, so we'll have a toast with bottled beer. advance Eating whitebait and wasabi pickles with beer will gradually sharpen your taste buds, just like warming up before a sport. Next, Shime mackerel Even though it's a yakitori and eel shop, I was caught off guard because I was accused of an unexpected place. I told you in advance that I would also drink alcohol, so I wonder if that is also taken into consideration. It has a soft and smooth texture that makes you feel the careful work. It was a shime mackerel that I had never eaten before. It's pretty good. Next is yakitori tip of chicken wings It's full of collagen, soft and delicious. We had high-quality tip that you can't eat anywhere else, along with Nama Hachimi. chicken meatballs Super soft. This is the first time I've eaten something so soft through fire. It means that it is made by kneading firmly and making it without using a binder. I felt that the sauce was also a hint to the eel. deboned chicken wings It's just watered down! Excellent fatty chicken wings. It's a fine day to use chicken wings effectively to create two exquisite skewers. After drinking beer for a while, I move on to sake. Miyagi Local Sake Hoyo Daiginjo It has a full, rich flavor and an elegant mouthfeel. At Tsugumi-an, the only sake brand seems to be Hoyo. The eel liver and fins are also included, so it goes well with sake. Shirayaki I eat it while it's piping hot. It was light and had a rich taste. It is a mixture of Okinawa salt and Himalayan rock salt. Among the shirayaki, it was so exquisite that I thought it might be the best I've ever had. Unaju In order to enjoy the texture, it is served without a lid. Speaking of unaju, I thought it was natural to pop the lid open, but I was overwhelmed by the existing concept. I am impressed with the attention to detail in the leather and the careful work that goes into removing the bones. This unaju is different from the unaju that I have eaten so far, both in taste and texture. The texture of the skin is irresistible, and the fat is also solid. It seems to be plump, but the body is firm. What impressed me the most was the taste of fish. Although eel is a fish, it doesn't taste like fish, but the eel over rice here was the most fishy taste I've ever eaten. If there are people who eat Tsugumi-an's eel in the future, please try to eat it with a little awareness. The Unaju was really delicious, but the way they make it is also a picture. The husband also seemed to be physically demanding, and sometimes he helped his wife fanning herself from behind. Somehow, it seemed that the two people's lives and lives were projected, and it was even moving. I'm really grateful to you for taking the time and effort to make me eat such delicious food before 4:00 in the morning. They say that they are just doing what they take for granted, but how many shops around the world do this? I can't get a reservation easily, but I would like to visit you again.