I received a gift of eel chazuke from Seiyu, where grilled eel is combined with sansho pepper and simmered in a secret sauce. The eel comes in a vacuum-sealed pack in a wooden box, and is served over rice with tea poured over it. The eel has a strong aroma of sansho pepper, making it a perfect match with sake. It was slightly warmed before eating, and I was pleasantly surprised by how tender the eel was, with a sweet and spicy flavor complemented by the spiciness of the sansho pepper. This dish is perfect for those who enjoy chazuke or sake. Overall, it was a delightful experience and I am grateful for the gift.

On Friday, I visited the newly renovated Daimaru Shinsaibashi store. Of course, my goal was the food market in the basement. It was quite crowded, but not overly so. Since it just opened, there were various food samples available. The food court seems to be a bit more upscale compared to Lucua. One thing that caught my eye was the Unagi Chazuke from Seiyu. I usually love the regular Unagi Chazuke, but this time they had a limited edition made with eel from Lake Biwa. I was curious about the difference, so I bought two. The eel used in this version is from Lake Biwa, a natural eel. Is it not usually available? We made it specifically for this renovation. Wow! I'll take two! I'm not sure how rare it is, but the Unagi Chazuke made with natural eel has a rich flavor. It's perfect as a side dish for drinks. The complimentary bone senbei was also delicious. I'll have to buy some next time!

I'm a bit stubborn, so I avoided being swayed by Hira Genai's tactics and got a takeout of eel bowl before the midsummer day of the ox. Well, it's not so much about being swayed by tactics as it is about avoiding the crowds (^◇^;) Today's eel is from Taiwan. Don't underestimate Taiwanese eel, it's quite thick and delicious. Top-notch restaurants proudly display the origin, so the quality is maintained. According to some sources, domestic eel has smaller pieces and feels a bit lacking in satisfaction. Well, in my case, as long as it's delicious, anything goes (^◇^;)

I had never heard of eel hot pot before. I happened to see a pamphlet at the Seiyu store that had a recipe for "eel hot pot". I ordered it at the store and had it delivered to my home. When I opened it, I found that all the ingredients were included and there was even broth. It seemed like it would serve about 3-4 people. The package also included 2 liters of concentrated broth, so there was plenty to go around. I boiled the broth, cooked the vegetables, and then added the eel. It was delicious! The eel, warmed in the broth, had a perfect texture and flavor. Not too bland or overpowering, just the right balance. We also made porridge with the leftover broth the next day, which was also tasty. Although the ordering period for this dish has ended for this year, I definitely want to try it again next season.

I think it's more cost-effective to order the giant eel bowl in a 3-person serving in a box rather than ordering two servings of the expensive eel bowl at Seiyu. I keep the box because I think it could be useful for something. When ordering the eel box, you are asked if you want to eat it right away. If you plan to eat it later, it's recommended to choose the cold option so you can cool down the eel and rice first. If you plan to eat it on the same day, definitely go for the warm option. I tried to transfer the contents of the 3-person box into a bowl since I can't finish it all by myself. It was still slightly warm, and the rice was soft, so I was able to neatly transfer it into the bowl. Since I started buying eel from Seiyu, I no longer go to other shops.

Today, I decided to stop cooking dinner and instead picked up a huge three-person serving of unagi-don and eel rolls from Seiyu. The eel today was said to be from Taiwan, but it was thick and delicious, comparable to domestic eel. The eel rolls also had plenty of eel filling, giving them a satisfying texture. I used to buy eel in Umeda, but if the quality is this good near my house, I might switch to Seiyu from now on.