びびちゃ
Two people on a holiday. The lunch spot has already been decided, and the train time has been set as well. Yes, I am a stickler for schedules. I arrived at the station as planned and let's head over. This is "Unagi Marutomi," a restaurant located a 3-minute walk from Keikyu Aomono Yokocho Station. I've been wanting to try this place for a while, and it was selected as one of the top 100 eel restaurants in 2022. Most of the eel restaurants on the top 100 list are quite expensive, but this one is reasonably priced. For those who don't eat eel, spending thousands of yen on it may seem absurd, but with the recent rise in eel prices, even 3000 yen seems cheap! I arrived at the restaurant about 5 minutes before opening, and there was only one person in line. I decided to go in and the place was very small. We sat at the counter in a U-shape with seats for 8 people. We were immediately asked for our order. I ordered the Unagi Donburi (with less rice) and miso soup, while the staff showed me the amount of rice in the bowl and asked if I wanted less. The regular portion looked quite generous. I opted for less rice, and my companion went for the regular portion. Within 5 minutes of sitting down, the Unagi Donburi arrived. The aroma of the grilled eel filled the small restaurant, and we were surprised by the speed of service. The eel looked glossy and shiny, and why does grilled eel always look so delicious? My companion usually starts eating after saying "Itadakimasu," but I couldn't wait and started eating ahead of him. When I picked up my chopsticks, the crispy grilled surface of the eel seemed like the Kansai style. The meat wasn't too thick, so it felt soft and fluffy inside. However, for 3150 yen, I was very satisfied with the generous portion of the Unagi Donburi. I felt that there was slightly too much sauce, maybe because I asked for less rice. My companion who had the regular portion didn't seem to mind the amount of sauce. The miso soup was served in a bowl, and it was so hot to hold! It had the standard ingredients of tofu and fried tofu, with a delicious taste of koji miso. When the customer at the back finished eating and paid the bill, my companion and I had to stand in the aisle so that person could leave. The restaurant was so small that it felt like a fast-food place! The whole experience took about 15 minutes. If everyone took 30 minutes to finish their meal, the turnover would be slow, but fortunately, it seemed to be quick.