ちくわぶつみれ
"Unagi Don 4300 yen + extra rice 50 yen, a generous portion of unagi with 4.5 pieces (including the ends), cooked to perfection with a tender and fluffy texture. The sauce is not too heavy, so you may want to add more to enhance the flavor. The unagi has a good amount of fat, so it's a bit of a dilemma to balance the taste with the generous portion of rice. The rice is cooked just right, with a slightly lower starch content, making it a perfect match for the bowl. It's quite a substantial portion, and even with a slightly extra serving of rice, it's still a lot to handle. I struggled with the larger size, probably around 1.6-1.7 regular servings. The decision to go 'slightly extra' took some time...
The reduction in unagi made it a bit challenging to finish all the rice. The meal comes with a side of clear soup with tofu and mitsuba (a type of herb), and pickles with cucumber and daikon radish. These sides are a great break from the generous unagi bowl. I arrived on a Friday just after the Obon holiday around 10:00 AM, and there were 38 people ahead of me. The temperature was 32°C. The line along the street stretched all the way to the intersection. Some people brought their own chairs, and almost everyone had a sun umbrella. The line along the parking area allowed people to sit on concrete steps and had some shade. At 10:10 AM, they came to confirm if you were dining in or taking out. At 10:27 AM, they checked again for additional orders, and at that point, there were around 53 people waiting. Shortly after, they put up a sign saying they were sold out.
Around 10:50 AM, they started letting customers in, and the line along the parking area extended to the intersection. I was seated at 12:45 PM, got my bowl at 12:50 PM, and finished by 1:10 PM. On my previous visit, I had arrived around 10:50 AM, and I managed to get a bowl, but the day before, I arrived at the same time and they had already sold out. It seems that you need to come quite early, especially after the Obon holiday and with COVID restrictions easing. After the meal, I realized I had forgotten my wallet and had to go back home to get it. I paid at 4:50 PM. Yesterday, I arrived late and they were sold out, so today, it took two round trips. I ended up spending about the same amount as the unagi donburi on train fares and wasted a total of 12 hours. I can't believe how silly I was. If there's a next time, I'll probably go for the regular size."
(Note: This translation is provided as requested and may not be a verbatim translation, but it conveys the meaning of the original text.)