Bites

Restaurant Report: Unagi Kabuto in Tokyo

Edward Schneider

The restaurant Unagi Kabuto, in Tokyo.

By EDWARD SCHNEIDER

Published: January 1, 2013

For the culinary-minded traveler, any visit to Tokyo should include a dinner of unagi — tender, unctuous grilled freshwater eel. There are genteel eel specialists, like the memorable Yama-no Chaya, which opened in the early 20th century on the leafy grounds of Hie-Jinja Shrine. By contrast, there’s Unagi Kabuto, at 35 a relative newcomer: a friendly, charcoal-smoke-scented storefront in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro neighborhood, whose lively streets are peopled more by touts in skinny suits than by elegant women in kimonos.

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Two decades ago at Yama-no Chaya, my wife and I had our very own tatami room. At Kabuto, we shimmied onto two of the 11 chairs at the counter, the pair at the end, with no space for our knees (the others are somewhat roomier). There are also two small tables, but that counter is the place to be: you’ll want to watch the chef and owner, Kazuo Iwai, haul live eels out of a basin, spike them to his cutting board and speedily fillet them just before skewering and grilling. He’s mesmerizingly deft.

Dinner started with a salted cabbage appetizer, then kushiyaki hitotoori, a sequence of skewered grilled eel parts, including delicate silky-textured livers and lightly crunchy heads. At some point each customer was offered the minuscule still-beating heart of a just-dispatched eel, perhaps as a good-natured challenge. Even following instructions and not chewing, and even with a quick beer chaser, these left a bitter taste in the mouth. But for the intrepid eater, it was a challenge not to be declined.

The main course options include the familiar sweet-savory glazed eel (okabayaki) and something you don’t see as often: unglazed eel (shirayaki), simply grilled over charcoal and served with salt on the side. Each is offered in small, medium and large portions (medium — toku — was just right). The grilling is done with keen attention, and the result is as impeccable as the surroundings are informal; the shirayaki, in particular, was a revelation in its clarity of flavor. Rice, homemade pickles and a clear soup with eel liver end the meal.

If you don’t speak Japanese, you’ll need help making a reservation. We did it through our hotel, the Park Hyatt, whose concierge also printed out a local map and previewed the menu. But once you’re there, the welcome is warm; one staff member speaks some English, and the goal is to make sure that everyone has a good time. We certainly did.

Unagi Kabuto, 2-53-2 Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo; (81-3) 3983-8608. Dinner for two without drinks (tipping is not customary) is 9,500 yen, or $115, at 83 yen to the dollar. Cash only.

花蓮名物

Saturday January 5, 2013

Taiwan's Hualien specialties

Sweet, chewy and yummy: The Hualien Mochi is a glutinous rice cake that comes in a wide variety of fillings.

LIKE other Asian countries, Taiwan is also famous for its street food. Although we did not get the chance to visit any night markets, we were treated to a host of Hualien specialties by our gracious hosts.

Sunfish (mola mola)

It is a deep water species, and its texture is chewy due to the high collagen content. One restaurant in Hualien, Sankokuighi Restaurant, has come up with many ways to prepare this fish.

The flesh is suitable for braising, boiling or frying and can also be made into sashimi. The intestine is the most valuable part of the fish. It can be frozen after boiling, and then fried again as it becomes crispy. Because of its high price when prepared as sashimi, it is called “Dragon Intestines”.

We also tried a drink made from a combination of lime, wheat grass and, of course, the mola mola bits — which tasted like aloe vera.

Betelnut heart

The betelnut is popular with the aborigines because chewing on the seeds makes them stay awake. So it is not surprising that they have found ways to make use of the plant. As with most palms, the tender shoot known as palm heart, is edible. Its shoot is stir-fried with garlic or chicken and tastes really good.

Smoked tuna

Smoked tuna or katsuo is mostly produced in the Xincheng township as the fish is found in abundance in this region. The fish is gutted, cut into pieces and smoked for a few weeks. It becomes as hard as wood. A special tool is used to shave thin, flower-like petals. The shavings are eaten with soup, sprinkled on takoyaki or as is. It’s said to be highly nutritious.

Freshwater clam

These are found at Li Chuan Aquafarm in the Shoufeng township. Spring water from the Central Mountain Range and modern cultivation techniques are used to raise highly nutritious golden clams.

They are harvested after eight months when they are at the “sweetest”. When stir-fried with garlic and chilli, the dish tastes marvellous.

As tilapia and silver perch are also reared at the pond, we gave them a try too. The tilapia was smothered with rock salt and baked. Before serving, the salt crust was cracked. The fish is really delicious, and not salty at all.

Hualien mochi

The glutinous rice cake is popular with the Amis tribe, made with sweet potato, red rice and water. But now the recipe for the snack has evolved and has included fillings like sweet peanut paste, red bean, coconut, fruits and even chocolate.

Pineapple cake

This is a popular dessert with the Hualien people. It is a golden yellow square with a sweet pineapple filling. Several manufacturers of the cake have come up with new versions, like with chilli added.

Hualien Yam

Today, other than purple Hualien yams, visitors may also find a number of other creative snacks such as stuffed Hualien yam with mochi (glutinous rice cake) as a souvenir to take home to family and friends.

Hamburg's slippery specialty: North Sea eels

Japan, China, Taiwan team up to preserve eel stocks 合作防止鰻苗遭濫捕

漢堡的不知Ken Su等是否吃過.
印象很深的是80年代初台灣開始懂得將其作成外銷品. 我們跟貿易商買來吃...
2002年在越南的寶成Nike廠郭總等請吃冬補.....

Food and Drink

Hamburg's slippery specialty: North Sea eels

Eels, slimy and snake-like, aren't the world's most loveable creatures, nor are they an obvious dinner choice. But at a Hamburg restaurant, they're served up as a delicacy - and have even been food fit for a king.

Marcus Böse is proud that the establishment he manages offers a unique German delicacy fresh out of the North Sea: eels. The "Alt Hamburger Aalspeicher," run by the Eismann Family, offers traditional Northern German fare in the heart of Hamburg. It is one of the city's best-known places to dine.
Built in 1697 and situated on one of the city's historic canals, its gnarled beams and low ceilings lend the old building its charm. It is Hamburg's third most-photographed building.
In its interior, it is Böse's job to make sure that every diner has the chance to enjoy a true taste of northern Germany. Still, he cannot quite convince Hannelore Schlecht, a guest from Zurich, to try the eel again. "I've actually had it before, prepared in lots of different ways, but I just find it too fatty and pungent in taste," she said. She's chosen mild-tasking sole instead.
Fatty, but tasty
Böse says Schlecht is missing out. It's precisely the high fatty content, oily texture and exceptionally strong flavor that make the taste of eel second to none.

The "European Eel," or "Anguilla Anguilla"

In the small, tidy kitchen, the "Alt Hamburger Aalspeicher" chef prepares more than one hundred servings of eel each week - whether smoked, fried, grilled or pickled, Böse said. The chef selects leaner eels of the best quality when they are delivered live to the restaurant, where they are slaughtered.
A generous amount of oil is poured into a saucepan, where the eel is cooked for 20 minutes. The result is a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth taste of the North Sea. The eel is normally served with seasoned scrambled eggs, rye bread and a hearty portion of roasted potatoes.
Eating it off the bone

From the water to the plate: eel with egg

A "delicious" meal, Böse says, but the ceremony of serving eel is just as important as the way it is prepared. Böse lovingly describes how guests are presented with the side dishes, as well as a basket of five or six warm eels at their table.
"Each guest starts by choosing the eel they most like the look of," he explains. "Then, they skin it themselves."
"The correct way to eat it is to hold the eel in your hand and nibble the flesh off the bones," Böse says matter-of-factly.
Fit for a king
Sound all a little barbaric? Perhaps, but the northern German tradition of eating eel is respected and enjoyed by people from all levels of society - even royalty. Marion Eismann, who established the "Alt Hamburger Aalspeicher" with her husband 34 years ago, remembers the day King Harald of Norway came for lunch.
"It was very exciting," Eismann recalls. "His representatives called ahead and pre-ordered the menu and wine. But [King Harald] was so fantastic, so nice; I chatted with him for ages. It was great, really a lot of fun.
Marion Eismann now runs the restaurant with her daughter Katarina, with Böse as manager. They say that over the years, they've served many celebrities and no matter who the guest is, most love the taste eel once they've tried it."

Young eels prepared for restocking in Rhine river

Part of the attraction could also be the hearty dose of alcohol traditionally served at the end of the eel meal. But before diners can imbibe, they must partake in a slightly eccentric cleansing ritual. Schnapps is poured onto their hands, which they must rub all over to rid themselves of the grease. Then, a round of Sloe berry schnapps goes down the hatch from a pewter spoon to aid digestion. Cheers!