" - Winnie the Pooh
Eel
Yoshihara-san (my tutor) too Fyoire and I out for an Isahaya specialty, eel. Apparently, this restaurant has been open for over 100 years. They serve only eel. It's about $25 a head.
We sat on a raised tatami platform. There were pillows for kneeling on and a low table. It was certainly the most Japanese atmosphere I've experienced so far.
On a far wall, there were rows of little bins. It was explained that those were for storing shoes when diners went to the upstairs section. We actually got to watch some businessmen go up there toward the end of our meal.
The eel was cooked in a pretty sweet sauce. It might have been grilled. The flavor was excellent. Again, it was the texture that got me. I am not accustomed to having bones in my fish, even the tiniest ones. I couldn't really share the food with Roo because I'm certain they wouldn't have agreed with her. Of course, Yoshihara-san put some of the sauce on Roo's rice and it made Roo gag so I didn't even bother trying to find a non-bony piece of the eel. The first and last pieces that were bone free were delicious. The rice, the vegetables - all very worthwhile. The bones...oh man, I can't take much of that. I hope that knowing what's coming makes it easier to take, but being caught off guard made the meal a little awkward. Fyoire and I both got our food down, though. (Lucky for us, Yoshihara-san took us for cake and coffee afterward and that helped settle the bones.)
Of course, the ultimate question is...will I take others there. Since it's traditional Japanese fare and an Isahaya specialty, no less, I guess the answer is yes, with a caveat. I will warn them that the eel is good, but bony. If they think they can take the bones, I'll stomach another meal. Maybe I'll get used to it if I keep trying it.
We sat on a raised tatami platform. There were pillows for kneeling on and a low table. It was certainly the most Japanese atmosphere I've experienced so far.
On a far wall, there were rows of little bins. It was explained that those were for storing shoes when diners went to the upstairs section. We actually got to watch some businessmen go up there toward the end of our meal.
The eel was cooked in a pretty sweet sauce. It might have been grilled. The flavor was excellent. Again, it was the texture that got me. I am not accustomed to having bones in my fish, even the tiniest ones. I couldn't really share the food with Roo because I'm certain they wouldn't have agreed with her. Of course, Yoshihara-san put some of the sauce on Roo's rice and it made Roo gag so I didn't even bother trying to find a non-bony piece of the eel. The first and last pieces that were bone free were delicious. The rice, the vegetables - all very worthwhile. The bones...oh man, I can't take much of that. I hope that knowing what's coming makes it easier to take, but being caught off guard made the meal a little awkward. Fyoire and I both got our food down, though. (Lucky for us, Yoshihara-san took us for cake and coffee afterward and that helped settle the bones.)
Of course, the ultimate question is...will I take others there. Since it's traditional Japanese fare and an Isahaya specialty, no less, I guess the answer is yes, with a caveat. I will warn them that the eel is good, but bony. If they think they can take the bones, I'll stomach another meal. Maybe I'll get used to it if I keep trying it.
posted by Wynnie | 22:16
1 Comments:
Your grandmother used to love sardines but I couldn't get used to the bones in them. Have you tried sardines? Would you know if there's a comparison between the bones in eel and sardines? At least the eels are large enough to be more versatile in preparation styles. And, it takes far fewer eels to make a jacket than sardines ;-)....Love and hugs, Mom
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