Large unagi don ($42.70++)!
Outram Park Japanese unagi specialist large unagi don: lattice-glazed grilled eel over rice with the kabayaki tare, served with pickles, chawanmushi and soup. $42.70++.
Dinner with BB at an Outram Park Japanese unagi specialist: large unagi don, $42.70++. The premium upgrade. 😋
What was on the table:
- Large unagi don: a generous fillet of grilled eel laid over rice in a lattice arrangement, lacquered with the dark kabayaki tare
- Pickles (yellow takuan) + a small side
- Chawanmushi: the steamed egg custard
- Soup on the side
Unagi (鰻), freshwater eel, is one of Japan’s prized summer foods, traditionally eaten to build stamina in the heat. The kabayaki preparation is the craft: the eel is butterflied, skewered, steamed to render fat and soften the flesh, then grilled while being repeatedly brushed with a tare of soy, mirin, sake and sugar, building up the glossy dark lacquer. Done right, the eel is crisp-edged outside, custardy-soft inside, and the tare is sweet-savoury without drowning the fish.
The “large” upgrade is exactly what it says: a bigger portion of eel over the rice, which is where most of the price goes, real unagi is expensive, and a specialist that grills to order rather than reheating frozen fillets charges accordingly.
The honest verdict: the execution was decent, the tare glaze and the soft texture were right, the chawanmushi a nice teishoku touch. But at $42.70++ the pricing felt steep for the portion, even for the premium size, this is a splurge rather than an everyday bowl.
Overall: 4 / 5. 😋👍🏼 The lacquered eel over rice delivered the unagi comfort, but the value did not quite match the price. A premium-tier splurge, worth it occasionally.
