かぶと｜Smoke and fire hidden in the alleys of Tokyo

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In an unassuming alley near Ikebukuro Stage, this somewhat old-fashioned-looking store is Kabuto, a super difficult store to make reservations for, which is ranked No. 1 in the eel category in Japan, with a high score of 4.44.

In April 2016, Mr. and Mrs. Fujimori inherited the store from the previous owners and became the second generation of Kabuto, operating it as a husband-and-wife store, doing everything themselves, from pickling the unagi to killing the unagi in front of the plate. The restaurant offers a unique variety of eel skewers and a set menu of eel grilled in both kabayaki and shirataki styles, and has won the Tabelog Silver Award for seven years in a row, but not gold probably because the dining process and the environment aren't as elegant as they could have been.

Unagi is considered by most Japanese to be a tonic for the kidneys, and since the Edo period, it has been customary to eat unagi 18 days before the start of Autumn, which is the summer festival of “Touyoshi Ushi.

Being an apprentice in a Japanese restaurant is very hard work: the hours are long and the pay is low, and it often takes more than 10 years to learn and refine your skills before you are recognized by your master and have a chance to make a name for yourself. In the case of grilled eel, there is a saying that “it takes three years to skewer, eight years to cut, and a lifetime to yaki-yaki”.

When I was seated, I saw the age-old menu on the wall, and probably because it's a small restaurant, there aren't too many alcoholic beverages to choose from. Among the small dishes that can be added, I highly recommend the cold tofu: made from domestic soybeans, it's not complicated and is served with seaweed salt from Tema. The texture and flavor of the soybeans are very refreshing and delicious.

As a traditional cuisine, the Japanese love for eel has affected the survival of the species: Japanese eel was listed as an endangered species by the World Conservation Organization in 2014, and it is estimated that there are no more than 10 restaurants in Japan that can consistently serve natural eel throughout the year. This time, we had the familiar customer-only (not the first time we visited) [farmed, natural eel food ratio] set menu, which is even more worthwhile.

Comparison of farmed and natural eels one hour after killing, natural eels are still jumping with their mouths open

Although it originated before the Edo period, the method of grilling eel has evolved over the centuries and actually varies greatly from region to region: in the Kanto region, the eel is grilled once without seasoning, then steamed in a cage drawer, brushed with sauce and grilled again to give it a fluffy, soft texture. In the Kansai region, on the other hand, the eel is cut open from the belly, put on wooden skewers, and grilled directly on the grill (jigyaki), which is a bit crispy.

There is also a difference in the techniques used to kill eel: it is rumored that in the Kanto region, because of the large number of samurai in Edo Castle, it was taboo to “cut open the belly” and the “dorsal dissection” method was used, while in the Kansai region, there is no taboo and it is done in the same way as any other fish, using the “ventral dissection” method. “The Kansai region, on the other hand, does not have any taboo and kills fish in the same way as the rest of the world, using the method of “ventral dissection.

Left: Grilled eel head (farmed) えり焼き

Right: Eel head (farmed) grilled in soy sauce, えり焼き

かぶと The set menu features a wide variety of eel skewers, and Fujimori-san will start preparing them as soon as all the guests are seated. To start off the meal, the head of eel is grilled in two different ways with the same ingredient: miso-yaki, which has the flavor of the sauce and is more tangy, and teriyaki, which is bubbly and crispy.

Miso-braised farmed eel fins (left) Miso-braised farmed eel guts & intestines (right)

Eel fins rolled into skewers and skewered in a secret sauce should be difficult to eat at other restaurants. Soft eel innards without a trace of fishy flavor are wrapped in tender eel intestines and grilled with a fresh and sweet special sauce, seasoned precisely and cooked properly.

Skewer Yaki (Cultured)

The neck of the eel is the closest to the head of the eel, and it's presented as a skewer with a salt-grilled texture, and the flavor of the eel comes out slowly as you chew it, so you can taste the flavor of the eel itself as well as the flavor of the freshly killed eel.

Ichiban-yaki

Perhaps because the Kansai-style kamaboko is to be presented next, Admiral Fujimori first arranges a one-bite skewer of Kanto-style kamaboko, so that diners can compare and contrast and feel the charms of grilled eel in many ways.

Skewers to eat here, the big will take out the body fat natural eel to show you (left), and will start in front of the board show live killing, the scene is quite a bit of blood, the mental capacity of the weak friends recommended to enter the store when choosing the most leaning inside the location. (This is also why photos but not videos are allowed in the store)

Afterwards, the general will bring up the still-beating natural eel heart (pictured on the right) for you to swallow with your drink. Is this the legendary “what you eat makes up for what you get”?

Braised eel innards + intestines in soy sauce (natural)

The flavor of natural eel is undoubtedly more dominant than farmed ones. Because of the growing environment, the natural eel's innards inevitably have a hint of earthy flavor, but Kabuto's secret sauce solves this problem perfectly: it covers the earthy flavor without suppressing the release of the ingredient's own deliciousness, and fully demonstrates the strength of the No.1 in all of Japan.

The natural salt-roasted eel fins are crispy, crunchy and fragrant, and there is no feeling of bones at all when you eat them. The salt-roasted eel brings out the flavor of the natural eel itself, and the feeling is that it's better than the sauce-roasted farmed eel in front of it.

Braised eel head with sauce (natural)

As mentioned earlier, Daisho will show the difference between the head of a natural eel and a farmed eel, and the superb vitality of a natural eel is impressive. Admiral Fujimori handles the head of natural eel with a strong fire, which is noticeably more crispy and chewy to nibble on.

Natural eel from Amakusa

Kabuto's two generations have accumulated the best stocking ability in the industry, which ensures a stable supply of high-quality natural eel from famous regions throughout the year, and also allows customers to eat two or more natural eel dishes of different origins in one meal.

On that day, we had natural eel from Amakusa and Shinjiko, and in many established Japanese restaurants in Kansai, it is said that the best natural eel should be made into white eel. Fujimori's simple white yaki is the simplest way to present the original flavor of unagi: the flesh of the fish is fresh and elastic, with the aroma of fat that lingers on the lips and the sweetness of the eel that is perfectly preserved even after the high temperature of the charcoal, which is a testament to the saying, “High-end ingredients often require the simplest way of cooking. It is a proof of the saying - “High-end ingredients often need only the simplest way of cooking”.

Natural Eel from Lake Shinji

The final setting for the kabayaki eel is that, unlike other traditional, highly rated eel restaurants such as Tokyo's second-ranked うなぎ魚政, Kabuto doesn't usually serve eel weights in lacquerware boxes, but rather serves them plainly and separately.

The General was generous enough to give a whole farmed eel from Shizuoka and half of a natural eel from Lake Shinji, so I guess the guests were free to choose and mix and match. Compared to the natural eel, the farmed eel has a softer texture and higher fat content, making it a better choice for rice. I couldn't have been more satisfied with a big piece of eel in a rich, sweet sauce, served over grainy rice and sprinkled with a bit of ground pepper.

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I spent two hours at かぶとand thought that Shun in Shizuoka is probably the only place that can compete with this restaurant in the category of eel cuisine. I hope we can meet again next time when eel is at its best in the summer, around the “Touyoshi day”.

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