Hyperlocal Tokyo

I stayed at a hotel in Terminal 3 of Haneda Airport, so I visited this restaurant on the first floor. The eel was fluffier than I expected, and even my child enjoyed it and finished it all. We ordered both the "hitsumabushi" (eel rice bowl) and the eel donburi (eel bowl), and both were satisfyingly filling.

It was located on the first floor of Haneda Airport Garden. Around noon on a weekday, there were only a few customers in the restaurant, so it was not crowded. After being seated, the staff provided a warm welcome, explaining the restaurant's concept, the menu, and the time it takes to grill the eel. It was a very pleasant experience. I ordered the recommended whole eel and the whole eel 'hiつまぶし' (eel and rice) rolled in egg. The skin was crispy and fragrant, the flesh was plump and thick, and the fat content was just right. There were no bones at all, and it was the best eel I have ever eaten. The dishes also reflected the restaurant's attention to detail. The aroma of the sansho pepper was excellent, and the eel sauce was also to my liking. The 'う巻き' (eel rolled in egg) was freshly made and hot, with a subtle sweetness. They also had regular 'hiつまぶし', eel dishes with varying amounts of eel, tempura sets, sashimi sets, a la carte dishes, and takeout options. I thought the alcoholic beverages were a bit pricey overall, but the Kaga Taka Junmai Ginjo sake went well with the eel. The restaurant was clean and had table seating, booth seating, and counter seating, making it easy for solo diners. The service was generally good. Personally, I would definitely like to eat this eel again.

【March 2024】 I returned from a nearby overseas business trip on this day, and since the flight landed around 7 pm, I had dinner here before going home. This is in the Airport Garden area, which opened in January 2023. When I departed, I also visited "Miso Katsu Yabaton Haneda Airport Garden Store" in the same area. It was a weekday, but when I looked at the menu, the main dishes were: - Grilled Eel One-Piece Box 5280 yen - Grilled Eel One-Piece Set 5280 yen - White-Grilled Eel One-Piece Set 5280 yen - One-Piece Hitsumabushi 5480 yen By the way, the above prices are weekday prices, and they seem to go up by about 1000 yen on weekends. I was torn between the "One-Piece Box" and the "Hitsumabushi", but I decided to go with the: - Grilled Eel One-Piece Box 5280 yen I thought I could enjoy the eel in its purest form this way. You can choose between a large or small portion of rice, but I went with the regular size. By the way, when you order, they mention that it will take about 15 minutes, so be aware if you're in a hurry. They seem to be preparing it from scratch, so the time it takes is understandable, and I even thought it might be a bit short... So, I waited while enjoying a warm cup of tea and browsing my phone, and then the eel arrived. The box contained a "One-Piece Eel", soup, and small side dishes. The "One-Piece Eel" is quite large, so even a large portion of rice would have been good. I immediately transferred the eel to a rice bowl with a rice paddle and started eating. The first bite was impressive with its fluffy texture. The sauce was light and allowed the eel's flavor to shine through. Even with a "One-Piece Eel", you can taste both the thicker and thinner parts. I particularly enjoyed the thinner parts, which were relatively well-cooked and had a nice crispy texture. The portion was substantial, but I finished it all in no time, and my eel cravings were satisfied. While it's common knowledge that eel is expensive, exceeding 5000 yen puts it on par with famous eel restaurants. Considering the price, I felt that the grilling technique and the sauce could have been more memorable. However, if a foreigner were to try it for the first time, the staff, who are fluent in English, would be able to explain it well. Thank you for the meal.

Odawara, Tokyo Hitsu-mabusi (grilled eel rice bowl) ¥4280 Tempura Set ¥2680 **Good** ☆Excellent service from the staff. ☆Non-smoking ☆Clean and relaxing atmosphere ☆The hitsumabusi is delicious, with the eel grilled to perfection. ☆Extra sauce, powdered sansho pepper, and ground sansho pepper are available on the table. ☆My mother doesn't like eel, so she ordered the tempura set, which came with three large shrimp tempura! It looked very delicious and had a good amount of food. This place is suitable for those who don't like eel. **Bad** ★None (This isn't about the restaurant itself, but the Airport Garden as a whole. There are no parking discounts for non-hotel guests who are dining or shopping.)

I finally made it to the highly anticipated fourth-generation Kikkawa! Having only ever eaten eel from the Kanto region, I was blown away by how delicious it was. The skin was crispy, while the inside was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I also loved the pickled vegetables. The Amaou strawberry ice cream was a refined, creamy delight. 🍓 Thank you for the wonderful meal!