On my visit to Nagoya, the one thing I was the most excited about was the ‘Unagi’ experience.
How could I not?
Nagoya produces more than half of the eel (Unagi) of the whole of Japan.
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And that’s not it.
The Aichi prefecture in Nagoya has some culinary prowess to present this delicacy in the most traditional way.
One of the most prominent restaurants that serves Unagi in the area is Okafuji.
Okafuji Unagi : A Hitsumabushi Unagi Experience in Nagoya
After researching about the restaurants that best serve the delicacy, I decided to give Okafuji a shot and I must confess that the restaurant deserves all the hype.
Among the Unagi options, I picked Okafuji Hitsumabushi since this specific dish is a culinary experience in itself.
Here’s how I liked the whole meal:
A Cultural Experience
Hitsumabushi is basically a traditional food that has grilled precariously grilled eel fillets that are served over a bed of steamed white rice.
You can expect the dish to be served in a specially designed tub that gives you the indigenous vibes when you have your first glance.
When this royal serving is done , then comes the time for the royal taste.
The interesting thing about hitsumabushi’s taste is , it almost always varies , depending upon the way you eat it.
Let me share some of the ways to eat this brilliant delicacy.
- First of all you need to divide all the food content into 4 parts.
- You should use a small spoon that comes with the food in Okafuji. And have the precision of a surgeon while you divide the portion into 4 equal parts.
- Now you should take a small portion of rice along with eel and place it in a bowl. You just eat it normally to absorb as much flavor as possible.
- Now take another quarter that we divided at the start and take it with all the condiments( Green onions and wasabi ) and enjoy the variety of taste.
- The third portion should be taken by pouring green tea on it. It will give you a unique taste and you will surely be craving to have more of it.
- The last portion of rice and eel is traditionally an answer to the question of what method you found to be the best and you eat it like that. I loved the second way the most, so I decided to go with the condiments again.
The whole Hitsumabushi eating experience was new for me and I enjoyed every bit of it.
I Also Ate Sashimi
After indulging in Hitsumabushi taste bud blaster, I decided to check out another dish from the Okafuji restaurant.
Yes, the Japanese favorite—Sashimi.
Sashimi is basically fresh raw fish that is sliced very precisely into small pieces and it’s absolutely delicious in taste when it is served with soy sauce.
The word sashimi itself means pierced meat. It’s so thinly cut and the presentation of the plate is just a sight to behold.
The picture above is a true representation of what to expect when you’re ordering Sashimi in Okafuji restaurant.
Another restaurant that I highly recommend to be on your itinerary when you visit this region is the Hidagyu Maruaki Hida Beef Restaurant in Takayama. This city is just 2 hours away from Nagoya by train.
All in all, it was a wonderful eating experience at Okafuji and for sure it has left a deep mark on my heart. I am going to recommend this to everyone who is coming to Nagoya, Japan to at least try these dishes for once.
