Eel Lunch at Unagi Matsukawa

You might know that in Japan, there are separate restaurants for sushi, tempura, shabu-shabu, etc., in contrast to the more one-size-fits-all approach to the Japanese restaurant in the U.S.

With this in mind, my companion and I had lunch at Unagi Matsukawa, a tiny Shibuya eel chainlet. Many different lunch sets were available, including an eel rice bowl, eel sushi, eel and scrambled eggs over rice, and eel both with and without sauce. My companion ordered the eel over rice, and I ordered the sauceless shiroyaki, which I'd been dying to try in Japan ever since buying the frozen version at Mitsuwa in Edgewater, NJ.

Both sets came with a clear, smoky-flavored bonito soup and a small dish of mild, not very salty pickles. My companion also enjoyed a tarragon-y corn and lettuce salad, and my set included stewed freeze-dried tofu, carrots and taro. Most important, the eel was unforgettable. Mine was moist, flaky and tender (it's often chewy in the U.S.) and I dipped it into an astringent ponzu sauce.

After a cup of roasted green tea, we were on our way.

Unagi Matsukawa: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan, +81 (03) 3461-1065.