This is an unagi & tempura restaurant long loved by locals. The ２nd floor is a banquet room, often used for gatherings of ward assembly members and local groups. Since the building was rebuilt and ownership passed to the next generation, it's become a little hard to tell when they're open. Local rumor has it that gatherings keep the business going, and with fewer people using the shopping street lately, it may be difficult to keep fresh ingredients on hand for customers at all times. Until a little while ago, there were ２ sushi restaurants, one diagonally across from this place (where the yaki-ton place is now) and another just a few dozen meters away, but both have closed. Unfortunately, I think that reflects the reality of the shopping street. These days it's mostly chain restaurants and izakayas, but this area used to have many upscale establishments because of its large population of cultural figures (partly because a major local landowner, who is also my relative, sold only to prominent people. There were many lawyers involved in historic political corruption cases, painters, writers, and university professors, many of whose work involved staying at home and receiving frequent visitors). More recently, farmland and wooded areas have been sold following inheritance and developed into apartment buildings and residential lots, but those residents don't seem to shop or dine locally much. This may now be almost the only restaurant preserving a trace of those days. When it came to unagi at あつみ, practically every child from this neighborhood had eaten it; it was the best-known place for a luxurious meal. Since then, I've become affiliated with a university and gone eating around with members of parliament I'm close to and others, yet I still haven't encountered a restaurant whose unagi surpasses this place. If you're going to buy unagi kabayaki at a department store, あつみ would win by several times over. That's because, as a rule, they prepare the eel only after you order. In the old days, before evening, I often saw the owner bring a large tub out onto the road in front of the restaurant and wash live eels. That's why I think they can't secure eels when customer numbers are as unpredictable as they are now. My guess is that if you reserve, they buy them for cash that day. Conversely, I think it's difficult for them to accommodate anyone who hasn't requested it that far ahead and is certain to actually come. (It's delicious, but I haven't ordered in a while myself. It's hard to ask for just １〜２ portions, and these days it's only for my mother and me. Since she's ill and has a smaller appetite, １ delivered unaju from すかいらーく with ２ pieces is enough for us.) Conversely, that shows how fresh it is, that the owner (probably his son now) is properly trained and can prepare eel, and that he's quite particular. This is a restaurant run by an old-fashioned craftsman who won't make halfhearted compromises. With so many conditions, it's difficult and probably a high hurdle for first-time visitors. But the eel is fresh and fatty, properly charcoal-grilled to remove excess fat, free of any unpleasant smell, fluffy yet fragrant with charcoal and slightly dry on the surface. The inherited sauce isn't cloying, and strikes an exquisite balance while bringing out the eel's flavor. You may find yourself thinking, so this is what unagi tastes like. If you live in this area, I'd like you to try it at least once—a hidden culinary gem among hidden gems.

During the coronavirus pandemic, I was looking forward to Doyo no Ushi Day. I called the day before to order takeout and was told orders were possible, so I asked about the menu. Then came the remark, “…Basically, we only take orders from regulars. We'll make your order anyway, though.” I'd been interested in this restaurant for a while, so the unpleasant attitude made me very sad.

A restaurant with amazingly delicious unaju. The special grade was 3500円

The same taste as when I was a child🎵

Unaju, tempura—the same taste no matter how many times I have them. They were so delicious.