After a failed attempt to make a reservation, I thought I was destined to never visit this restaurant. However, an unexpected invitation came my way, and I finally got to go.I got off at Mitsuidera Station on the Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line, which I was riding for the first time, and took a short walk. The restaurant has a charming old house atmosphere. Once I took off my shoes and stepped inside, I was greeted by a casual ambiance with tables lined with books on built-in shelves.Today's eel is a special farmed variety from Lake Hamana. They only serve farmed eels because of their consistent quality. The owner kindly explained the differences in taste and aroma of the eel depending on the season. In July, the eel is said to have a youthful fragrance. The way he handles the eel, which is placed in a rice container, is almost like caring for a cute pet. He even mentioned that if you bring your fingers close to the eel's mouth, it will nibble gently!The large eel has thick skin, which can make it difficult to bite through, but here they use a unique technique called "Onore Mushi." By rolling it up and steaming it with its own moisture and fat, the flesh becomes fluffy and tender while the skin is grilled to a crispy, fragrant finish. The evidence that they are using live eels is that the eel opens its mouth wide and sticks out its tongue, which they refer to as "Ryuu no Saezuri" (Dragon's Chirping).We started with "Shirayaki" (grilled eel). We shared one eel among four people. It was incredibly aromatic, and at first, I even detected a hint of sweetness with the wasabi. There were also small plates of citrus salt and soy sauce. The skin was pleasantly easy to bite through. The flesh retained moisture and fat, offering a light yet flavorful taste. I particularly enjoyed it with salt and wasabi☆☆The "Engawa" (the fatty part of the eel) was served on a separate plate, and it was rich in flavor—dipping it in soy sauce was simply irresistible☆☆☆Next was the "Unaju" (eel over rice) served with soup, egg yolk (whole egg is also an option), soy sauce, and pickles. Each person received a whole eel, and it was impressively overflowing from the box. The sauce was exquisite, and I had never tasted such a light and delicate unaju before☆☆ I was worried about whether I could finish it, but even though I was full, I experienced zero heaviness in my stomach. Towards the end, I changed the flavor with "Eel Over Egg Rice." The soup didn’t contain any liver.The final bill came to JPY 20,000. After enjoying such delicious eel, it’s hard not to loosen the purse strings! Haha.