First VisitI decided to visit this restaurant, which has earned stars from Michelin and Gault & Millau, and a bronze medal on Tabelog, only to find it was in a private reservation state... I made a phone reservation for a table at 18:30 two days prior. I arrived at 18:25 to find one group of three already seated, but by the time the food was served at 18:45, the place was entirely reserved.The L-shaped counter has 9 seats, and the male owner was managing everything alone. Thanks to this, I was able to have various conversations with the quiet owner...The meal (JPY 8,800) consisted of:1. A: Simmered eel, B: Lightly pickled daikon and cucumber, C: Fresh wasabi2. Unagi rice bowl3. Liver soupHere are my impressions of the dishes:- The eel seems to mainly come from Lake Hamana, but the owner mentioned there are no particular constraints.- 1A: The cooled simmered eel had a texture reminiscent of a frozen dish due to its own fat. This was truly impressive.- 1B: While it was high-level compared to typical eel restaurants, it paled in comparison to the "Japanese Cuisine Yamazaki [4.11]" I had last year, highlighting the clear difference between eel specialty shops and Japanese restaurants.- 1C: The wasabi is grated just before serving. It has a refined flavor where sweetness is followed by spiciness. Although the quality of the wasabi was slightly inferior to what I had at a soba shop in Kyoto recently, it paired well with the rich sauce of the grilled eel. The wasabi used was both fine and coarse, indicating a significant attention to flavor adjustment. The spiciness and aroma of wasabi are produced when the cells break down due to oxidation, and the flavor deteriorates rapidly once grated. Such careful handling is becoming rare even in sushi and Japanese restaurants.- The main dish, the unagi rice bowl, had a note at the restaurant stating that the steaming process was completed and it was cooked on a gas grill, which felt like a bold admission. However, the rich sauce and the firm rice were to my liking. A lot of fat had been lost during the steaming process, making it feel more like grilled fish than eel. The flesh was so tender that it fell apart when lifted with chopsticks, while the skin had a crispy texture, resulting in a uniquely new sensation of grilled eel. According to the owner, this was a result of searching for a different style of grilled eel to ensure the restaurant's survival.- The liver soup had a weak flavor of the broth (bonito), which was disappointing.I couldn't try the white grilled eel due to my solo visit, but I would like to invite someone to experience it with me. However, JPY 8,800 for the unagi rice bowl seems a bit too high... I worry whether my companion will agree.