It’s been a long time since I visited Rin.In fact, this is my first time since Oki-san became independent.So, it feels like a completely different restaurant now.Currently, Sugimoto-san, who was an assistant during Oki-san's time, has taken over as the owner.By the way, the introduction on the current Tabelog page still mentions Oki-san for some reason, so I told Sugimoto-san directly that it should be updated. Haha.I used to visit Oki-san’s place many times, but back then, Sugimoto-san wasn’t the one grilling the eel. So, I was really looking forward to seeing what kind of eel they serve now.The interior remains the same as before, and the grill hasn’t changed either.However, I noticed there’s now some sort of air conditioning installed, though I’m not sure when that happened.It was still quite hot, as usual, haha.With ash and smoke swirling around, those sitting at the counter should be cautious.I actually enjoy being in the midst of it, haha.It seems they are now promoting the "Deshiko" style, offering both a Deshiko rice bowl and a regular eel rice bowl, with different prices.Personally, I’m not very interested in Deshiko, so I opted for the regular one this time.I also ordered a half portion of the grilled eel.By the way, they mentioned they are not serving wild eel at the moment.They also don’t have the local grilled eel, and both the white grilled and kabayaki were steamed.This time, they showed me a live eel, and I enjoyed the live grilling right in front of me.It’s grilled from quite a distance, but it’s a bit different from when Oki-san was here.Watching it is quite educational.Today’s eel is from Lake Hamana, and it’s a new catch.I’m not particularly fond of new catches, but I have high expectations since they source from familiar suppliers.It’s steamed and grilled over charcoal.▶︎ Ordered Items・Special Eel Rice Bowl JPY 5000 Pickles, liver soup Free rice refills・Half Grilled Eel JPY 3000While waiting, they served some appetizers.It seems they are offering new services now.First, let’s try the grilled eel.After steaming, they pierced the skin well with skewers and finished it with sauce.However, the process seems a bit different from before.For instance, they didn’t soak it in water.So, the appearance of the finished product is different from when Oki-san was here.They mentioned that both the white grilled and kabayaki are size 3P, but it looked a bit smaller—maybe it’s just my imagination?The flesh is somewhat flat, but when I tasted it, it was quite fluffy with a smooth melt-in-your-mouth texture.It retained a good amount of fat, giving it a pleasantly sticky feel.The small bones weren’t bothersome at all.The skin was crispy, resembling a fried finish, which balanced well with the fluffy texture of the flesh.Since it had fat, it paired well with salt and wasabi, but there wasn’t any unpleasantness from the new catch.The eel itself might just be of good quality.The eel rice bowl was intentionally styled to overflow, haha.It seems this is part of their attention to detail.And the taste was quite delicious.The grilling was slightly different from the white grilled eel, which matched well with the sauce.The flesh had a pleasant melt-in-your-mouth quality typical of steamed eel, and the surface was grilled smoothly.It was a bit different from the previous white grilled eel, and it was more delicious as kabayaki.I felt I could enjoy the umami even more.Although it had a slightly shriveled appearance for steamed eel, it didn’t bother me when I ate it.The skin was similarly crispy, with a nice coating that felt just right.The sauce blended well, making it crispy and juicy, and it was a delicious kabayaki.The sauce was different from what Oki-san used, being relatively sweet with a sugary flavor coming through.It was quite generously applied, but it matched well with the fatty eel like today’s.The balance of aroma was also good.It paired well with the rice and was delicious.It seems they are using the same method as Seirin.The rice was also very tasty.It had a nice shine and was perfectly cooked.Naturally, I had a refill.After all, rice is essential for a rice bowl.However, if I had to say, I might have preferred it served in a jubako (layered box).The pickles and liver soup were average.Although it was different from when Oki-san was here, it was delicious as the new Rin.Based on today’s experience, I think I prefer the kabayaki.Sugimoto-san has already taken on the role of owner quite well, and I look forward to his future endeavors.Also, the lady who has been taking care of me for a long time was there, looking great!She remembered me, and seeing her healthy was the most delightful part.I’ll definitely come back to visit!Please stay healthy forever.The payment is still cash only.By the way, this is the second branch of Rin that just opened in Fukuoka.I heard that someone Sugimoto-san trained is grilling there.Well, it seems there’s a lot going on there too, haha.If I get the chance, I might check that out as well.It was great to see everyone again after a long time and have a wonderful chat!I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time.Thank you very much!It was a delicious meal!
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