(Rating at the time of visit: 4.38)On my way back from Hakone, I visited this renowned eel restaurant in Japan.Founded in 1978 in Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, it relocated to its current location in Odawara City in 1996. Although relatively new as an eel restaurant, its exceptional eel has earned it a Michelin star for several years (2012-2015).The move to Odawara was to incorporate a unique process called "Mizunashi," which eliminates any muddy taste from the eel. Mizunashi involves continuously flowing Hakone spring water, drawn from a well 100 meters underground, into a fish tank for 24 hours, resulting in a clean and pure flavor. This meticulous attention to detail certainly raises expectations.Reservations are not for securing a table but rather for ensuring the availability of ingredients, which can be made starting two months in advance of your visit. Even if you have a reservation, you must check in at the restaurant on the day and wait. I arrived by train and on foot, so it didn't affect me, but I heard that you can wait in your car, which made the parking lot quite full.There were many foreign visitors, indicating its immense popularity.Finally, my turn came, and I was guided to place my order! The menu is extremely simple, featuring mainly "Unaju" and "Shirayaki Gozen." There are also options for "Kabayaki" and "Shirayaki" without rice, along with 7-8 types of appetizers.Here’s what I ordered:"Unaju (JPY 8000)""Freshly Grilled Liver - Sauce (JPY 1400)""Sake that Pairs with Eel (JPY 2000)"I started with the liver and sake. The richness of the egg yolk, the bitterness of the liver, and the sweet and spicy sauce combined perfectly, making the sake go down smoothly.After about 20-30 minutes, my Unaju arrived!Wow, what a generous portion!Typically, the eel is 200g, but here it’s served at 330g, which is quite satisfying!The plump, Mizunashi-prepared eel indeed has a clean and refined flavor! This might be my first experience with such a clear taste in eel.The sauce was very delicate, perhaps to not overpower the clean flavor, and since it was a bit cool that day, it was exceptionally refined and light.I added some extra sauce from the table, and I went all out with the sansho pepper.As I continued eating, I realized just how substantial the portion was!However, the liver soup and pickles that came with it were also incredibly delicious, providing a nice break between bites.The joy of having more eel to eat was wonderful!Well, it did disappear in about 15 minutes...I was stuffed!By the way, if you can’t finish your meal, they offer takeout packaging, making it easy for those with smaller appetites to enjoy.That said, while the eel was undeniably delicious with its clean flavor, I found it to be less fluffy than I had anticipated. I had imagined a richer, more intense flavor, but it turned out to be quite mild, which left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.Well, it is summer, the season when eels are at their leanest, and there may be variations in taste from day to day.In any case, I was satisfied to have enjoyed the eel from such a famous restaurant!It was delicious!It was a great meal!