Asaya (参宮橋 あさや) is a newish unagi shop in Tokyo. Live eels from different parts of Japan are cooked with seasonal ingredients. This was the first time I had ever tried eel sashimi. Apparently the blood is a bit poisonous and needs to be drained throughly before slicing. Summer is eel season in Japan, and the noodle-looking guys are supposed to help curb the heat.
Random thing about Japan. It is considered unhealthy to eat eel and pickled plum together. Sour and oily are too taxing on the tummy! I’ve literally had junk-style ramen with pickled plums so I don’t know about this theory.
