kabuto

We were lucky to get a table here before they became popular. This place is fantastic and old school to the core.
The dim narrow counter leading to a small table or two, the smokey interior and the chef making your food right in front of you is one of my favorite things to experience here in Japan.
The grit, grime and smells all felt like something from a past era that is somehow just here in a tiny shop in Ikebukuro.
The Unagi here is expensive, more so than other place but the experience is more than enough to make up for it. You get to sample every edible part of the eel here, first as grilled skewers, then topped on rice and lastly in a light soup.
Once you have confirmed your order, the master proceeds to skin, filet and grill the live eel in front of you. While probably not good for the squeamish, it was fascinating to watch how quickly he could break the entire fish down.
He also then handed us the still beating hearts to sample. They were ok, if not a bit on the lively side of things.
The proceeding skewers showcased the different textures and flavors of the eel well and were gone in an instant.
The Unaju (Unagi on rice) was outstanding. The oil from the unagi was full flavored and abundant, the sweet, salty glaze of their tare had just the right amount of funk and the rice was perfectly done as to still have just a bit of give to contrast with the fluffy pieces of eel on top.
Definitely try this place out if you get the chance, it is unlike most unagi restaurants I have been to!