Tradition beats the summer heat

Tag : Kitchen Handkerchief

Founded in 1870, not long after the city's name changed from Edo toTokyo, Chikuyotei started life as a lowly roadside eaterydispensing sake and eel. Now it is a considerable chain withbranches across Japan and even abroad. Tradition still rulesfirmly, and nowhere more so than at the honten (flagship) restaurant, an imposing wooden structure that has stoodproudly on the Tsukiji side of Ginza ever since the Great KantoEarthquake of 1923. The shop draws a well-heeled clientele, fromupper echelon executives in the nearby office blocks to coiffuredladies on outings to Shinbashi Enbujo Theater, just a short strollaway.
Chikuyotei's menu of appetizers is virtually identical toAkimoto's: sashimi, usaku, umaki and that favorite of unagi connoisseurs, shirayaki, eel that is broiled until slightly browned, but in place of savory tare sauce it is served with plain shoyu and a dab of wasabi, as if it were sashimi.
Although it is not prepared over charcoal, the eel is of topquality ("as near as possible in flavor to wild unagi" is theirboast), especially served as their classic unagi donburi (from ¥2,100).
But it is Chikuyotei's multicourse kaiseki meals that won the plaudits of the Michelin inspectors. Served inthe tatami rooms on the second floor (from ¥7,350 at lunch,and ¥12,600 at dinner), they feature unagi in its multifoldguises.
Not having sufficient time to linger at lunch the other day, wecompromised by ordering the teishoku set meal (¥4,200) and eating downstairs. This opened with astarter of seasonal vegetables in a lightly vinegared aemono dressing, to perk up the taste buds. Next came the main course: kabayaki, broiled eel served with the rice separately, and a small bowl ofwonderfully fragrant kimosui soup. To round it all off, we were proffered large slices ofchilled watermelon (with salt on the side, naturally). From startto finish, everything was perfect.
As the only unagi restaurant with a star to its name, is Chikuyoteithe best in the world? In our book, it's not even top-five inTokyo. But in terms of refinement and style, it ranks high on ourlist of places for entertaining guests or showing visitors to Japanjust what a wonderful (yes, and revivifying) dish eel can be.