Unagi (Aburi Ittetsu)

Japanese Freshwater Eel Slithers Onto the New York Dining Scene | The New Yorker

"On a recent evening, I went to the newer of the two, Unagi Aburi Ittetsu, which opened in December in Nolita, on Kenmare, a street that has become so dense with Japanese restaurants that you could call it Little Japan. The wealth of options—a ramen joint, a shabu-shabu omakase counter, a yakitori grill, a sushi spot, one shop for soba and another for Japanese curry—might help explain why Unagi Aburi Ittetsu, a brightly lit little box that seats only seventeen people, was nearly empty around eight o’clock. Should Diablo eat at Unagi Aburi Ittetsu the next time he’s in New York? The unaju here makes for a decent meal. Each eel is cooked over charcoal until its gray skin gets charred and silvery, its flesh soft and flaky; the tare is sweet but balanced, the chewy grains of rice candied in drippings. Each box comes with a cup of average miso soup and a few slices of pickled radish, and can be supplemented with blanched vegetables and overcooked edamame." - Hannah Goldfield