The Power Of Eel

After our date on Saturday, I took my wife out to the Inba Marsh to see Ishibashi (The Eel place I went looking for last week). Just as last week, there were cars lined up to go into this place. With all of the other Eel places around, and with empty parking lots, I knew this place had to be good.

In late July and early August it is said that eel will give you the stamina to survive the shitty hot Japanese summer.
As can be seen in the picture here, the place is no bigger than a shack. The Unagi is prepared in the house next door by grandma steaming the sea snakes on skewers and then big brother brings the steamed them next door to be barbecued over open flames.

The process to make BBQ Eel is this:

Take an ice pick and stab the squirming head of the eel into a cutting board. Then take a very sharp knife and cut down the middle of said eel from the head. Remove icky bits of guts and save that for the soup. Open the flesh and stab with skewers. Steam the meat then bring them to the shack next door. Take the steamed eel and dip in secret barbecue sauce. Cook over open flame, then dip in BBQ sauce again, then repeat process until you feel the eel is ready. Finally put over rice and serve.

We waited for about 45 minutes to get into the eel shack. You can see in the picture the poor souls that had to keep waiting after us. Please notice the woman in the short sleeve black sweater and rose colored shirt to the left of the window. She is pregnant and waiting in 90 degree, 90% humidity to eat.................. eel. Wow! If you ever, ever, ever see a pregnant woman waiting in heat like this to eat something, it has to be damn good.

This place is so busy that they even though they have published hours from 11am to 430pm, they usually sell out and have to close around 230pm. Don't worry, if you have a number and are in line at 230pm, they will have an eel with your name on it.