Entree Kibbles: Uya Unagi Restaurant ( 四代目菊川 ) @ Wheelock Place [Orchard, Singapore]

I literally only have one fear in life; snakes. Even then, it has been downgraded from a phobia and I could now see them in books, watch their live stream on television and even touch them for real. What I still can't do, is eat them.

To me, eels have an appearance like snakes with their elongated body but weirdly, I have a deep affection for eel, especially when they fall under the name, unagi, and grilled in the classic, Japanese way!

Mom shares the same love I had for unagi and couldn't forget the fantastic meal she once had at Man Man Unagi Restaurant (now known as Unagi Tei). Hence, I decided to bring her along, to check out another unagi eatery recommended by a friend, Uya @ Wheelock Place.

Ever endured a two-hour queue at Man Man when I first visited; I made a reservation for Uya although business might not be that hot given that we are still in the midst of the pandemic, with dining restrictions put in place

The restaurant did fill up quickly shortly after opening on a Saturday but my fear of a long wait was unfounded as we were brought to a table in less than five minutes.

Unagi Tei had counter seats where diners could regale with the bloody scene of live eels being slaughtered, cleaned and then grilled. At Uya, there wasn't such an experience even though you can still look into the kitchen and catch the gory actions!

For me, I only prefer to see them being grilled above the red, hot embers. Or when they are in the finished product form, where they are nicely plated and placed on my table.

No physical menu again and I hate to use my phone as the font is smaller and it doesn't help that I have both short-sightedness and presbyopia, which makes it hard for me focus on the words / pictures. Anyway, I was intrigued that below the QR code was a message to ask for kochi mi sancho.

Problem is; which one would be kochi mi sancho.

I requested through the service staff and it was this canister of green-colored pepper. For a moment, I thought they looked a bit like broken green beans though. Whatever the case, I shall sprinkle a bit although I seldom add condiments to unagi.

Complimentary cup of iced water!

Mom with her medium-sized hitsumabushi, a traditional Nagoya dish that's simply "grilled eel that's served on top of steamed rice" and divided into four portions. I first had hitsumabushi at Unagi Tei and it was unforgettable!

My large hitsumabushi; S$13.00 more expensive than the medium yet with noticeably bigger portion of the grilled eel. I advised my mom to go for the large one too but given her age, large might be too much for her.

First portion - eat it as it is! As the name suggestions, just take a scoopful of the rice drenched with the sauce said to be a "family secret for over four generations", together with a piece of the grilled eel.

Seeedaaaapp - that enticing smoky, grilled aroma was irresistible! This was comparable to Unagi Tei; however, the meat wasn't as plump and while I very much enjoyed the lightly charred crispness of the grilled meat, the one at Unagi Tei was a tad more satisfying.

Second portion - mix in with the "nori seaweed, chopped green onions, and wasabi". A combination with an added freshness, sharp spiciness and flavours from the sea.

Third portion - pour in the dashi! Back at Unagi Tei, this was the version that totally took my breath away! How could a simple, almost bland soup result in such amazing flavor?!

Lip-smacking good! Back at Unagi Tei, the dashi style would be both my third and fourth portion as it was definitely unbeatable comparable to the two boring ways of eating I shared earlier.

But here at Uya, there's that bottle of kochi mi sancho, also known as Japanese pepper. Since it was so explicitly recommended, it would be rude if I don't give it a try right? And I must say it's a taste opener. Strongly scented, it added a coat of slight numbness on the tongue but not that spicy until I have to grab a cup of iced water to cool me down.

Given my large hitsumabushi, the standard four-portion meal was expanded into six portions. Want to guess what style I decided to have for my fifth and sixth portions?

The Kochi mi sancho style - the experience was fresh with an interesting taste that I found to be refreshing and this differentiated from what I had at Unagi Tei.

Cleaned up! If friends were to ask me to recommend between Unagi Tei and Uya, I would say it's a close fight. For unagi, Unagi Tei was a notch better but that green pepper from Uya had a magical touch that totally enhanced the taste!

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