Honke Shibato 本家 柴藤

While in Osaka, we wanted some interesting eats and although we weren't in Nagoya, we wanted to get some Unadon (or some form of Hitsumabushi).  So why not visit one of the oldest spots in town?  Honke Shibato has been around since the Kyoho era (which is the early 1700s!) and dishes up authentic Osaka-style grilled eel.  This family-run operation is on its 15th generation It is pretty unique where the eel is crispy, firmer and isn't precooked prior to grilling.  They are on the pricier side, but hey, we were on vacation, budget doesn't count right??? (Yes, Viv was complaining about the prices...).

For my meal, it included a few starter items including Uzaku (Vinegared Unagi & Cucumber) and Umaki Tamago (Unagi Omelette).  Being tangy with some crunchy cucumbers, the vinegared unagi was refreshing and appetizing.  The umaki was fluffy and stuffed full of unagi.  The inside of the omelette was still runny and hence the texture was silky.  Since the grilled unagi was stuffed inside, the texture was softer, unlike the crispier ones found in the unadon.

On that note, here we found the Osaka Mamushi featuring plenty of crispy grilled eel.  There are three options for the amount of eel.  This one is Sakura, which is right in the middle at 7450 yen.  Atop of the fluffy, yet still chewy rice, the grilled eel wasn't melt-in-our-mouths tender.  Rather, it had a chew to it with some crispiness while the inside was indeed soft.  Due to the minimal sauce on the eel, it was not as sweet, so we could get the smokiness.

So the most unique way of eating grilled eel is in the form of Hitsumabushi or what is called here: Ohitu-Mamushi.  This involves a four-step process.  First, you eat the eel with the rice to get baseline flavour.  Second, you add the wasabi, green onion and nori for a different taste.  Third, you pour the dashi into the bowl and eat it like a soup.  Last step is to eat it however you like!  I've done this a few times before and my favourite step is adding the dashi as it soften things up and adds an extra level of aroma.  When it was all said and done, we were full and satisfied.  My wallet was quite a bit lighter too.  The staff there are super nice, they even took pictures for us in front of the restaurant.  Depending on your budget, this would be worth a visit.

The Good:

- The eel is prepared differently being crispy on the outside and not oversauced

- Focused menu serving only eel

- Like everywhere we have gone, the people are super nice

The Bad:

- Expensive

- May be hard to get a table during peak times

Edokko Nigiri Sushi

We have an overwhelming amount of Japanese restaurants in the GVRD.  So much so, it would take you over 3 years just to visit all of them if you were to eat out every day.  However, as many of you already know, less than 10% of them are actually Japanese-run.  Now, don't get me wrong, just because they are Japanese-run, that doesn't guarantee anything.  However, it does mean that the food is more simple and of course, authentic.  As much as I enjoy specialty rolls with sauces and fried things on them, that is usually a fusion creation of some sort.  Recently, I made 2 visits to Edokko Nigiri Sushi out in Richmond.  They are most certainly authentic and also feature some pretty interesting items.

During my first visit, we had a few smaller items including the Spinach Gomae.  Sure, this was a simple few bites, but it was done right.  Tender with some crunch, the spinach was at its optimal doneness.  It was dressed lightly with a mildly sweet sesame dressing that was nutty and aromatic while not being too overwhelming.  In addition to the regular version, we also ordered the Uni Seafood Chawanmushi.  This featured ikura, snow crab and uni atop a silky steamed egg.  It was delicate with only a hint of dashi.  The beautiful seafood on top made this a bit more special than the regular version they have on the menu.

Continuing with my first visit, I decided to try their Edokko Special (half portion) with various pieces of sashimi, nagaimo, cucumber, ginger and shiso.  This was a very subtle-tasting roll with the shiso standing out with its herbal and minty flavour.  I thought the layer of rice was a bit thick, yet at the same time, it wasn't an issue since it was beautifully textured with a chewiness.  On my next visit, I had the Futomaki (also half version) with the usual components.  Although I loved the sushi rice, I would've preferred less of it (as mentioned with the Edokko Special).  With that being said, the pickles and mushroom did provide enough flavour for the roll to stand on its own.  Served along the Futomaki was Saba Battera.  The pressed sushi was good since it employed the same sushi rice and the balanced amount of saba was flavourful.

On that note, we also had the Salmon Battera and it was comparable to some of the best in the city.  The salmon was buttery and complimented the chewy rice while the torched mayo-based sauce was a bit tangy, smoky and sweet.  There was the requisite thinly-sliced jalapeno on top.  Also had the Dynamite Roll and Chopped Scallop Roll.  Both had a generous amount of filling where the tempura ebi was huge while the delicate scallops were sweet.  As you can see, we had a selection of Nigiri including Chopped Scallop, Toro, Chutoro and Kanpachi.  They were well-constructed and the sashimi had a nice sheen and textures were on point.  The Tamago was also quite good being fluffy, moist and sweet.

On my initial visit, I also ordered a selection of Nigiri including Hokkaido Uni, Chopped Scallop, Chutoro and Otoro.  The uni was fabulous being bright, sweet and creamy.  Chutoro was buttery and sweet while the Otoro was curiously chewy in spots.  Other parts were melt-in-my-mouth buttery.  It had the brightness from the sea in every bite.  Second visit yielded some Toro and Atlantic Salmon Sashimi.  Once again, nice sheen on the slices and they were perfectly bite-sized.  Soft texture on both and naturally sweet.

Staying with raw fish, we had the Chirashi Don with tuna, salmon, tamago, ebi, hotate, abalone, tako, ika, ikura, flying fish roe and red tuna.  This was a good amount of quality sashimi on top of nicely-textured and seasoned sushi rice.  On our second visit, we had the Assorted Tempura with ebi, ika, hotate and veggies.  As you can see, the batter was lightly applied to each piece.  Hence, it was crispy and not overbearing.  That meant each component could shine on its own.

At the front of their menu, they feature a Shokado Dinner with a selection of items.  Many of them we'd already had as a la carte dishes.  But for those who want variety all in one box, you would find some sweet & sour chicken, sashimi, zaru soba, tempura, gindara, salmon battera and aburi tuna nigiri.  On the side, there was chawanmushi and a seasoned rice.  This was more than enough food for one person and for $40.00, this was a good way for one person to try it all.

Yes, the place has Nirigi in its name, but another dish they are known for is their Unagi Hitsumabushi Set.  Sure, the whole top of the bowl was covered in buttery soft unagi, but there is an option to have it layered in the middle too.  We got that and literally every bite was more unagi than rice.  Nice flavour on the unagi too where it was glazed but not doused.  Hence, we got the sweetness and caramelization, but not sickingly sweet.

Another dish that caught our attention on the menu was the Kamonan Soba featuring roasted duck breast, green onion, seaweed, fish cake and tenkasu.  Although robust due to the duck, this was a subtle dish where the flavours were balanced.  The broth had depth with some background smokiness to go with the umami and sweetness.  The duck itself was super tender and had a nice brine on it.

For my first visit, we ordered dessert in the form of the Hojicha Panna Cotta.  This was quite good with a silky panna cotta that was creamy and not "jello-like".  It was mildly sweet and aromatic while the hojicha exhibited some smokiness and sweetness.  Overall, these 2 meals at Edokko were enjoyable and satisfying.  They really live up to their namesake with a wide selection of well-made Nigiri.  However, their Unagi Hitsumabushi Set is also a must order.

The Good:

- Delicious authentic nigiri

- Unagi Hitsumabushi Set

- Excellent service

The Bad:

- Maybe their maki sushi could use a bit less rice

- Hard to get a seat without a reservation