One Dish, Three Ways: Savor Nagoya’s Hitsumabushi at Maruya Honten Ginza Glasse

The eel is grilled until its exterior is crisp and aromatic while the flesh stays plump and tender. The key is to grill it thoroughly with the final serving of hot broth in mind. This helps the eel retain its texture even after the broth is poured over it, offering a different experience from eating it as served. Start by savoring the aroma of the grilled eel on its own, then finish with the broth. Notice how the eel’s texture changes with each way of eating it.

Alongside the fragrant grilled eel, the restaurant’s signature sauce plays a defining role in its hitsumabushi. Made to a secret recipe, it starts with traditionally produced tamari soy sauce. Coating the grilled eel with this sauce and enjoying it with rice creates the distinctive flavor of Maruya Honten’s hitsumabushi. Before adding any condiments or broth, take a moment to appreciate the aroma of the eel and the flavor of the sauce as they are.

Just as much attention goes into the rice, an essential part of hitsumabushi. The restaurant uses Tsuyahime rice grown in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. It is cooked slightly firm so that the sauce coats the grains well and the rice complements the eel. The combination of fragrant grilled eel, signature sauce, and rice creates the distinctive taste of Maruya Honten’s hitsumabushi.

Begin with just the eel and rice, without adding anything. This lets you savor the eel’s crisp surface and plump, tender flesh together with the signature tamari-based sauce. Starting with these flavors makes it easier to appreciate how the condiments and broth change the taste in the servings that follow.

Next, add condiments such as scallions, wasabi, and nori seaweed. Shiso leaves add a fresh aroma, giving this serving a different character from the first. The refreshing flavors of wasabi and shiso work particularly well with the richness of the eel. Mixing and matching your favorite condiments to find a combination you enjoy is another pleasure of hitsumabushi.

For the final serving, add condiments and nori, then pour piping-hot dashi broth over the eel and rice to enjoy it ochazuke-style. The broth is made with carefully selected ingredients, including bonito. Its flavor joins those of the eel and sauce, creating a different taste from the first two servings. Pay particular attention to the eel’s texture: it is grilled thoroughly enough to hold up even in the broth. Enjoy the contrast with your first serving as you finish the dish.

Hitsumabushi Jo is a classic choice for a first visit. The eel is grilled until crisp and fragrant on the outside and plump and tender within, then paired with the restaurant’s signature tamari-based sauce. Enjoy it three ways: first as served, then with condiments, and finally with piping-hot broth.

Gold Leaf Hitsumabushi gives the dish an eye-catching finish. Edible gold leaf adorns the fragrant grilled eel and rice, creating a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. It is an option for a special meal in Ginza or whenever you feel like trying hitsumabushi with a little extra flair.

The Sakae Lunch Set is available at lunchtime. It offers the chance to enjoy several dishes in one meal, alongside hitsumabushi. Consider it when visiting Maruya Honten Ginza Glasse during a day of shopping or exploring Ginza.

Unagi Nagayaki is grilled with sauce until fragrant, while Unagi Shirayaki is grilled without sauce, offering a simpler way to appreciate the eel’s own flavor. Both feature a crisp exterior and plump, tender flesh. They offer a different way to enjoy the restaurant’s carefully grilled eel beyond hitsumabushi.

Freshly Made Umaki, a rolled omelet filled with eel, is another dish to enjoy alongside hitsumabushi. The combination of fragrant grilled eel and soft egg offers a different experience from Unagi Nagayaki.

There is also a wide range of drinks to pair with the eel dishes. Special sake selections are brought in to suit the season, allowing you to pair your food with whatever is available at the time. Wine and sparkling wine are also offered, giving you more choices to enjoy with the à la carte dishes.

Take the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line to Ginza Station, a journey of about two minutes.