TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Unagi hits the trend in Japan as the summer arrives. Summer is an unagi-harvesting season in Japan.
“There are many Japanese eels in Japan these months. It’s the season for Japanese eel festival there,” said Farid Irawan, a senior sous chef at Yoshi Izakaya restaurant, Gran Melia Hotel, Jakarta, on Wednesday, July 29.
Farid says he brings the trend to Jakarta in three kinds of unagi servings namely Unagi Seiro Mushi-Sushi Gozen, Jyu-Jyu Unagi Steak Gozen, and Una-don & Men Combi Set. The trio unagi menu is available in the restaurant until August 17.
Jyu-Jyu Unagi Steak Gozen, according to Farid, is unagi dish cooked in teppanyaki style or hot iron plate. The type of unagi used in the dish is unagai Shirayaki or unseasoned unagi matched with soyu butter sauce to give a savory flavor.
Differently, Unagi Seiro Mushi-Sushi Gozen offers sweet tastes. It is made of unagi with kabayaki sauce.
“Before it is steamed with rice, unagi was previously grilled to penetrate the sauce. Once it looks brownish, unagi is chopped, put on top of rice, and steamed,” Farid explained.
Una-don & Men Combi Set is a menu claimed to be the most popular in Japan. Una-don is a Japanese traditional menu served with rice.
“Japanese like it simple, one bowl contains unagi and rice, ready to hit the taste buds,” Farid further talked about the restaurant’s fusion unagi dish.
“From children to the elderly, everybody knows Una-don.”
In Indonesia, unagi is called 'sidat' fish. It is often mistakenly known as eel, Farid said.
ANTARA
