Unagi-ya Taikoban

It was the day I went to Yoshino to ride the Kintetsu Limited Express ``Blue Symphony.''Thinking it would be nice to go hiking for the first time in a while, I was researching nearby sightseeing spots and restaurants on the internet, and suddenly I saw a sign for an eel restaurant deep in the mountains of Yoshino...I'm sure you're curious about that, right?Hmm, the special eel is just 5,000 yen...It's the perfect item and price for an occasional luxury for a man in his late 40s.My impression is that people in Nara like eel for some reason.There is an eel restaurant in front of the gate of Kasuga Taisha Shrine in the city, and I wonder if one of the reasons is to eat eel in a place with spiritual experiences.Well, I visited on the Tuesday after the three-day holiday in October.I was a little worried that it might be crowded because of the early autumn leaves, so I called the day before to make a reservation.The train will arrive at Yoshino at around 11:30, so looking at the map the distance is less than 2km, so I thought it would take about 30 minutes to arrive.When I told him I would be there around 12:00, he replied, "I think it's probably okay. However, I will prepare a seat for you.'' I received a polite response.However, if you've ever been to Yoshino, you'll know that it takes 30 minutes to walk just under 2km in Yoshino.I was lucky enough to be able to ride the ropeway, but I would have lost a lot of energy and time if I had gone on foot for the first difficult part, the Seven Songs.Well, the ropeway is on the Midosuji line! It was quite scary because it was so packed, but...When I got off the ropeway, there were only 20 minutes left until my reservation time.There was no need to hurry, but there was a disclaimer that it would take 20 to 25 minutes to bake, so I decided to hurry, thinking that the time loss here would be felt in the second half.I walked at full speed while encouraging my legs, which were lacking in exercise, and managed to arrive at the store at 12:03. On the way, I somehow noticed that there were almost no people in Yoshino on weekdays in mid-October lol.The store staff's words, "It's probably okay," were accurate.Well, if you're prepared, you won't have to worry.I was the first customer that day and ordered the special eel dish while sweating profusely.It takes a bit of courage to say "Special grade..."As for the scenery, the trees from the bottom of the cliff are healthy, so there is no panoramic view, but since it is on a hill, you can feel the refreshing breeze.I was served cold tea in a thermos tumbler, and while I was waiting for the food to be baked, I decided to cool down my middle-aged muscles that had heated up on the way here.After waiting for 20 minutes, the eel finally appeared.When you open the box, you'll find two half pieces of eel, steaming and fragrant, stimulating your appetite.What's more, half the eel is already buried in the rice... It's so overwhelming that you're confused about where to put your chopsticks in and how much to make into a mouthful.I thought that if there was someone who could stay calm until they finished eating, that person was a poor person who had never tasted true luxury, haha.I think the people who can afford this are either eel chefs or people who are rich and can no longer recognize luxury as luxury (absurd).Well, I guess the correct answer is that I was moved by the experience rather than that it was delicious.Delicious, I'm impressedNo, I guess "impression" is delicious...I'm not saying it tastes good, but I don't know what to say...I was happy to be able to eat this eel.However, excitement always comes with an end.In the blink of an eye, we've finished eating and it's time to just look at the weight in the sky.But these memories will never fadeI'll come here again someday to eat eel...With that thought in mind, I gently placed my chopsticks down.It seems that you can use credit cards and PayPay at the store.The parking lot is probably nearby since it's an inn, but the roads are narrow everywhere in the Yoshino area.Especially during cherry blossom viewing season and autumn foliage season, there will be a large number of people, so I think it is a sensible choice for a traveler to take the train, walk, or bus.Oh yeah, there was a bus, and the shop staff told me the time for the return bus.When I saw it, it was a microbus, not that big, but it was still big enough to drive around the area, and it looked like it was having a hard time passing cars with license plates from other prefectures.