Uya Unagi (四代目菊川) at Wheelock Place

Uya unagi is another famous Japanese restaurant specialized in unagi (eel).  It is conveniently located on the 2nd floor of Wheelock Place, right in the center of the busy Orchard Road.  We arrived at the restaurant at 6pm, the moment the restaurant opened for dinner, without a reservation, on a Monday.  The place was quite empty, my friend and I were the only two customers at the time.  When we left the place at around 7.40pm, the place was still half empty.

There are some small private rooms available for business people to discuss their work while dinning, or for people who would like to have more privacy.  This is a very good point.

Sashimi Mori (Standard), $35.00++

We ordered a sashimi mori as appetitzer.  There are two options, standard and premium, we chose the standard version.  It consisted of swordfish, tuna, salmon, and I think mackerel, and then one unknown.  The crown jewel of this plate was definitely the swordfish.  I must admit I never had any high expectations of swordfish, as it is usually served cooked in western cuisine, and its flesh tends to be quite tough.  Served as sashimi, the swordfish was actually quite thick, firm and meaty, with an abundance of fish oil.  And it was really fresh, not a hint of stinky fishy smell.

Hitsumabushi  (Large), $48.00++

I ordered the large Hitsumabushi for my main.  The portion was huge, for both the unagi and the rice.

Both Man Man Unagi and Uya are famous for their unagi, so I naturally will compare the two.  The grilled unagi at Man Man is thinner, and soft, with some charred portions.  The unagi at Uya is thick and firm.  There is no hint of any charred portion.  The outer section is crispy, the inside is tasty solid.  I think Uya's unagi is like a muscular athlete, while Man Man's is more like a shy young lady.
I like Uya's unagi more than Man Man's.

The soup that came with the Hitsumabushi was good too.  It was clear and fragrant.  Together with the unagi, it was like mom's tender hand gently massaging.  A good complement to the unagi.  And if you run out of soup, you can actually re-fill.

Service-wise it was good.  We ordered a number of dishes, including dessert, and they asked us whether we would like everything come together or one by one.  We chose one by one.  When we finished one item, they would clear the table first, before serving the next dish.

Overall, the dining experience was good.  The food was excellent, and environment was conducive.  It is more like a proper restaurant where you can talk business, or leisurely enjoy your meal, while Man Man is more like a fast-food outlet.  In addition, they accept reservations, you can give them a call if you worry about long queues.