Day 1
HK
to Nagoya / Dinner at Unagi Yondaime Kikukawa / Stay at Prince Hotel
Nagoya Sky Tower
Finished moving to my temporary home and getting my apartment's renovation underway, we can finally find time to relax and decide to go to our ‘home’ country Japan for a vacation, picking Mie as our destination this time.
On this Sunday morning, we come to the HKIA and after a speedy check-in decide to go to the newly re-opened CX lounge The Bridge neat Gate 35. The lounge is divided into two halves, and we decide to go to the left section, The Nook.
The classic Noodle Bar is busy. Not only all the booth banquettes are occupied, even at the communal tables there are not that many empty seats available. Fortunately, we manage to find ours and I order my favourite Dan Dan Noodles.
Apart from the noodles, there are some dim sums on self-service, including Siu Mai, Veggie Dumplings, and Rice Rolls. These familiar Chinese foods always give me a sense of comfort and joy before traveling.
Finishing breakfast, we decide to go further into the lounge to take a rest before boarding and discover that beyond the sofa area there is another space, with more dining tables and chairs, serving some regional Chinese small plates, as well as dim sums.
I cannot resist the temptation and order two items. The Lamb Roujiamo is very good, with appetizing, spiced shredded lamb stuffed in the toasted flatbread. The Sesame Balls are also nice, with glutinous skin and rich sesame fillings that are not too sweet.
With the windows looking out at the apron, this space is also quieter than the Noodle Bar, allowing us to spend the time to enjoy the food and chill before proceeding to the gate to board our flight, CX536, heading to Nagoya. One thing happened beforehand though which I want to share.
Flying Business Class, I originally booked our seats on the window side in the 1-2-1 setting. However, a week prior to departure, I found the aircraft had changed to the 2-3-2 model. While the seat numbers remain the same, we were both sitting with another passenger!
Fortunately, the flight was not that full, and
I changed to the vacant seats in the middle section. Checking on
the return flight, it has the same issue, and I made the changes as well.
I called CX customer
service to understand why we were assigned to sit separately. The staff did apologize, but mentioned he could do nothing to move us to sit back together, citing that
they cannot change seats for other passengers.
Feeling ridiculous, I filed a complaint to CX afterwards, but
the feedback was not satisfactorily. Although Cathay has provided me 4,000 mileages
as compensation, there were no specific actions mentioned to avoid similar from happening
again.
The flight was smooth and uneventful, landing
at Chubu Centrair Airport earlier than schedule. The airport is relatively
quiet and efficient, and in no time, we have completed the immigration and
customs, to proceed to collect the rental car.
Toyota Rent-A-Car’s office and pickup spot is
conveniently located right inside the terminal. I have booked a car of C3
Class, which turns out to be a brand-new Corolla. With full insurance coverage
and ETC, it costs 83,990 yen for 7 days of rental.
The car is comfortable and easy to
navigate, as well as very fuel-efficient. The only challenge for me is that the
trunk could not hold our two luggage. Unlike Prius where we usually pull down
the rear seats to make room it is not possible for this vehicle.
As a result, one of our luggage must be put
on the rear seats, making it difficult to load and unload. It is particularly annoying
as we are changing hotel daily. Something to bear in mind when selecting the vehicle within the C3 Class.
On the first day we decide to take it easy and not drive for long hours, so staying at Prince Hotel Nagoya Sky Tower, located adjacent to Sasashima-Raibu Station. Opened since 2017, it has maintained a new and premium vibe.
The hotel is on 31-36th floor of Global Gate, with parking on the basement floors of the complex. There is a lift at the basement which can go straight to the reception lobby on the 31st floor. Parking fee per day is 2,500 yen.
Room 3415 is the Premium Corner Twin Room. It is very spacious, almost 80 sqm in size, largest in the hotel. In the middle there is a long sofa, with also a chaise longue in front of the L-shaped full-length windows looking out to Nagoya Station.
On the left are the twin beds which individually can easily serve as a double-bed in budget hotels. The windowsill provides the area to work, while at the same time able to enjoy the view of Nagoya skylines.
On the right side of the room is the minibar with the usual supplies of water, coffee and tea. An interesting provision is the mini wine fridge, keeping several bottles of red and white wine in store for those who want to enjoy a few glasses.
Further in is the spacious bathroom. In the middle is the double basins with its large mirror, while on the left the windowsill serves as a make-up table too. On the right is the shower room with also a bathtub.
After a quick freshen up, we go back down to the lobby, as our room entitles access to Club Lounge. Available only to a limited number of guests, it is a comfortable space with high ceiling, offering complimentary beverages and snacks.
Having enjoyed a short break and couple of bottles of beer, some smoked salmon and cold cuts, we decide to walk around the neighborhood before dinner. In the Global Gate, there are a few home décor shops selling beautiful furniture and window blinds.
Apart from two cafes with many young customers, the shopping mall is generally very quiet. Going out from Global Gate and opposite is another complex with 109 Cinemas, together with some restaurants and an entertainment centre. Again, mostly young people here.
We then return to the hotel and discover its interesting cruise ship design theme at the entrance, having a strip of blue carpet which looks like the ocean, with a few wooden bench seats like boats floating on top, plus also a luggage sculpture.
Taking a brief rest, we go to Unagi Yondaime Kikukawa. This restaurant is well known for unagi, or eel, with the family in the eel wholesale business since 1932. The current owner, Kikukawa Yuhei, is the fourth generation of this family business.
With the success the restaurant has now expanded to 35 outlets, in Japan and abroad, with one in HK as well. This outlet in Global Gate was also recognized by the Michelin Guide in 2019. While they entertain walk-in, I have made reservation online beforehand.
We are seated at the counter, looking through the window into the kitchen where the chef is busy handling the eels. It might not be for the faith-hearted, but we can witness the live eels, which is one of the keys why they are so delicious, and the cooking techniques.
Besides the counter, there are also tables and private seating in the restaurant to cater for different needs. The use of brighter colours in the design, the cleanliness and comfortable spaces, strive to be different from other traditional specialty restaurants.
We order the Banquet Menu Ohgiku at 13,000 yen per person, and soon are served the first course, including five appetizers: Grilled Eel Liver, Uzaku, Fried Bone Cracker, Kabayaki Eel Liver, and Eel Intestines. Good in taste, the livers are my favourites.
The staff then tells us we are going to eat Eel Heart. I thought I misunderstood it originally, but when seeing the chef cutting the eels and removing a tiny piece from its body and put that carefully in a bowl, I know this is a special treat only available in this menu.
While it is scary and not for everyone, the
eel heart is just a small piece of raw meat but still popping. To avoid the
bitter taste, the staff advises us not to bite it but to swallow whole. Frankly
I do not feel much taste. But it is a unique experience not many will get.
The next course features Grilled Eel Skin and Blanched Eel with Ponzu. The chef has used essentially all the eel in this menu, with the skin crispy with smoky taste, and to enjoy eel with ponzu for its delicate flavours.
The Grilled Eel Omelette features a fluffy, thick omelette in Japanese style, with pieces of grilled eel inside. The slight sweetness from the omelette combines well with the savoury flavours of the eel for a delicious treat.
The White Grilled Eel is another signature. The eel is prepared without the traditional sweet sauce glazing to highlight the inherent umami flavours. On the side the chef has provided salt, wasabi, and grated ginger as condiments. Really fantastic.
Following are grills of different parts of the eel, including Head, Fins, and Tail. The chef has cut up the different parts and then put them on skewers to grill. I like the fins most as there is a nice crispness, while the heads and tails have more small bones.
Next comes the Deep-Fried Eel Spring Roll. Wrapped inside the crispy spring roll skin are the eel, with plenty of mushroom, some carrots, and a thick sauce which are delicious. Very nicely done on the frying, it does not feel greasy at all.
Coming to the main dish it is the signature Hitsumabushi, the pride of Nagoya. The nicely grilled and glazed eel is cut into pieces and put on top of the bowl of rice, together with condiments of nori, wasabi, and scallions.
There is a certain way to eat this. First dividing
it into four portions, it is enjoyed first with the original flavours as is.
The second portion is then added with the condiments for extra flavours,
followed by the third portion in pouring in hot dashi as ochazuke.
The remaining portion is then enjoyed
according to the individual preference. The eel skin is very nicely done with crispy
and great fragrance. The meat is soft, thick, and fatty, which did not shrink after
grilling. I like the original style most and so finish the rest in that manner.
Together with the Liver Soup and Pickles, Hitsumabushi offers a complete meal on its own, with many customers just ordering that. The meal concludes with a simple dessert of Strawberry Ice-Cream. It is a bit too simple though in the context of the menu.
Along with some beverages, the bill on the
night is 29,920 yen. The eels are truly wonderful, as all of them are only processed
and grilled upon order. The freshly cut eels are fluffy and odourless, bringing
out the natural flavours to the fullest.
Before processing, the eels are also put in
a storage tank to rest, with the water coming from a well 200m underground. The
mud on the eels are removed which also avoid the distinctive odour in the eels.
And because the family is a
long-established wholesaler, they can select the best eels, including size and
thickness, picking those a bit larger than commonly used to ensure the meat is
sufficiently thick and does not shrink after grilling.
The chef can grill the eels over charcoal
in a short amount of time to crisp up the skin and lock in the flavours, while
keeping the meat soft and thick. Together with the secret sauce that has been
preserved since it first opened, the delicious fat of the eels is exceptional.
With a full stomach we go back to the hotel, to enjoy the spectacular view of Nagoya skylines before retiring for the night, to look forward to the visit to our destination prefecture for this trip: Mie.
