Official information
This restaurant is registered on Tabelog as a corporate member. Business information is released by the staff.
Hanabishi
(花菱)- Nearest station：
- Categories：
-
- Budget：
-
- Fixed holidays：
- Sunday、Public Holiday
Restaurant information
Details
| Restaurant name |
Hanabishi（Hanabishi）
|
|---|---|
| Categories | Unagi (Freshwater eel)、Japanese Cuisine |
| Phone number (for reservation and inquiry) |
03-3461-2622 |
| Reservation Availability |
Reservations available |
| Address |
東京都渋谷区道玄坂2-16-7 花菱ビル 1F・B1 |
| Transportation |
Keio Inokashira Line [Shibuya Station] West Exit 3 minutes walk Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, Tokyu Denentoshi Line [Shibuya Station] 4 minutes walk JR Yamanote Line etc. [Shibuya Station] 6 minutes walk Tokyo Metro Ginza Line [Shibuya Station] 6 minutes walk Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, Tokyu Toyoko Line [Shibuya Station] 8 minutes walk 305 meters from Shinsen. |
| Opening hours |
|
| Budget |
￥5,000～￥5,999 ￥3,000～￥3,999 |
| Budget（Aggregate of reviews） |
￥6,000～￥7,999
|
| Method of payment |
Credit Cards Accepted （JCB、AMEX） Electronic money Not Accepted |
| Table money/charge |
夜のみサービス料 テーブル5% 個室10%、お通し代なし |
Seats/facilities
| Number of seats |
30 Seats （ (1F) 1 table with 2 seats, 2 tables with 4 seats, (basement) 4 tables with 2 seats, 5 tables with 4 seats, 2 private rooms (2-18)） |
|---|---|
| Private dining rooms |
OK |
| Private use |
OK |
| Non-smoking/smoking |
No smoking at all tables |
| Parking lot |
not allowed Nearby paid parking: Shindaishu Building No. 6, 2-10-9 Dogenzaka, 200 parking spaces, etc. |
| Space/facilities |
Tatami seats |
Menu
| Drink |
Japanese sake (Nihonshu),Japanese spirits (Shochu),Wine |
|---|
Feature - Related information
| Occasion |
With family/children |With friends/colleagues This occasion is recommended by many people. |
|---|---|
| Service |
Take-out |
| With children |
Kids are welcome |
| Website | |
| Remarks |
Reference: http://shibuyadogenzaka.com/sp/hanabishi/index.html |
I had to take care of some business early in the new year, so I headed for Shibuya. I was planning to eat in the afternoon, so I left home early and headed for a certain soba restaurant, but I hadn't done much research beforehand, and it turned out it was still closed for the new year. I looked around for other places, but everywhere was the same. I had no choice but to walk down Dogenzaka towards the station, and my eye fell on an eel sign. I remembered the name "Hanabishi," and when I looked it up on the spot, I found out it was a long-established restaurant with a long history. The restaurant was open, and I opened the automatic door at the back of the building. It was just before 12 o'clock, but there were no customers in sight. There were only two tables on the slightly dim first floor, which seemed small, but the basement, which I reached by going down the stairs at the back, was surprisingly spacious and bright, with about 10 tables and nearly 30 seats comfortably arranged. Many of the tables had reserved seating signs. I was shown to a four-person table at the very back. It was clearly posted outside, and the waitress had told me at the start that it would take 40 minutes for the eel to be served. They start by cutting the eels, which is unusual for a restaurant in a downtown area where turnover is often a priority. I start with the "Unagi-ju Take" from the four types of eel on rice, with the "Kimono-soup" (ordered separately). I had originally planned to drink a little, so I ordered a beer (a medium-sized bottle of Kirin Lager) and some "fried ginkgo nuts" as a snack, and relaxed. The fried ginkgo nuts have a chewy texture and a moderate saltiness that I enjoy, and I sip my glass while nibbling on them. Exactly 40 minutes later, the whole meal was brought out on a square tray. As always, the excitement of opening the lid of the eel on rice is exceptional. As I slowly remove it, a fragrant aroma rises, and a quarter of a small eel is added to cover the surface. Perhaps because of the shape of the eels themselves, they are arranged vertically rather than the usual horizontal style where a whole eel is placed on top. Perhaps because it was freshly cut, it looked beautiful, and although the meat was small and not particularly thick, when you inserted your chopsticks into it, it felt smooth, which is unique to Edomae eel that has been steamed. The umami flavor of the eel was strong, and it was delicious when combined with the light sauce with little sweetness. The meat and skin peeled off easily, but it wasn't rough at all, which is not because the steaming or grilling was not done properly, but rather because the skin was originally thick due to individual differences in the eels themselves, and the sticky skin was delicious. Halfway through, I sprinkled some powdered sansho pepper on the table, and it was clear that this had been carefully considered. The rice was a little soft, and perhaps it hadn't been steamed enough after cooking, so it didn't mix well with the sauce. The liver soup was simple, with properly processed liver and tofu and mitsuba, and there was no bitterness at all, but it was not salty but had a good dashi flavor that made it delicious. The pickles were pickled cucumber, radish, and carrot in rice bran and salted Chinese cabbage, and perhaps because it was the beginning of the New Year, the salt felt a little underripe. Although there were some points that bothered me, I still felt that I had eaten delicious eel. The price was also reasonable considering the size of the eel. The waitress' attitude also left a good impression, as it was a well-established restaurant. This restaurant was founded in 1921, so it has a history of over 100 years, and its website states that Saito Mokichi, who was famous for his love of eel, was a frequent visitor. It is hard to imagine that they would have kept the same business as they did when they first opened, but Shibuya at that time would have been a remote area that is unimaginable today, so I think it is admirable that they have continued to keep the name of the restaurant from back then.