Eels and Octopi

[MadLu]

And about the snake:

Actually, if you deep fry the snake meat, then dip with little salt and pepper, taste quite good.

[kinya]

what kind of eel are you people talking about?

Man yu?

Shan yu?

huang shan?

I love a good man yu, but a lot of places will skimp and use the salt water eel instead of the fresh water eel.( anybody who eats alot of sushi knows that unagi is freshwater eel).

Salt water eel can be kind of slimey, but the good stuff is damn fine.

hunag shan are actually those little mud skippers that they catch in the rice paddies. they do in a pinch, but I dont go out of my way to look for them.

[Ian_Lee]

For eel, I love unagi donburi.

However, don't frequent those basement foodstalls in the department store. Go find those old style eateries in the back alleys of Tokyo. If they hang out a small flag in front of the store with the two Kanji -- 蒲燒, that means they prepare it in the traditional way -- grill on a charcoal broiler with the cook constantly waving a paper fan in front.

But it is not cheap. Even for lunch, it ranges from 3,000 Yen upwards.