Queues are not my thing. If my Bff, Tutu-Kueh had not stood patiently in line while I made my way down, I would have waited for the craze to mellow out before checking out talk of the town, Man Man Unagi Restaurant. And that might be many, many moons later, judging from the crowd😲! I love a good unagi. And by good, I mean a fat, juicy one without a tiny teeny prickly bones sticking at ya (read- frozen supermarket species!) Man Man’s unagi are alive and kicking before freshly slaughtered and grilled for every order. (Tip- Steer clear the counter seats if you’re jittery about blood). The freshness is clearly evident and more amazingly, the grilling skills of Chef Nakagawa is telling of his 20 years experience. Endless flipping while monitoring the heat, inserting more skewers to keep the long eel flat, fanning, seasoning and adding coal all at the same time! This is taking multitasking to another level! And yet, the result is PERFECTLY grilled eel that’s gorgeously charred and crisp on the outside, plump and juicy on the inside.The recommended set meal comprises of unagi don, a clear soup, a small side dish of pickled cabbage, some condiments and a jar of hot broth. Restaurant Manager, Akama-San explains four ways to savor the set.

(1) As it is, unagi with rice; (2) mixed with seaweed strips, chopped spring onions and freshly grated wasabi;  (3) with the dashi broth added and eaten like a rice porridge (ochazuke); and (4) any of the above! I like number 2, with the condiments. The fresh wasabi makes such a difference. Gives it a little kick! Bottom line, great job, Man Man! And 2 thumbs up 👍🏻👍🏻, Mr Nakagawa! Your hard work’s totally paid off! This unagi is incredible! In true affirmation of human strength, I polished off the entire bowl of unagi don (and the broth and the pickles and freshly grated wasabi 😁😁!)!

The Hitsumabushi Set (S$26.80 – $35.80) comes in different sizes, depending on how hungry you are.

The menu comprises sets in different compositions and even one pork set, for non eel eaters who stumble in by mistake(!?). Albeit the crowd, the restaurant is bright, breezy and comfortable. And service is really pleasant too. The line and the craze ain’t slowing down anytime soon 😥… I’ll have to plan my meals around it! To end, a sneak at Man Man’s great chef at work as well as the rare exotic pet eel that greets you as you enter the door. Meet Man Man!

Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant @ 1 Keong Saik Road #01-01 Singapore 089109 Phone: +65 6222 0678