Unagi isn’t a classic Sushi offering. Anago is.
Very few freshwater animals are ever used in Sushi.
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Most Unagi comes from China, frozen. Baby eels are purchased from wherever, farm raised in China, and either sold live processed.
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Unagi, like salmon, isn’t traditionally classic sushi offering, but that doesn’t mean you will never find a place in Japan serving them as such. Regardless of availability, it’s just never been that popular, except perhaps at some kaiten places. But both have been served enough in America that one could reasonably expect it to be served here, and if good unagi were more readily available, it would be. I do miss good unagi for a bowl of unagi don or hitsumabushi, though. Maybe in the summer.
There are maybe 2 freshwater items I’ve had for sushi that were considered delicacies: keiji salmon and yamame, but I’ve only seen those in very rare instances.
I personally respect and applaud the sustainability efforts, though there is a noticeable difference in the quality of fish at times. E.g. Kona kampachi / Japanese kanpachi, but that is also a reflection of the topography and ecosystems in which the fish are raised, and in turn their diets, their swimming patterns, etc. I think of my recent meal at Sushi Sho in Honolulu, where the chef was explaining why the complexity of the ecosystem matters, and why a few decades ago Japanese fish wasn’t nearly as good when they had just cut down some kelp forests. Here’s to hoping that the fish farms can really succeed in raising fish that are just as delicious as the wild counterparts, but much more sustainable.
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Does anyone know where Chef Yoshi is working now?
I have heard that he went up to SF Bay area in hopes of finding his own place, but then was back in LA working at Kiriko but now gone from there too.
Maru-san is great, but I was hoping to find Yoshi as well.
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Hi beam,
Yoshi is now working at Sushi Zo in West LA / Cheviot Hills. I believe he is still scouting locations in Los Angeles to open his own place.
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I didn’t live in Edo-era Japan and neither did Maru-san or Shunji-san, for that matter. If you’re going to insult me, try insulting me in a non-idiotic manner; you’re the one who wrote that Unagi is a classic sushi offering. Perhaps you misheard.
Since you referred to the Edo-era, I don’t know if you’re trying to make the point that Unagi is an Edo-Sushi ingredient. Unagi might have been used in Kansai (which I know little about), but in Tokyo? From what I’ve seen and read, it’s not considered a classic Tokyo/Edo ingredient - I’ve never seen it served as Sushi anywhere in the Kanto region because it’s a freshwater ingredient; in addition, Edo-style Sushi traditionally used ingredients from and around Tokyo bay, and the Tokyo area isn’t known for as a Unagi harvesting area from what I’ve learned from Japanese people.
Also, FWIW, I’m well aware that there’s a lack of domestic Unagi in Japan. My family in Japan is in Shizuoka-Ken, which is, historically, one of the most famous regions in Japan for Unagi. My family dates back to pre-Edo-era Japan, and has lived in the same area in Shizuoka since, at least, the 1860’s. I’ve never seen Unagi as a “classic” Sushi ingredient in Shizuoka as well. I also eat Unagi in Shizuoka nearly every time I’m there. I’ve eaten here during my last two trips to Japan: 【沼津・三島】京丸うなぎグループ 店舗ポータル What was once a rather inexpensive item, is now quite expensive.
I’ve discussed the cost, availability of Unagi with my family there on numerous occasions. I also noticed a number of Unagi restaurants in the Shizuoka area that are no longer in business in my last few trips to Japan and this was a topic of conversation with my Uncle who’s lived in the Shizuoka area for most of his life and now spends much of his time as one of the managers of the local, neighborhood farmer’s market.
My uncle explained that many of these restaurants have closed within the past 10 years due to rising costs, lack of availability of domestic Unagi, due to habitat loss, overconsumption, etc., and children not wanting to take over the restaurants. Much of the domestic supply now comes from Kyushu, and, from what I was told, they’ve now tracked the migration pattern of these eels from the Philipines.
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Nice. I might make the splurge on this early next year
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Still the one to beat in LA…
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Holy. Awesome pictures. Thank you for sharing.
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Fantastic!
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That looks like the best dinner ever!!
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I had a Kirzan ‘junmai daiginjo’ recently but looks like a G-rated version with the fancy bottle. @beefnoguy do you know the difference?
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Thanks @President_Mochi. Have you been to Mori yet? 
I’ll respond to the entire thread later. Hope you all are enjoying your 3 day weekends!
But to address your question quickly. Your bottle is actually a rarer triple X rated version. It’s not the same Junmai Daiginjo as the 720 mL Chowseeker had (that one is exported). Your small 320 mL bottle is not exported to the USA, seasonal, and brewed with a different local Niigata sake rice varietal Takane Nishiki vs Gohakyumangoku (720 mL bottle). Plus this bottle here only comes in 320 mL, perfect for solo drinkers. Retail price, the 320 bottle runs about $12, and the 720 is $35 roughly, in Japan of course. I hope you kept the small bottle as a keepsake!
The only exported to the US sake I can think of that uses Takane Nishiki sake rice is Senshin (Junmai Daiginjo), carried by Tempura Endo, n/Naka and maybe a few other places around town.
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If there ever was a sake sage, you are the one. 
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Great meal! Thanks for the review.
INDEED!
Thanks @beefnoguy! Unfortunately didn’t take the bottle with me 
What’s the difference between the two?
[quote=“beefnoguy, post:121, topic:3358”]
I I’ll respond to the entire thread later. Hope you all are enjoying your 3 day weekends!
[/quote] 
I know. I like to read his/her wonderful posts at least twice, usually three times.
Thanks @TheCookie. This is one place to consider trying when you feel up to it, just wonderful sushi, fish and rice are so standout!
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