New Unagi Specialist Una Una Says It Serves Cheapest Eel In Town, Offers 50% Off Every Second Bowl 

If you’re broke with expensive taste, two-weeks-old unagi eatery Una Una at Bugis+ mall serves their Hitsumabushi for a super affordable $9.80++ for its small portion. Why is the price so low? Well, 'cos the restaurant uses frozen eels, instead of slaughtering live eels upon order like what the other unagi specialist restaurants do.

Una Una’s unagi is basted with a Japan-imported sauce made with shoyu, mirin and sugar before being grilled over charcoal for 10 minutes. The process is said to create tasty unagi with tender flesh and a slightly crispy coat.

Hitsumabushi is served with nori (seaweed), spring onions, wasabi and dashi broth so you can enjoy your eel over rice in three ways: first by savouring the eel-rice combination on its own, then with the accompanying condiments, and finally, adding the dashi broth to make an ochazuke. Hearty eaters should know that the Hitsumabushi is also served in Regular ($14.80) and Double ($19.80) portions.

If you’re hankering after bara chirashi and unagi, consider the Kaisen Hitsumabushi ($18.80), which has a mound of diced sashimi such as salmon and tuna served with unagi on rice.

The menu also features an unaju section (Tokyo-style unagi rice bowl served with chawanmushi on the side). It includes picks like the basic Unagi Unaju ($19.80 for Regular; $29.80 for Double), Unagi & Salmon Ikura Ju ($26.80) with mirin-cooked salmon and salmon roe, as well as a beef slices and unagi-topped Unagi Beef Shabu Ju ($22.80).

There are also unagi-themed sides, like Unagi Chawanmushi ($6.80), Unagi Omelette ($9.80 for three pieces) and a selection of Sashimi Maze Dons (think of it as Japanese-style bibimbap) including Unagi Poke Rice Bowl ($14.80) with four types of dressing to choose from: wafu (Japanese-style vinaigrette), spicy sauce, goma (sesame) or wasabi.

Una Una looks like a cosy hole-in-the-wall eatery that one stumbles upon in Japan, with wooden booth seats, paper lanterns and traditional shoji screen doors. Will the food be as good as its reasonable prices? Watch this space.

Una Una, #04-10 Bugis+, S188067. Tel: 6238-1011. Open daily, Mon-Fri 11.30am-3pm; 5pm-10pm, Sat & Sun 11.30am-10pm. www.facebook.com/unaunasg.