Since Nagoya Station is a very popular station, there is a wide variety of ekiben available. Among them, many “miso katsu” and “hitsu-mabushi” bento are sold, making it difficult to decide which one to buy. Among them, I chose “Matsuura no Dashimaki & Hitsumabushi Maki” this time.
Matsuura-no-~” refers to Matsuura Shoten, a long-established shop in Nagoya that has been around since the Edo period and has produced many ekiben in the area. Our destination, Tokyo, is about an hour and 40 minutes away by Shinkansen bullet train. We were not so much hungry as we were starving, but we wanted to fill our stomachs a little.
I did not have enough time to have a quick meal at a restaurant in Nagoya Station or in the city, and I felt too lazy to go into any restaurant after arriving in Tokyo, so I had two choices this time: have a quick shimen on the platform or buy an ekiben. This time, I chose the latter and picked a smaller ekiben.
The rice used for the Hitsumabushi rolls is not very strongly seasoned, but rather light. Therefore, the taste of the eel, as well as the accompanying sansho (Japanese pepper) and wasabi (Japanese horseradish), was well utilized with only a small amount of rice and was quite tasty. I was impressed by the gentle flavor that did not come on too strongly.
The dashimaki tamago had a strong broth flavor and the texture was quite fresh. The volume of this dish is quite substantial and quite filling. It is not just a side dish, but a mainstay of the dish with the Hitsumabushi roll. After the meal, the impression of the dashimaki tamago was so strong that it left a strong impression on the palate.
There are several Hitsumabushi ekiben available at Nagoya Station, and it is actually convenient to be able to choose by quantity. Moreover, I personally liked the balance of the slightly larger presence of the dashimaki tamago. The size of the dish is more than enough to fill a small stomach, but less than enough to fill a full stomach. It was an excellent ekiben with a high regional flavor, yet the seasoning was elegant.
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