Unagi restaurants across Japan prepared for a surge in orders on Wednesday, the Day of the Ox, when grilled eel is customarily eaten.
Asakusa Unatetsu's main store in Taito Ward, Tokyo, expected to serve about 200 meals, four times more than a usual day. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, half of the meals sold were expected to be boxed lunches.
The store charges 3,410 yen for regular unaju, skewered eel glazed in a sweet soy-based sauce that is grilled and served on rice. Boxed lunches are about 20% cheaper, a discount the store introduced in April to mitigate the drastic fall in customer numbers amid the pandemic.
"We hope our customers will enjoy nutritious eel at home and survive the hot summer," a store representative said. Nutrients in eel are said to help stave off summer fatigue.
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