In Japan, unagi (freshwater eel) is considered a stamina food. In the city of Nagoya, the speciality unagi dish is hitsumabushi, a rich donburi (rice bowl dish) in which grilled eel is served atop white rice. One of the best places to try out this dish – which is now so revered it has been trademarked – is Atsuta Houraiken, the first restaurant that ever offered hitsumabushi. The restaurant serves traditional Japanese cuisine, brought out in courses. Guests get to relax in tatami-mat rooms, slowly savouring the unagi that's been masterfully prepared by the chefs along with the delicious tare (dipping) sauce. Your donburi for one is served in a small wooden container. Using chopsticks, first take just a mouthful of food. Then add wasabi to give the taste an extra edge. Finally, add spring onion, wasabi and seaweed. Afterwards, you'll be served a bowl of dashi (fish stock) soup and chazuke (rice with green tea poured over it). You won't find dishes exactly like this anywhere else – literally.