At first glance, Uya does appear to lose out a little compared to Man Man's main branch; Uya's decor is a tad modern with a notably more discreet kitchen so you will see less eel slaughtering and grilling in action. Additionally, the eels at Uya are also slightly dearer in price. However, at a closer look, Uya has some strengths that provides its own draw.

Firstly, at Uya, queuing (if any) can be done comfortably within a sheltered and air-conditioned space (although why queue when you can make reservations?).

They also feature a large seating capacity (further reducing the queuing time), some private rooms (reservations required) and sufficient space between diners.

Secondly, their service! The first time I went, I was received warmly at the entrance by a polite and smiling Japanese waitress who blew me away when she took my order while squatting down (so that she spoke to me at eye level instead of looking down at me)! This gesture made me feel very pampered and reminded me of the unparalleled service one can only find in Japan. Pity that not all the staff at Uya Unagi are trained to provide the same service.

Thirdly, Uya serves both eels and a small selection of salads, tempura, wagyu, sides and desserts. Don't underestimate this seemingly unimportant provision- this was how I persuaded my friend, who dislikes eels (he found eels to be soft, mushy, slimy and full of inedible bones) to accompany me for dinner at Uya. Although, after dining here, he is now a convert. Why?

Because the eels at Uya are sufficiently charred (but not overly) so we get eels that have zero sliminess plus smoky and crispy skin minus the bitterness. Some commented that Uya's eels are a little dry but both Mr. Good and I found ours to be just the right texture- flaky, firm and moist. And the bones? They are the "you see them but you don't taste them" kind of bones! Unlike at Chikuyotei.

However, before you go running to Uya, I need to caution you that overall, the flavours at Uya are more subtle. For example, their Shirayaki is served with salt at the side (instead of being grilled with salt on) and the tare used for their unagi is less salty, less sweet and of thinner consistency. While I appreciate that all these are done so that the natural taste of fresh eel can shine through, if you are one who prefer stronger flavours, Man Man might work better for you. In addition, if you are big fans of having freshly grated wasabi with your eels, you will be disappointed at Uya. For me though, I can't care less about wasabi for my eels so I am more than happy with Uya.