Any Japanese chef will tell you that January is not the month for eels, traditionally a summer dish, as eels are said to be good for replenishing the body's energy. But chef Erwin Khoo feels otherwise, writes TAN BEE HONG.

IN Japan, unagi or eel is the most popular summer dish. Grilled unagi is sought after, not only for its flavour but also for its stamina-giving properties.

As heat drains strength and vitality, the Japanese traditionally eat eel during the hot days to maintain their energy and every summer, they consume up to 130,000 tons of eel.

But as our country experiences hot sunny weather almost all year round, any month seems like a good time to enjoy unagi, says Hotel Armada's Japanese chef Erwin Khoo when asked about the on-going Unagi promotion at the Shokudo Japanese Deli.

"It's not a problem as the fish is not seasonal. It's available all year round."

He is offering a range of unagi dishes (RM6 to RM9.80) to complement the standard menu of sushi, sashimi, tempura, rice and noodles.

Unagi is rich in flavour with a tender, moist meat. The eels can be steamed and fried though the preferred method seems to be basting them with a sweet sauce and grilling over a charcoal fire. This makes the eels both crisp and tender.

For Khoo, 45, his interest in Japanese cuisine started with his first taste of sushi, at a time when he was considering going to Korea to learn the cuisine there.

"This was back in 1983. I was only a teenager then and I remember being very impressed by the taste and flavours. At the time, Malaysia had a Look East policy, so that was where I looked," he says, laughing.

Shokudo, on the first floor of the hotel, is more of a deli than a full-fledged restaurant a small and cosy, with limited seating in front of the sushi bar. Hot dishes are cooked in the main kitchen nearby and brought over by the waiting staff.

For the unagi promotion, we start with Yasai Tama Unagi Roll. The eels, together with carrots and spring onions, are rolled in a thin omelette and served with a light, sweet sauce. The rolls offer an interesting contrast of textures and flavours of fish and vegetables. "We make the sauce ourselves, using eel bones to prepare the stock to give it better flavour," says Khoo.

Another type of roll, Fried Uma Tama Maki, is seaweed stuffed with eel, egg and rice. The roll is then dipped in a thin batter and deepfried. Served immediately with a drizzle of Thousand Island dressing, the maki is crisp on the outside and soft and flavoursome on the inside. Best eaten hot.

That Khoo has a wild, adventurous streak is evident in his other three unagi dishes. There doesn't seem to be anything traditional about them despite the use of Japanese ingredients like rice and tofu.

Unagi Ebiko Tofu, for instance, combines unagi with silken tofu and prawn roe. The grilled eel is placed on top of steamed tofu and then drizzled over with the red prawn roe mixed with a little Japanese mayonnaise. Khoo confesses that some customers think the dish "bizarre" but I love how the bland tofu and sweet soya sauce cuts through the richness of the unagi and the prawn roe.

On the other hand, it is the Yakitori Unagi Steak that I find totally bizarre. Much as I love unagi, I find the combination of eel and minced chicken a little too schizophrenic to swallow. Neither the aroma nor taste of both ingredients make any attempt to complement each other.

The last item on the unagi menu, Unakyu Cheese Rice, is easy on the eyes and even easier on the palate. Japanese sticky rice is placed on a circle of seaweed and topped with cheddar cheese, diced capsicum and chunks of grilled eel, making it a complete dish in itself.

Could have done with a little more cheese but it's really yummy. Kind of like a Japanese-style pizza.