Dojo どじょう (loach): some love it, some hate it. These are small freshwater fishes in the Cobitidae family. Their involvement in the Japanese culinary scene dates back to the Edo days when fresh fish was hard to come by, and loaches swam in abundance in rice fields.
Dojo is often served as Dojo-Nabe (Loach hotpot) or as some places call it, Dozeu Nabe. The loaches are placed in a shallow iron pot, simmered in soya-sauce based Dashi broth for minutes. This helps to soften the bones of the loaches, as the loaches are often eaten whole: head, spine, tail, and flesh. Often at times, patrons pile on heaps of chopped spring onion onto the simmered dish, which helps with the bitter hint from the Dojo.
There are not many places which serve Dojo. But for the places that do, they go back several generations. The atmosphere in these places brings one back to the Edo period: where diners sit crosslegged or knelt on the tatami mats, bent over short charcoal stoves, feasting and soaking in the atmosphere. The two well-known places in Tokyo are Komakata Dozeu 駒形どぜう and Dozeu Iidaya どぜう飯田屋.
Mong loves his food!
駒形どぜう浅草本店
東京都台東区駒形1-7-12
Tokyo Taito ku Komagata 1-7-12
Mon-Sun: 11am-9pm.
Tel: 03-3842-4001