Often, less is more which is certainly the case with this delicious and very simple eggplant dish. It's so easy to make, but when combined with the sauce no one would guess that the hardest part was creating sufficient space between the grill pan and the heat to fit the fruit (yes, it's a fruit, not a vegetable). Serve it with grilled bonito if you want to feel particularly 'Japanesey', or as an accompaniment to lamb or lemon soy cutlets (see recipe list). If you do serve this dish with white fish or tofu, add another colour to the plate with some greens to make it more visually appealing. Marinated watercress (see recipe list) would work splendidly, as would bundles of steamed English spinach.