Eggplant Dengaku

In my mind, I like eggplant, but I always struggle with how to cook it. I had high-hopes for this Japanese-style dish (broiled eggplant with a "slightly sweet miso sauce"). On its own, it was only ok. Maybe that's where I went wrong -- it is just a side dish, overall. Scallions are listed as optional, but I would not omit them; they improved the dish considerably. I ended up sauteeing some thinly sliced kale with the white parts of the scallion and serving the dengaku over the kale mixture, topped with black sesame seeds. All, in all, I was happy with the final composition and would make it again.

Edit: I boosted this by a star because I liked the leftovers better on their own (but with the optional scallions) than I had the original.