Konichiwa!

I decided to go on a whirlwind weekend trip to see one of my best friends who is currently in Tokyo.  I flew straight from Beijing and as a result of sitting on the plane for two hours before take off (ugh), did not get into Tokyo until Friday nearly midnight.  It was not exactly what I envisioned, but oh well.

After I had a chance to drop my stuff off, my friend and I went to an izakaya to drink some oolong-hai, eat some typical izakaya dishes like: marinated okra and raw tofu with fresh fish flakes, chicken meatballs, barbecued yakitori, and some lotus root with chicken patty.  It was all very tasty.  I was glad I opted to try the oolong-hai instead of what I had been eying (draft Asahi).  Oolong-hai is oolong tea mixed with soju, a Japanese alcoholic beverage distilled from barley, rice or sweet potato. It's just like a tasty iced tea with a kick.

The next morning, we awoke to head to the very top item on my to-do list: EAT (at Tsukiji Fish Market).  Boy oh boy was I excited about this.  The last time I was at Tsukiji was in 2007 on a law school spring break trip, when I had an absolute blast.  On that trip, I had one of my most memorable meals at Daiwa Sushi.  I loved the intimacy of the small sushi bar, the respect of the fellow guests, the wisdom and experience of the chef.  It clocked in at the most expensive breakfast I had ever had - probably in the US $55 range, though I can't recall the precise dollar amount anymore.

This time around, I didn't feel the compunction to arise at four a.m. in order to see the actual market.  I knew it was going to be a mass of organized chaos, slippery fishy water, ice, raw and bloody fish parts, and really really awesome sea creatures displayed all about.  This time, I was super focused on the food.  So my friend and I didn't arrive at Tsukiji until closer to noon.

First, we went to get a light egg custard for 100 yen, a bargain in this pretty expensive city.

Then we headed to the real business - getting down with the fish at the intimate, immaculate sushi bars that wend their way around the maxes and alleys of Tsukiji.  We went to a place that claimed to have been open for 400 years.  Our chef was the owner and the restaurant has been in his family for 17 (yeah, think about that for a second) generations.  He continues to bequeath his family's legacy and art to the  people who grace his counter in batches of 8-10 every day (except Sunday). I took the following picture while he was still setting up the bar so that I wouldn't be THAT tourist:

Sushi is meant to be eaten in one bite, so that you taste all of the flavors at once.  The chef prepares just the right amount of wasabi (tucked between the fish and the rice) and also brushes on the soy sauce (if necessary).  Therefore, you are not supposed to do any dipping or dunking of your own volition.  Just eat what's put in front of you and savor the sublime flavors and textures exploding in your mouth.  The sushi here was exquisite.  Incredibly fresh, but also full of flavor and delight.  I thought it was a really good deal too - about $35 for an entire set lunch.  While I loved the tender, flaky, fatty slices of fish that he placed before us, I especially loved the non-fish pieces: the large sweet scallop freshened with sea salt and yuzu, the briny oyster paired with scallion and chili flakes, the hand roll tucked with plump, glistening caviar, and last but certainly not least, the meltingly-soft sea urchin.

Sitting at the bar is such a wonderful experience because you can see all of the various knives the chef uses (knives of different length, shape, width and edges based on the type of fish), watch his deft hands casually and easily mold the various sushi, and also hear his explanation of certain types of fish.  This last bit was rather lost on me, because I don't understand Japanese, however, it made me feel quite special nonetheless.

Other sights at Tsukiji:

These crabs were waving at us animatedly

 

All kinds of creatures of the deep

 

Various cuts of tuna, with various prices to match

Tender shoots of fresh ginger

Fresh wasabi, segregated based on size and price