Tokyo Restaurants: Reviews & Recs

[sanrensho]

Sanrensho - I am intrigued by the mamacharin comment. I tried to search for this but came up with nothing on google - is this a bike rental outfit or something near train stations?

Mamacharin is just slang for a typical commuter bike, the type that get left in front of train stations all over Tokyo and Japan.

The best thing to do would be to borrow one. I'm not aware of any rental outfits per se.

You can actually walk from Nakano to Koenji in around 10 minutes, but a bike let's you explore further. Then again, walking is really the best way to get the full experience and not miss anything.

Edited March 26, 2005 by sanrensho (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Hiroyuki - I will be sure to check out Taishoken. (And yes, I do love a good ramen.)

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Taishoken at Nakano is closed every Wednesday.

Open from 10:30 to 21:00

3-minute walk from Nakano Station on JR Chuo Line.

Hope you have a pleasant journey.

[jrufusj]

Kazuo-san, et. al.:

Sorry for my long silence. Cathryn and I took a ski trip in lieu of a big dinner out, so we didn't get to any of your recommendations in February.

However, we have her parents in town now, so we've been making the rounds.

So far, we have hit:

Hokkaido -- This is a chain izakaya. Nothing truly remarkable, but everything very solid and a broad enough menu that it provides a good sampling ground to figure out what they do and don't like in Japanese food. Also, the Ebisu Garden Place branch is 10 minutes from Kami Osaki (my house) and provides a great view of Tokyo. As always, the imo-mochi with Hokkaido butter were a roaring success. Fried tuna tails with tonkatsu-style, fruit-based sauce were also very popular. Also discovered that my 10-month old daughter will put down taraba-gani like a trencherman.

A new trattoria two doors from my house -- Just opened a few months ago by staff from the Il Boccalone/La Bisboccia restaurants. Nothing really special, but good solid Italian cooking from across Italy. Of note were a good frito misto including zucchini blossoms and artichokes, as well as a pretty good tripa alla Romana. Wine list is pretty meager and doesn't list vintages. I'll continue to go back, though, as it is convenient for a spur of the moment meal and is plenty good for a neighborhood trattoria.

Croce & Delizia -- This was my second trip here. Last time, Cathryn and I went alone and had one of the course menus, along with a '96 Clerico Pajana (not my favorite producer, but one that tends to drink pretty well this young).

This time, we were four and ordered a la carte. Standouts included: a great cuttlefish ink taglialini with a bit of cuttlefish meat and a gentle, garlic-driven sauce; a truly fantastic grill of Iberico pork; perfectly shun white asparagus with a smoked Piemontese cheese (forget the name of the cheese); lamb chops I didn't taste, but about which my father-in-law raved; and a wonderfully light risotto with spring vegetables.

Wine was simple -- a few glasses of prosecco to carry us up to a '98 Chianti riserva. Everyone was tired, so this was a light night on the drinking. The Chianti was just fine; still had good, solid color; typical nose of cherry, a little earth, and a (very little) sweet oak; firm on the palate, but tannins completely subsumed by a little sweet fruit; no real length, but no holes either; perfectly adequate. This is probably more of a note than it needed.

Le Bourguignon -- This is one of my favorites. As we were six, a set menu was required. Menu was: carrot mousse with uni and a gelee of beef consomme; a "cake" of foie gras and unagi; a white fish (similar taste and texture to suzuki but didn't get the name) in a red wine reduction sauce; a beautifully rare breast of duck; assorted cheeses (always a small but good selection); and choice of dessert. The mousse is one of my favorite dishes and was excellent yet again, though my one criticism is that the uni is a bit lost in the combination. The "cake" is extremely rich with the combination of foie and unagi, but the earthiness (fresh water fish taste) seems to cut through the fat a bit. Fish was fine, but not stellar. Duck was excellent. I'm always a bit disappointed with desserts here. Yet again, I forgot that the citrus-driven desserts tend to be best.

My one complaint is that the set menu had changed little since I was last there. I need to go back with a smaller group so that we can order a la carte.

The wine list is not enormous, but is very well selected and fairly priced. Had a 2002 Maison Alex Gambal village Chassagne Montrachet. I don't often buy negoce wines for home, but the better ones often provide good value in restaurants. Gambal is one of my favorite negociants. As he has now built good relationships with his sources, he is able to work with about 60% fruit and 40% must for the whites. He also has a good degree of control of the viticulture. His wines are made in a traditional style, without excessive cooling, extended soaks or maceration, or loads of oak. This wine had a lot of color for its age, which was backed up by strong pineapple and lanolin nose, and a little sense of sweetness on a young round palate. It was in its sexy blush of youth and had just enough apparent acid to balance the richness of the foie/eel dish.

Also had a 1991 Simon Bize Savigny les Beaune Grands Liards. This was nicely mature, with a faded but bright red core and a little thinning at the edges. Bright pinot (beetroot/cherry) and tart berry fruit on the nose, along with a little hint of earth. Palate showed a little remaining greenness, along with solid plum and red berry fruit. The 1991s from the Cotes de Beaune have been much maligned and came out very, very green at release. This was perhaps a little dilute and still a little green, but it had developed very nicely for a small wine from such a vintage. I'm liking this vintage more and more each time I try it.

Finally, had a 1976 Moulin Touchais with cheese and dessert. This is a good value on the list and I love mature chenin blanc. Bottle variation, however, has long been a problem with this producer and this most recent bottle had little acid structure left and a fair degree of oxidation. Okay to drink and not bad enough to complain, but very disappointing compared to the younger tasting, fresher bottle I had last time I was here.

Hatanaka -- This is a tiny tempura place in Azabu-juban. Not my favorite neighborhood, but this place has no English signage and seems to get little to no gaijin traffic. I really love this place. The night's standouts included: beautiful green asparagus; several early season sanzai; nice and sweet botan ebi; perfect anago; and succulent little whole tamanegi. Everything else was great, but these really sang. House sake went perfectly. This was a big, big hit with Cathryn's parents.

L'Osier -- We went here last night, as a party of four. This had been uniformly recommended as great food, perhaps the best classic French in Tokyo, but there had also been plenty of "over the top" type comments.

As a general comment, I would say that the food, as well as the full experience, was up to two-star standards, with the price about in line. The room didn't strike me as garish, but it's certainly not to my style. I guess I can see how repeated visits, where the focus and the eyes wander a little more, might bring out a bit of that. Service was restrained, but there whenever needed, the way it should be. I was particularly impressed with the speed with which they realized that my wife would be tasting each of my dishes and began to appear a few minutes after each course with a clean bread plate for sharing and would carry the sample around the table to her. The cutlery for a few of the courses was a bit over the top, with sauce spoon, knife, and fork appearing a few times when they were not all necessary or even usable.

On to the food...I had the diner de saisons set menu, while everyone else ordered a la carte. The fact that they allowed this was a nice bit of flexibility.

Amuse -- A rice and mussel croquette. Nice small bite, clean and not a bit starchy or overly rich, with a clear mussel flavor and a hint of cream to round it out.

Entrees -- Two people had the grand ravioli of foie gras with black truffle pave. Both of them loved the dish. I tasted it and thought it was fantastic, but can understand your wife's comment that it was a bit rich. It was a large portion of a very rich dish that might have been a little too unctuous or cloying if I'd had an entire portion. One person had a traditional seared foie gras dish, with a very fine bread crumb and spice crust. I didn't taste it, but he raved. My oysters with a fennel coulis and sea water gelee were clean, crisp, a bit briny, but perfectly round and integrated. I love what fennel does to round out shellfish.

Poisson -- I had a plate of broiled langoustines, garnished with uni. Probably the least exciting dish of the night, but still very, very good. Langoustines were perfectly cooked, but lacked the sweet ocean punch that I expected. I expect it was an issue of ingredients rather than execution and I can't really complain. I would be happy to eat them again. They just fell a little short of the standard the rest of the meal set.

Soup -- At the same time as my langoustines, everyone else had a bowl of chestnut veloute soup, which I didn't taste but which was pronounced as very good. My wife preferred the soup to her taste of my langoustines.

Viandes -- I had a perfectly cooked dish of pigeon, with a liver croustade as part of the garnish. This was stunningly good and the best bird I have had in a very, very long time. Other dishes were lamb chops, wagyu filet, and a concoction including uni and ossetra. I didn't taste any of these, but there were smiles and contented sighs around the table.

Fromages -- Very large selection of well handled cheeses. Highlights were an aged Epoisses and a Comte-like cheese that I had never seen before.

Desserts -- Huge selection, with my grapefruit tart being excellent and my white peach cake being even better. I prefer prunes in Armagnac, but the prunes in Port were also good. Petits fours and mignardises were also very good.

The other three people began with a kir royale, while I began with a glass of the house Champagne. I never managed to ask what it was, but it was a damn fine house pour. May or may not have been a blanc des blancs, but was definitely at that end of the spectrum. Very fine mousse, good acid, piercing white fruit, more nuttiness than toast. Precise, delineated, but still very light (in all the best ways). Can't imagine it could have been Salon as a house pour, but was very much in that vein. Maybe the best house Champagne I've ever had.

Based on the sommelier's recommendation, we went with a '98 Domaine Cordier Pouilly Fuisse Juliette la Grande. First course was a tough match, with my oysters, the seared foie, and foie ravioli with truffle pave. '98 white burgs had nice sexy fruit and started drinking well very young, but were a bit blowsy in general. That was actually a good call with the three foie dishes, in a complement rather than contrast way. It was less good with the oysters, though the sweetness of the fennel helped bridge the gap a little. The wine was extremely open, advanced in color development, with a little more apparent oak sweetness and vanilla on the nose than I might have liked. Not my style exactly, but strongly concentrated with very ripe white and citrus fruit on both nose and palate. A little more acid and a little less oak and I would have been thrilled. As it was, very well made and very good showing for the vintage.

Any concerns about the match with my oysters went away when they brought me a glass of '96 Clos St. Hune without my asking (or paying). Just a nice thought? Or second guessing the Cordier recommendation? The Clos St. Hune was a perfect match, with great acidity, good riesling steeliness, but the generosity that only comes out in Alsation riesling. No petrol, but mineral galore. Great wine.

I wasn't ready to hear any recommendations from the sommelier on the red, as there was a '93 Montille Pommard Pezerolles on the list at a pretty reasonable price. Both Hubert de Montille and 1993 are controversial, but I happen to love both. Besides, I couldn't imagine a better match for my pigeon! For once, I was right. This wine had matured the way we always hope burgundy will. The tannins had receded way to the background, the acid was bright and strong, but very much in balance, and the secondary aromas of earth, mineral, and flower essence were coming on strong. Montille wines can be almost painfully austere when young, but the signature Montille acid provided a great structure to hold up the Pommard fleshiness. This one is drinking great right now, but should have 3-5 years development left (and a nice little holding period after that). I think the general consensus on this vintage is just going to get better and better as the wines mature. I really wish I had some of this in the cellar and will buy some if I can find it with certain good storage. Bright, clear, fleshy, getting more and more complex and oh so detailed with nice persistent finish. There are so many good winemakers in this Pommard/Volnay part of the world -- Montille, d'Angerville, Lafarge, Pousse d'Or -- and they often represent such good value on restaurant lists.

Oh well, almost through the visit and just a few meals left. Cathryn and her parents are off to Kyoto tomorrow and I'm going to send them to my favorite sushi-ya in all of Japan -- Sushi Iwa. They are back on Saturday and we'll hit Shunju to give them the upscale izakaya experience.

Take care and sorry for the long post,

Jim

[kazuo]

Jim:

Thanks for the great report on L'Osier and the bonus reports on the other restaurants. Your report was well worth the wait.

[Hiroyuki]

Has anyone seen or use the method of of toromi instead of plain water?  I like the look of gyoza with toromi (lacy) and it seems to make the appearance very crunchy looking on the outide.

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You are talking about hanetsuki gyoza (literally gyoza with wings ) we talked about them for a bit in the gyoza thread starting with this post.

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Today, I have made hanetsuki gyoza for the first time.

I looked for ways to create hane (wings) and found this:

http://www.nhk.or.jp/hot/onair_old/20050307/20050307a.html

(Japanese only)

1. Add a small amount of water to 2 teaspoons of kyoriki ko (bread flour) and mix well.

2. Add 100 ml of hot water and dissolve well.

Put some oil in a pan, place gyoza, and pour the liquid over them.

Put a lid on and cook for about 4 minutes until the hane (wing) are browned.

Pour oil over and cook for another 30 seconds until the hane become crispy.

[torakris]

This site lists a ranking of the most popular food souvenirs from Tokyo

[Hiroyuki]

I made hanetsuki gyoza today, too. Yum, yum!

I can't help singing,

It's time to spread our wings and fly

Don't let another day go by, my love...

[torakris]

those look great!

now I am wanting some too!

We are having shumai tonight....

[matsutakekichigai]

I hope someone sees this in time. Ｉ‘m in Japan now and have been told about a Tofu Resturant in Tokyo. My teacher could only tell me the following. It's a very old Tofu only restaurant in the Nipori area. He thinks it's called Sasanoyuki or Sasanayuki. Close to Uguisutani. It's been there a very long time and is very traditional. I can speak Japanese and am going with someone that can speak Japanese so there will be no Meiwaku. I've tried to look on the sites people have sugguested with no luck. Please help me if you can. Thank you very much.

[Ruth]

I hope someone sees this in time. ?‘m in Japan now and have been told about a Tofu Resturant in Tokyo. My teacher could only tell me the following. It's a very old Tofu only restaurant in the Nipori area. He thinks it's called Sasanoyuki or Sasanayuki. Close to Uguisutani. It's been there a very long time and is very traditional. I can speak Japanese and am going with someone that can speak Japanese so there will be no Meiwaku. I've tried to look on the sites people have sugguested with no luck.  Please help me if you can. Thank you very much.

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Three weeks ago we were at a tofu restaurant called Hana No Ume and is in the Bell Commons Building on Omotesando. It is also a very old traditional restaurant and we went with some trepidation. We speak no Japanese and there was no English menu. We chose one of the multi-course menus more or less at random. We are not vegetarians but this food was truly superb. I am not sure if this is the restaurant you are looking for but I highly recommend it. This is something you cannot find outside Japan

[matsutakekichigai]

Ruth, thanks for help, when I'm in the Omotesando area I'll look up this restaurant. If anyone else knows the restaurant I'm referring please post by tonight as I will not have access to a computer after this evening. Thank you.

[torakris]

Sasanoyuki is in Negishi not too far from the area you are looking in.

Ruth, are you maybe thinking of Ume no Hana? it is a very popular chain tofu kaiseki restaurant.

[torakris]

the Umenohana thread

[jrufusj]

In the thread on memorable meals of 2004, I mentioned the restaurant Shunju (春秋). Kristin commented that she had been interested in trying the restaurant, but was having second thoughts after picking up the cookbook and discovering poorly written, unworkable recipes.

I've now been three times -- twice with friends, eating in the dining room, and once alone, eating at the "Long Bar". Guests have included visitors from HK and from the US, as well as Japanese friends. Each time, the experience has been great, with both foreign and Japanese friends really enjoying the food. I also really like the space at the Toriizaka (Roppongi) location.

Wine selection is not very broad or well presented (and is stratospherically priced). This is a little disappointing as the restaurant serves a style of Japanese food that is much more wine friendly than many places. However, the broad offerings of sake, shochu, awamori, and furu-zake provide ample selection.

I've got serious wine friends coming out from New York and am in the final throes of planning a tasting dinner ("offline" or "jeebus" to the winegeeks among us). Given that these are people who rarely (if ever before) get to Tokyo, they're keen to be eating Japanese food, not western food. I know plenty of good French or Italian restaurants in Tokyo that allow corkage/BYO, but not Japanese places.

I decided to approach Shunju about this, but figured it would be better to do it in person (and in the context of an approach from a known customer), so I went in and had dinner at the bar last Thursday night.

As might be expected from the name of the restaurant, the focus is very much on seasonality. At the moment, takenoko (bamboo shoots) are in prime season and appeared twice during the meal. First, on a plate of assorted otsumami, were what appeared to be lightly simmered takenoko dressed with a coating of katsuobushi. Later, I ordered takenoko tempura from the list of daily specials. This was as good as anything I've eaten in months. Served with a simple dip of good salt, the combination of the light tempura crust with the slightly fibrous structure and the creamy tender meat of the takenoko was just plain amazing. Shima-aji sashimi and uni sashimi were also excellent, as was a simple green salad.

I'm really glad they agreed to allow corkage and that I'll be going back (wines in hand) on Saturday night.

So...if you'd like to find a place to bring good wines in with Japanese food...or just want to try great seasonal izakaya food, I'd definitely suggest a visit to Shunju.

(However, if you want to bring wines in, I would definitely inquire ahead. First, it's simple politeness to do so. Second, you wouldn't want an unpleasant surprise if you arrive without pre-clearing. There was definitely a moment of hesitation before we worked it all out.)

Link to webpage is here. Webpage provides some background on the restaurant and its philosophy, as well as menus and maps for all six outlets. There are also some nice pictures of some of the food, as well as the spaces. Page is in Japanese only.

Jim (no affiliation with the restaurant)

[Culinista]

I decided against trying Shunju for the same reasons as Kristin on our recent trip to Japan. The cookbook is beautiful but the recipes do not work at all.

When you say wine do you mean Western wines made from grapes (as opposed to sake)? How do you go about the pairing? There was a sushi place in Washington DC that attempts to pair sushi with Bordeaux, but I could never wrap my brain around that.

[jrufusj]

I decided against trying Shunju for the same reasons as Kristin on our recent trip to Japan. The cookbook is beautiful but the recipes do not work at all.

When you say wine do you mean Western wines made from grapes (as opposed to sake)? How do you go about the pairing? There was a sushi place in Washington DC that attempts to pair sushi with Bordeaux, but I could never wrap my brain around that.

←

Someone gave me the cookbook, but I've hardly looked at it yet. Thanks for the warning. That's especially helpful as I was going to give the book to one of my guests as a "takeaway" from the trip. I'll probably not do that now!

Yes, I mean western vinifera wines. Pairing one wine with an entire dinner can be a little difficult, given the small plates/many tastes nature of izakaya food. However, I find this sort fo Japanese food can pair pretty well. If you sugegst some of you favorite Japanese foods, I can give some pairing suggestions.

When you mention the restaurant in DC, I assume you mean Sushi Ko. If so, you are talking about Daisuke Utagawa's work in pairing red burgs (not Bordeaux) with sushi/sashimi. Becky Wasserman (and her son Paul) are also big proponents. It's all based on what he has called "cuisine of subtraction" and plays on the affinity between certain elements in wine and the umami aspect of certain Japanese foods.

I've successfully paired various red burgs with sashimi (including white fleshed fish) and with cooked fish (even very delicately flavored ones), especially when umami-rich things like certain mushrooms or seaweeds are part of the preparation.

Nebbiolo (yes, the grape that makes up tough, long-lived wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco) has also been suggested as a good umami pairing, but I've not yet tried it. We have an Italo-phile coming to the offline Saturday night, so I suspect we'll have a nebbiolo on the table. I have a harder time seeing Bordeaux working so well, but we'll have one or two of those on the table as well. I'll report back.

These links (#1 and #2) discuss the burg-sashimi thing.

Take care,

Jim

[easternsun]

i have not seen the cookbook ...but i do love shunju! it is one of my favourite places in both osaka and tokyo.

the osaka restaurant in shinsaibashi has a really extensive sake collection. that is the place that turned me off of astukan (hot sake) - now i know how much better it is cold. i always find the staff helpful and i have never had any problems. the food is always amazing and fresh.

any thoughts on why the cookbook recipes dont work?

[torakris]

Well Jim you have completely convinced me!

Tomorrow is our 10th wedding anniversary and we have been thinking about where to go. It won't be any time this month as my foot is still in a cast.....

Have you been to any of the other locations? We almost went to the Shinjuku location last year but decided instead on the oyster bar just down the hall....

The book is gorgeous and wonderful to page through but out of about 10 recipes I had major problems with about 5, 3 were workable but I wouldn't make again and 2 were good. The soramame (like a fava bean) roasted in the shells on the BBQ is still one of my favorites. Most of the problems lie with the editing, one recipe called for something like 14 teaspoons of karashi for a small portion of dressing another one listed sauce ingredints but ten never told how or when to put the sauce together.

[jrufusj]

Well Jim you have completely convinced me!

Tomorrow is our 10th wedding anniversary and we have been thinking about where to go.  It won't be any time this month as my foot is still in a cast.....

Have you been to any of the other locations? We almost went to the Shinjuku location last year but decided instead on the oyster bar just down the hall....

←

Kristin:

You place a high degree of trust in my report! I sure hope you enjoy Shunju. (I also hope your foot is coming along well.)

I've only been to the Toriizaka location. It is most convenient to my house, so I've not tried any of the others. Haven't looked closely at any of the online menus for the other places, so don't know how they compare. If the Hibiya line is not too hard for you to get to, the Toriizaka location can be reached that way (but the walk is not recommended with a foot in a cast!).

Enjoy,

Jim

[easternsun]

Well Jim you have completely convinced me!

Tomorrow is our 10th wedding anniversary and we have been thinking about where to go.  It won't be any time this month as my foot is still in a cast.....

Have you been to any of the other locations? We almost went to the Shinjuku location last year but decided instead on the oyster bar just down the hall....

The book is gorgeous and wonderful to page through but out of about 10 recipes I had major problems with about 5, 3 were workable but I wouldn't make again and 2 were good. The soramame (like a fava bean) roasted in the shells on the BBQ is still one of my favorites. Most of the problems lie with the editing, one recipe called for something like 14 teaspoons of karashi for a small portion of dressing another one listed sauce ingredints but ten never told how or when to put the sauce together.

←

kristin with all the good work you do here - maybe you should be a cookbook editor in japan!

happy anniversary and have a great meal at shunju (when the foot is better!)

[prasantrin]

the osaka restaurant in shinsaibashi has a really extensive sake collection.  that is the place that turned me off of astukan (hot sake)  - now i know how much better it is cold.  i always find the staff helpful and i have never had any problems.  the food is always amazing and fresh.

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Could you tell me where in Shinsaibashi it is? When I checked their website, they only mentioned their places in Tokyo--no mention of an Osaka shop at all. Is the Osaka Shunju run by the same company?

[lambretta76]

Is Daiwa Zushi still considered to be the best sushi value in Tsukiji? I went there three years ago and was blown away, but I'm curious if there's something better out there now... also, can anyone make any recommendations on what to try, or is it entirely market driven (of what's good in the catch that AM.)

Also, I'm trying to find a great kaiten-zushi, as my travelling companion has never been to one. There was a place on the Omatesando that I really liked, but I can't help to think that there's better out there while not being very expensive. The recommendation for Kaitenzushi Tsukiji Nonten (回転寿司築地本店) sounds interesting as things are only 100 yen a plate, but I imagine there are better that aren't too much more expensive.

Just found a great round-up of Tsukiji restaurants posted by the esteemed Eric Eto over at Chowhound.com, which he translated from the December issue of OTONANO SHUMATSU magazine:

Isozushi

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 10

03-3542-1954

Open 7am-9pm

This place specializes in maguro/toro from the Indian Ocean (indo-maguro). Premium nigiri set costs around 3150 yen.

Ryuuzushi

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 1

03-3541-9517

Open 6am-2pm

This place specializes in seasonal and wild (non-farmed) fish. Omakase course for about 3150 yen.

Sushi Bun

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 8

03-3541-3860

Open 6am-2pm

This place has been in business for 150 years. Specializes in seasonal and wild (non-farmed) fish varieties. Omakase course for about 3650 yen.

Sushi Maru

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 10

03-3541-8414

Open 6am-3pm

The sushi rice here is reddish in hue because they use a red vinegar for the rice, which matches well with the lightly grilled/torched fatty fish. One of their specialties is a monkfish nigiri.

Sushi Dokoro Okame

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 6

03-3541-5450

Open 5am-2pm

This shop specializes in toro. Aburi toro is the specialty. The day the reviewers ate there, they had a superb toro from tuna caught near Ireland. Omakase course for around 3650 yen.

Yamahara

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1 (Adjacent to Area 1 and 4)

03-3541-8747

Open 11am-2pm, 6pm-9pm

The shime saba is one of the highlights from this shop. Sushi for one from 2500-3500 yen.

Daiwazushi

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 6

03-3547-6807

Open 5am-1pm

This toro specialist uses tuna primarily from Japan's Aomori area. Omakase course around 3150 yen.

Umai Sushikan

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 4

03-3541-2458

Open 5am-3pm, 5pm-9pm

This shop is known for the variety of fish they offer, as opposed to many who specialize in a few items. Their nigiri course for 3500 yen offers the most pieces and good value.

Bentomi

Chuo-ku Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 8

03-3541-1503

Open 5am-2pm

This very traditional shop excels with their shime saba, kohada, and anago. Omakase course for around 2600 yen.

Sushi Dai

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 6

03-3547-6797

Open 5am-2pm

Very good premium fish at this shop. The saba and shirako (cod sperm sacs) were topnotch. Omakase set for about 3670 yen.

Iwasazushi

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 1

03-3544-1755

Open 5am-2pm, Sat 5am-3pm

This shop specializes in torafugu (blowfish) nigiri. While fugu sashimi are sliced thin, here the fugu piece is thick sliced (530 yen). Omakase set for about 3600 yen.

Edited May 17, 2005 by lambretta76 (log)

[torakris]

great list!

as for what to recommend eating, it is really based on the market. You can be very sure though that you will get some of the freshest and in season fish no matter what time of year you are here.

As the list shows some shops specialize in different kinds of fish, so if there is something in particular that you what to try, just pop into one of those.

For more about kaiten sushi, check out the kaiten sushi thread

the kaiten talk starts around the middle and there are a couple places discussed as well as what to look for in a good place.

[lambretta76]

A friend and I are planning on working our way down the Golden Gai doing some eating and drinking one evening and were wondering what the better "foreigner-friendly" bars are. Everyone keeps mentioning La Jetee, Shadow, and J Fox R&R, though the food is supposedly best to be avoided at Shadow. I imagine that there are others out there doing something interesting. Also, do any of them serve any interesting regional cuisine, or is it just standard bar snacks...

[lambretta76]

Does anyone know of any online maps for finding the way around the above listed restaurants at Tsukiji? I'll probably go to Daiwa again, but in case it's TOO packed, I might try one of the others...