Three Days of Eating Tokyo

[Prawncrackers]

Thanks folks your compliments are all very kind. I really wanted to share with you all the fantastic experiences we had and to save them for posterity. Sometimes i feel my descriptions are little clunky so hopefully all the pictures make up for them.

As for the whale meat Shelby, i too was a little surprised by their appearance but thinking back it makes sense that is so red and meaty looking. They are mammals after all. As for the taste, it wasn't fishy at all. Very meaty - tastes exactly as it looks.

With my brother-in-law's first child being just 8 months old (so cute) we have even more reason to visit Japan often. Hopefully next time we can get to check out Osaka or Hokkaido and see what the eating is like there.

[Shelby]

Is whale meat always served cooked, or is it used in sushi, too? (I don't get out much, can you tell?)

And, your descriptions are not clunky at all!

[ojisan]

Great pics!

I'm curious about the costs of each of the meals....

[Prawncrackers]

Great pics!

I'm curious about the costs of each of the meals....

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I don't mind telling, there are no state secrets here after all:

Ten-Ichi - Each Hana set was 8,300Yen (relative feeling of value 7/10)

L'Atelier - Each Printemps menu was ~15,000Yen (5/10)

Iwasa Sushi - My Omakase set was 3,000Yen, her Nigiri set was 1,800Yen (9/10)

Local Soba Place - Curry Rice & Soba was 630Yen, the tonkatsu was 530Yen (9.5/10)

Kozue - My Fuji meal was 10,000Yen and the wife Kozue bento meal was 5,000Yen (9.5/10)

So with the exception of the meal at L'Atelier, I was pretty pleased with the value of what we ate. Especially the last two, which goes to show that there's great eating to be had at any price. In fact, compared to L'Atelier, Kozue is a bargain!

[Prometheus]

Great , great rundown of your culinary "sprint" through Tokyo. I came across it while reading up on Tokyo and Japan for a trip next April. My wife is Japanese and has plenty of recomendations for food and places to visit but I want to be well prepared. Of course, at the top of my list is Tsukiji fish market, a veritable Hajj for any self-respecting foodie! My question is, what is happening there? You alluded to an upcoming move and an ominous forecast. When will this happen and will it happen before April of next year? Will it move nearby and be just as big and beautiful? and...and..and...It'll still be there, right? For a food enthusiast, that'd be like going to Disney and finding out they laid-off Mickey! I even printed out your picture of Iwasa Sushi in order to keep an eye out for it! Oh, with my luck, by the time I get there something so gorgeous will no longer exist and will have been replaced with an American style food court with two Starbucks right across from each other and a McDonalds padded play pen in the middle. At that point, I believe seppuku will not only be justified but necessary, utilizing, of course, the plastic spork conveniently provided with the McGriddle breakfast. Don't toy with me, man, what's going on at Tsukiji?

[Peter Green]

PC,

A wonderful tour. Like Insomniac, I wish I had your metabolism (and your photo skills).

Great , great rundown of your culinary "sprint" through Tokyo. I came across it while reading up on Tokyo and Japan for a trip next April. My wife is Japanese and has plenty of recomendations for food and places to visit but I want to be well prepared. Of course, at the top of my list is Tsukiji fish market, a veritable Hajj for any self-respecting foodie! My question is, what is happening there? You alluded to an upcoming move and an ominous forecast. When will this happen and will it happen before April of next year? Will it move nearby and be just as big and beautiful? and...and..and...It'll still be there, right?   For a food enthusiast, that'd be like going to Disney and finding out they laid-off Mickey! I even printed out your picture of Iwasa Sushi in order to keep an eye out for it! Oh, with my luck, by the time I get there something so gorgeous will no longer exist and will have been replaced with an American style food court with two Starbucks right across from each other and a McDonalds padded play pen in the middle. At that point, I believe seppuku will not only be justified but necessary, utilizing, of course, the plastic spork conveniently provided with the McGriddle breakfast. Don't toy with me, man, what's going on at Tsukiji?

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Pardon me if I butt in on this!

As I understand it, the municipal government is going to move the market to a new spot on Toyosu Wharf, increasing the market to 38 hectares from 23. That sounds pretty good, in terms of getting people more room to work, but bear in mind that the government is going to be using part of that space for shops, museums, cooking schools, and a theme park.

The plan (according to the Cathay Pacific Discover magazine that I read it in) is to have the move completed by 2012.

As the current market has 70 years of history about it, there's an obvious feeling of melancholy about the whole thing.

On the bright side, I was able to get my son out of bed by threatening him with the market's imminent demise.

Cheers,

Peter

[Prawncrackers]

You still have a couple years left to make your pilgrimage Prometheus (need to unchain yourself first though ). My guide said that there's not much sentiment amongst the Tsukiji workers as they are all looking forward to the extra space afforded by the move. Also, there are political pressures as the governor of Tokyo is apparently looking to bring the Olympics back to Tokyo and has earmarked the current location as a media centre.

It will be a shame to lose all that history. It's also a shame for us tourists as it's in such a convenient location - a brisk 20 min walk from the heart of the Ginza, it's impressive department stores and sumptuous food halls.

[Prometheus]

...bear in mind that the government is going to be using part of that space for shops, museums, cooking schools, and a theme park.

Cheers,

Peter

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Peter,

Feel free to butt in, another view or opinion is always welcome. (and gathering from Pc's opening post, your's comes with quite a bit of cred. Mine? not so much.) First, I'll say...WHEW! That's better news then I had envisioned, however, umm...a theme park? Why do I forsee some hapless employee in a mascot suit that sports disturbingly enormous eyes but is oh-so-adorably-cute and perky, being daily assaulted with random fish parts whilst frolicking through the market? Maybe that'd just be my reaction, (swear it only happened once) the Japanese, generally, seem too polite for such skull-duggery.

Prawncrackers,

Thanks for the heads up about that, I'll also jot down "Ginza-sumptuous food halls" as an idea while there, oh, and hotaru ika/firefly squidlings. Again, great thread!

Thanks to the both of you for quick replys! I was worried Mecca wouldn't be there when I went to bask in its glory!

Edited May 27, 2008 by Prometheus (log)