Food Market Tour @ Tsukiji Fish Market, Tsukiji, Tokyo

Hello everyone! In case you are not aware, there has been a drought of posts on TOG recently as I have just made another visit to Tokyo. Well, without further ado, lets kick things off with a place I really wanted to go last year but cannot due to the typhoon. And that is Tsukiji Fish Market, the mecca of all things seafood. 

Entrance to the inner market

It is divided to two sections: the inner and outer market. I would actually think that there are three parts to the Fish Market, as the outer market is divided to street markets named Uogashi Yokocho and also to the newer market complexes where most people can get their day to days. 

One of the two market complexes

The street level markets are where the sundry suppliers and restaurants are located. If you plan to have a sit down seafood meal or souveniers, then this is the place to be. If you are not into seafood and are a gyudon fan, the place has got you covered as it is where the first ever Yoshinoya stands! 

The first ever. 

I personally decided not to bother standing in line with the rest off the tourists and rather opted a pick and choose approach by picking up my food items in the Fish Market. The market complexes are a fun place to be also. Located indoors and air conditioned, they provided for a more comfortable marketing experience. Gone were the days of wet flooring and disorganized boxes. 

First point of attack

After some wondering, I got two food items from the same stall. Located in the outer market complex, Kuri Tatsu (栗辰), which is stall N-15 sells an array of cooked seafood. I picked up a helping of grilled salmon at ¥200 and a generous serving of unagi for ¥600. 

A vast selection

You can opt for some rice and the owner will provide you with some at a small fee. However, that would just take space from the other seafood I intend to devour. 

Fresh!

A visit to Tsukiji is not complete without some fresh sashimi. So I picked up a serving of sea urchin and tuna which stood at ¥500 each from separate stalls. The price which seems to be the standard price everywhere for a small serving of fresh seafood. Feel free to pick any fishmonger as the quality will be impeccable. They are getting it from the same source after all.  There were other amazing seafood items as well and they looked picture perfect, but I reluctantly resisted. I cannot simply bust the bank on my first day. That would be very unwise. 

Time for something greasy.

As seeing that my breakfast is getting a bit too healthy, I got myself a tuna croquette which was ¥200  a pop, which was more of a minced tuna cutlet. I was not able to get the name of the stall, but there is only one deep fried seafood stall in the area so just go to the one that it is in the first building and you will be ok. 

This was seriously good.

They have some other stuff as well like fried tuna fritters called bachiten (バチ天 ) which were simply divine and a tray of samples are in front of the counter. Their portions are generous too, where a tray was for ¥500. 

The whole battlefield. 

After getting my haul, I headed off to the 3rd floor where the main public eating area is located. There is also a food court there as well if you are keen of sampling. The salmon was greasy, salty and absolutely flavourful. The meat just simply flakes and has a texture which was great. It has a simple flavour but it was strong and intense. It was fishy but in a good way. 

Decadence.

The grilled eels were tasty as well and were surprisingly filling I am not sure what was put into the marinade, but there was an explosive flavour, a combination of sweet and salty. There was a unique balance to the eels. There were very tender and had a soft bite. It was so soft and tender that it was almost "melt in your mouth-like". Even the bones in them were easy to nibble on and played little hindrance to the eating experience. Nobody like picking through fish bones. A great thing to eat.

Double decadence. 

The sashimi, as expected, were of good quality. The tuna was also fatty and had alot of flavour. Dabbed with a little soy sauce was just what was needed to push it to the next level. Probably the cheapest serving of maguro I ever purchased. And that is saying something as tuna is particularly expensive.  The sea urchin was no slouch either. Called uni in Japanese, the texture was almost butter-like and felt like the ocean just hit your mouth. There is an intense shellfish flavour that only uni has and yet the softness of its texture gives it an amazing contrast. In terms of presentation, the sea urchin was placed on a perilla leaf. Instead of treating it as a piece of random garnish, I do invite you to eat it with any seafood that it is served with, or rather, served on. The bitter sweet and aromatic profile of the perilla leaf compliments the uni easily. It also made eating it easier. After all it is placed on it directly.  

I cannot believe this is fish. Felt more like pork. 

Last and definitely not least was the minced tuna croquette. The  morsel was well fried and the panko crust had a crunch that deserves to be acknowledged. The outer shell has a buttery flavour to it and was fun to eat. And we are just talking about the crust! The filling was a spectacular combination of fish and cabbage, with leeks strewn within. Well seasoned, it had an aromatic and somewhat smooth flavour profile. The other shell and the inner filling worked harmoniously. And it is hard to believe that it was fish as it tasted similar to a menchi katsu that uses pork mince. It was a crunchy delight. 

The public eating area. 

The public eating area was comfortable and spacious. There is also an outdoor eating area, but I avoided al fresco today as it was hints that it was about to rain that morning.  It is advisable to visit the Fish Market at about 9.30 am if you are going on the weekday. This is because most shops available to the public (and shops in Japan in fact) open about 9 am, save for breakfast places like cafes, combinis and bakeries. 

The street market level. Pic was taken from the bridge between the two market complexes. 

Do note that if you do intend to attend the famous tuna auction, you would need to wake up early and also be at the Fish Market about 4am or even earlier. As such we would not dwell into that. Also, you can only visit the inner market after 11 am, when most of the seafood has been sold. In the meantime, the public can wander around the outer market, which has its own peculiar hours from 9 am to 11 am. The outer market complexes will not allow public entry after 11 am.

A corridor of one of the complexes. 

Additionally, you cannot take pictures in the inner market, poking around for 10 minutes would be just fine. In fact, there is a no picture policy enforced in the entire Fish Market. However, if you do want to take a picture, just ask the owners of a stall and they would generally oblige. It was that for my case, but then maybe because I bought some items there. 

More fish!

Despite the above mentioned inconveniences, please do yourself a favour and visit this amazing market. A vegetarian's worst nightmare, fresh seafood is abundant here at affordable prices. Being Japan, there is a great array of fresh sashimi grade seafood from the get go. Salmon, tuna, prawns, squid, the options are endless and are to be eaten raw. There is also a vast cornucopia of cooked items in the Fish Market. And one trip will not be enough to cover everything. Any Japanese food lover or seafood aficionado needs to come to this place as it is home of the world famous tuna auction and the center pulse of most of the seafood suppliers of the country. 

The first market complex. You will see this if you came from the Tsukiji Station of the Hibiya Line. 

Do take note as well the Fish Market is due for closure in October 2018 for good, as they are going to be moved to another place in Toyosu. So technically, it will not be closed. However alot of its charm may be gone forever due to the new location and this has been the main concern for the fishermen and Tokyolites alike. As such, I strongly recommend visiting the place as soon as possible. It is a 10 minute walk from Tsukiji Metro Station of the Hibiya Line and  Tsukijishijō Station of the Toei Oedo Line. 

The map of the whole place.