The tuna auctions at Tsukiji Market have been closed to the public for a while from 2010, but somehow, recently, they have relaxed the regulations to allow the first 140 visitors to witness it. Don't know how long it will last.
This trip, I've got alot of ethical issues going on in my head as what I'm seeing now completely opposes to the tasks done earlier at the Izu Islands. Which probably explains why I've subconsciously stayed away from Japan for the past few years. I care, very much, about what I put into my stomach and the sustainability of the sources of food. Japanese cuisine, has always walked the fine line between diatribe and exculpation in the dictionary of marine environmentalists.
We planned for food at some point at Tsukiji Market. We didn't know which stalls to check out. To us, one is as good as the other. The Japanese friends aren't sure which stalls are good either, and had to check out reviews online. Muahahahhaha. We didn't bother with the sushi places of which I can't ever remember their names. I remember the queues and wasn't interested to repeat that. The sushi was good, but not that great. Something about the cuts that I don't quite fancy. When we finally decided to check out the food at 11am, it was a little sad. There're so few tourists now in Tokyo that there aren't very long queues anywhere at the eateries. Quite a number of locals, but very few foreigners.
We wanted a simple lunch and randomly hopped into a casual eatery. It was popular, but we only waited in line for 5 minutes. Not too bad. It was just a 16-seater or something. Very small premises. I'm always surprised at how tiny these places are. How do people fit in?! This is a tuna and uni sort of place. Today, the fish didn't appeal to me at all. So I picked my lunch of ikura and uni don. If the ingredients aren't fresh, this will turn out horrible. But I have total faith in the chefs and the fact that it's right there at the market. Unbeatable quality. For ¥1750 a set that comes with appetizer, soup and pickles, it's a superb deal for such fresh ikura and uni. Not much shoyu needed.
This trip, I've got alot of ethical issues going on in my head as what I'm seeing now completely opposes to the tasks done earlier at the Izu Islands. Which probably explains why I've subconsciously stayed away from Japan for the past few years. I care, very much, about what I put into my stomach and the sustainability of the sources of food. Japanese cuisine, has always walked the fine line between diatribe and exculpation in the dictionary of marine environmentalists.
We planned for food at some point at Tsukiji Market. We didn't know which stalls to check out. To us, one is as good as the other. The Japanese friends aren't sure which stalls are good either, and had to check out reviews online. Muahahahhaha. We didn't bother with the sushi places of which I can't ever remember their names. I remember the queues and wasn't interested to repeat that. The sushi was good, but not that great. Something about the cuts that I don't quite fancy. When we finally decided to check out the food at 11am, it was a little sad. There're so few tourists now in Tokyo that there aren't very long queues anywhere at the eateries. Quite a number of locals, but very few foreigners.
We wanted a simple lunch and randomly hopped into a casual eatery. It was popular, but we only waited in line for 5 minutes. Not too bad. It was just a 16-seater or something. Very small premises. I'm always surprised at how tiny these places are. How do people fit in?! This is a tuna and uni sort of place. Today, the fish didn't appeal to me at all. So I picked my lunch of ikura and uni don. If the ingredients aren't fresh, this will turn out horrible. But I have total faith in the chefs and the fact that it's right there at the market. Unbeatable quality. For ¥1750 a set that comes with appetizer, soup and pickles, it's a superb deal for such fresh ikura and uni. Not much shoyu needed.
4 comments:
i am very conflicted about marine food a la jepun...
Look what we have here!! That ikura and uni don is crying out loud to be eaten....
Oh wow!!! Missed having my daily dosage of onigiri and sushi when I was living in Japan!
Looks delicious!!!
sinlady: then you totally understand what I mean.
thepleasuremonger: it was delicious.
ladyJ: i must eat all these before they become fully contaminated. :(
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