Eating fresh tuna at the Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo
Is the fresh tuna here really as good as people claim?
After more than 80 years the Tsukiji fish market was closed in 2018.
The inner fish auction market moved to another location, the new Toyosu market. However the many eateries and food stalls around the closed market still remain at the very same place.
Is it still worth going to the Tsukiji fish market, people might ask.
And we say, yes! Especially if you are looking for a fresh fish and seafood breakfast or early lunch.
It gets very crowded though, but don’t let that deter you.If you are in for fatty tuna belly and the freshest scallops ever, this is the place to be. Also a couple of eateries are famous for this freshest sushi.
You might have seen a couple of episodes before of famous TV celebrities visiting the Tsukiji fish market in search of the best food.
Breakfast at Tsukiji fish market
Anyway, this is our very first morning in Tokyo after a splendid flight from Brussels with ANA.
Our comfy business seats really helped to lower that jet lagged feeling.
We are staying at the Royal Park Hotel in the Shiodome district. And after a light breakfast we decide to head to the Tsukiji fish market.
We are in for some fresh tuna!
The subway takes us where we need to be.
And straight away the smells in the street greet us. It is quite crowded already. Lots of stalls are surrounded by groups of people recording how a huge chunk of tuna is sliced up. It is spectacular though.
The tuna looks juicy and so fresh.
We decide to walk around and just look at what each of them sells. Cardboard plates filled with fresh sashimi and other delicious snacks.
Street food
But we are here for fresh tuna.
How to choose the right stall?
There are so many here at the Tsukiji fish market! Honestly, we think that they are all quite alright. So we use our rule of thumb, go stand in line where there is a big crowd.
After queuing for about 10 minutes we are able to lay our hands on a splendid looking tower of freshly sliced tuna. In total we paid $17 for it, which looks very reasonable if you look at the prices at other sashimi stalls.
We get a couple of chopsticks, paper napkins and some soy sauce to dip the tuna in.We go stand in a less crowded corner of the street and dig in.
Oh man, this tuna is the best we have ever tasted! Hands down, no joke. The meat is so soft and smooth. It is fatty and rich, oily and so pleasant. It is like butter, you bite right through it.
Just wow.
Ditch that soy sauce, it would be such a waste to dip that gorgeous tuna meat in it.This tower of tuna is quite filling actually.
We decide to stay a little longer and just walk around. Look at all the food that is for sale, enjoy the lovely weather and appetizing smells.
June can’t resist a couple of fishy looking skewers: one with grilled eel and another one with fish liver.
It is approaching lunchtime now and the streets are visibly getting more and more crowded.
Is the Tsukiji fish market worth the trip? Most definitely.
Is this place a tourist trap?
In terms of money, the prices were quite decent actually.
We were somehow expecting higher prices.
There was also a healthy mix of locals and tourists, we would say.
After an hour of walking around we start to feel a little peckish and decide to go for a gorgeous rice bowl stuffed with salmon and roe at one of the many inside eateries. Another $12 fresh fish treat to gobble down!
Skip breakfast at your hotel and go for fresh sashimi or a rice bowl instead.
