Tokyo Trip Part One: From Tsukiji Fish Market to Streetside Noodles

Posted by nutrition to kitchen on March 12, 2010 · 7 Comments 

I’m in Tokyo this week, so for my next couple blogs, I’m going to share with you some of my food-related experiences in this bustling, vibrant city.  P and I have planned this trip for awhile now, and there was no way we were going to miss the Tsukiji Fish Market and auction, the largest wholesale fish market in the world.  This is the hub where tuna gets delivered and auctioned to middlemen for wholesale.  We woke up this morning at 4:30am to catch the train and got there in the midst of all the action.  If I wasn’t awake during my early wake-up call, my senses were definitely jolted to attention upon arriving here.

Dress in sneakers and clothes you don’t really care for, because you’ve got to be agile and constantly on your toes.  This is an operating fish market – fish guys are quickly going about their business, and they won’t slow down if you’re in their way.  Those who dilly-dally trying to take a picture might get run over by the skirting motorized carts and men quickly pulling wheelbarrows that transport the tuna from one area to the other for processing.

Watch out for the flying fish!

I was quick, but had to jump out of the way a few times because the motorized carts seemed to come from out of nowhere, and almost got run over by a fishmonger dragging his tuna across the floor towards me (the cause of my near-collision shown below).  It was a thrilling experience, I must say.

The whole market is one serious operation inside itself.  On one end of the warehouse, you’ve got fresh frozen tuna, all lined up for inspection and auction.  Then in other stalls you see where the processing goes on.  Fishmongers expertly scale and skin the fish, and section it into pieces with surgeon-like precision.  Outside the market you’ll find dozens of stalls serving fresh sushi (breakfast, anyone?), the catch of the day.  And it’s not just tuna you can find at the wholesale market – anything goes, from shellfish, octopus, and dozens of types of glistening fish.  And the most interesting thing I found, was that in such a large warehouse, filled with seafood of all different kinds, it didn’t smell fishy. That’s right, it just smelled like sea water.

Walking back towards the train station, you’ll find a lineup of noodle stalls specializing in their own broth.  We ended up stopping at one of the stalls for breakfast.  We love to eat what the locals do, and noticed a lot of people going to this particular one.  I couldn’t tell you what it was called, because the sign of the stall was in Japanese, but the point is that wherever you go to travel, don’t be afraid if you don’t know the language and want to try something new.  Just point to whatever the other person is having, and you have successfully ordered a meal! 🙂

The soup contained chewy ramen noodles and was topped with thin, juicy, and lean slices of pork loin.  Tender bamboo shoots and green onion topped the soup, which was ladled with a steamy, hot, savory broth.

A bowl of this for 650 yen, which amounts to roughly $7 US, was not too shabby at all.  Those prices compared easily to a bowl of pho in Little Saigon, California, or Hawaii, and was just as filling.

I must say, I will never look at my sushi the same way again.

Until next time!  Arigatou gozaimaso for tuning in! 🙂

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