After the Toyosu Tuna Auction, I decided to just go back to this market’s roots in Tsukiji.
If you’re going to Foodie Pilgrimage in Japan, you mustn’t miss Tsukiji! It’s like Japan’s Seafood Mecca. After the venue of the Tuna Auction moving to Toyosu, not every establishment can afford the move. Quite a lot of popular food stalls still remain in this foodie paradise. Hooray for that!
But with so many, which do you choose! My advocacy is to share at least the ones that made my taste buds jump for joy! And relatively affordable ones too!
How to Get There
Hold your salivating palates! Let me tell you how to get there first:
If you’re coming from Toyosu after the Tuna Auction, just use Google Maps because the routes and bus change are confusing. These are generally your options.
If you’re riding a train, you just need to search for “Tsukiji Station”. For example, if you’re coming from Shinjuku, this might be your route. Google maps in Japan is spot on to the last minute. Download it! It’s your travel best friend here.
What to Eat in Tsukiji
Now for the fun part! Here are Must-Eat Foodie Finds in Tsukiji!
(Sorry in advance because I can’t read Japanese. I will include the photos of the stores so that you can find them yourself! Hahaha!)
Uni Bun (860 Yen)
First of all, this is my favorite of all the foods I’ve tasted. This jewel from the sea is deserved to be eaten by everyone at least once in his or her lifetime. Look for this store:
Sheltered in black squid ink buns, the Uni (Sea urchin) in the middle is combined with a creamy puree-like concoction that makes every bite feel like heaven on earth.
For some reason, the ocean-y taste is not overpowering and the buns accentuated the creaminess even better. If it was cheaper, I will definitely eat this until I die.
Really Large Oysters (700 Yen)
If you want the freshest oysters, this will be your paradise. Only for 700 yen, you can taste the creamiest oysters our mortal money can buy. At this stall, they will serve it raw with a vinegar-like sauce. Check out this store:
And let me sing Hallelujah to that.
Wagyu Beef (2000 yen for one pack)
And it’s not all seafood in Tsukiji. For meat lovers, Wagyu is like one of the top tier kinds of beef in the world. I mean just look at this beef marbling. With 2000 yen, watch how each morsel of beef melt in your mouth. Amen! Feast on it from this store:
Tamagoyaki (100 Yen)
And not everything in Tsukiji is expensive. You can still enjoy something cheap as 100 yen and sing songs of praises after. Watch them cook their hearts out in this store:
Tamagoyaki or grilled egg is the star of this segment. And the fluffy and sweet stick of yellow happiness will let you jump for joy. What’s special about this is that they put dashi (broth) extract from stock dried bonito and kelp.
It is good to note that all sushi chefs master this craft. In the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Jiro Ono estimates a whopping 10 years before one can master making tamagoyaki.
Surprised with the effort? Try it and taste the difference.
Strawberry Daifuku (300 to 500 Yen)
Lastly, end your day with a unique dessert. Revel on Strawberry Daifuku! These are humongous Japanese strawberries on top of Mochi with fillings like Anko (red bean), custard, or other varieties.
There are also the sweeter and softer white strawberries (the 500 yen ones on the left). This one-of-a-kind dessert is a fitting finale for your Foodie Pilgrimage! Bask in the chewy and delightful Strawberry Daifuku here (Yey for English signboards):
Look at how happy I am before riding the train home. (The temple is called Tsukiji Honganji Temple. Just near the train station. It’s beautiful. So I just had to take a photo. Hahaha!)
That’s the end of my food trip! What foods are you excited to try? If you have some favorites also that I haven’t included, comment it down below! I would love to try out what you liked most!
