Landed in Tokyo late at night, wanted some good sushi. Where else except Tsukiji.

In Ground Zero of sushi-land, there are many great sushi warriors, like Sushizanmai,  Sushiiwa and Jige. Tsukiji Itadori is another of the stewards of the craft.

Consistently excellent sushi in a small joint in one of the narrow passageways between alleys. The chef is very friendly. The main menu features some combination platters, but you can just ignore that and order omakase (let the chef decides) or ask for the a la carte menu and order nigiri separately. Or you can just point to what’s in the refrigerated cabinets in front of the counter.

極きわみ　Supreme Selection
寿司10貫＋巻物 10 pieces of sushi + maki

Came with 10 pieces of edomae-style nigiri sushi and a maki.

• Anago (穴子 / Sea Eel) – well-prepared, good sauce;
• Awabi (鮑 / Abalone) – crunchy and tasty;
• Botanebi (ぼたんえび / Botan Shrimp) – sweet and plump, filled with the excellent taste of sea;
• Iwashi (イワシ / Sardine) – perhaps the only piece of sushi I did not enjoy;
• Karei (鰈 / Japanese Flounder) – considered the best white fish by the master of sushi Chef Jiro himself, did not disappoint;
• Kinmedai (金目鯛 / Splendid alfonsino) – the skin was slightly blanched to give it a firmer (and crunchier) texture;
• Maguro (鮪 / Tuna) – Akami and Otoro – the akami was prepared zuke (marinated) style and very tasty; otoro was creamy and and melted in mouth;
• Sumiika (すみいか / Japanese Spineless Cuttlefish) – none of the sliminess that came with squid, just the bite and umami;
• Uni (ウニ / Sea Urchin) – yummy, ’nuff said.

I rounded the dinner with sea urchin chawanmushi – the soft egg custard was topped with dashi jelly and liberal amount of fresh uni – and miso soup with hamaguri – a hot soup to warm the body in the cold winter night.

Delicious sushi served from a counter in the middle of the alley, fantastic atmosphere, freshly prepared sushi and delectable side dishes. Did I mention the chef was also the highlight of the evening?

Tsukiji Itadori Bekkan 築地虎杖 別館
Japan, 〒104-0045 Tōkyō-to, Chūō-ku, Tsukiji, 4 Chome−10−１６ 築地四丁目町会ビル1F
〒104-0045 東京都中央区築地４丁目１０−１６ 築地四丁目町会ビル1F
Tel : +81 3-3543-1244

http://itadori.co.jp

Date visited : Dec 2018