Overlooking Tsukiji Market 築地市場

I love these photos that give you a better idea of how huge the market is.

Tsukiji Market Photos

Just a small part of the massive Tsukiji Market.

Salmon and Ikura Rice

This dish could not be any easier and you are rewarded with bits of salmon in the rice accented with bursts of ikura (salmon roe) with every bite.

Grill the salmon, place on top of rice before steaming.

When the rice is cooked, remove the bones and skin from the salmon.

Incorporate salmon into the rice and then top with ikura when serving.

Moules

Moules with garlic, butter and bread crumbs toasted in the oven. Not as good as when I lived in Brussels...

Nimono Fish

Tender karei with eggs simmered in soy sauce, sake and mirin until falling off of the bones.

Octopus Salad

This simple dish of octopus, wakame and cucumbers marinated in a miso and vinegar dressing.

Blind Tasting Salmon

We picked up different types of salmon at the market and did a blind tasting. Shinji-san was able to pick them all out! I didn't have a clue except for benijake which was obvious by its dark orange (almost red) color.

Benijake - Sockeye salmon

Tokijake - Chum salmon

Ginjake - Silver salmon

Shirasu Anochovies over Rice

This quick and simple meal is shirasu (tiny anchovies that are quickly blanched in salt water) over a bowl of rice.

Ooedo Sushi near Ameyoko

Every few weeks we pop into different kaitenzushi. Shinji-san will write out our order and hand it to the sushi chef who makes up our order. Naturally he orders seasonal seafood. This shop, Ooedo, near Ameyoko, was mentioned in Tokyo Calendar for being famous for having seasonal fish at reasonable price. You see here some shirako, tuna, kinmedai and buri.

Kue (Longtooth Grouper) One of Japan's Most Expensive Fish

This is a recent "kue" (longtooth grouper) course dinner we did in Tokyo. The chef of the restaurant went to Tsukiji that morning to pick up the kue. Kue can be more expensive than tuna (per pound). It has a light pink color to its flesh and a rich texture (puri puri). It has a rich taste and we had it four ways:

1. Nabe hotpot with tofu, brown enoki mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves) and leeks. This was served with a ponzu dipping sauce.

2. Sashimi (excellent and hands down our favorite). This too was served with ponzu and a momiji oroshi (daikon and dried red pepper that has been grated).

3. Nimono simmered in a sweet soy sauce.

4. Ozosui in a rice porridge.

I don't remember the name of the shop but definitely recommend trying it if you have the chance.

This was excellent with an imo jochu (sweet potato shochu) we had it with.

The kue we had was actually farmed from Wakayama. We believe it is from Kinki Daigaku which is also farming tuna.

Some of the best sashimi in Tokyo

Voila - the final package! The wild scallops spoiled me, I don't think I can ever go back to frozen. Also, the aji had a rich texture and fresh taste.

Now you can see why we prefer to eat at home.

The photo below is Yuki Sensei, Yoko Sensei and Yukari showing off our wedding present (the sake cup in Yuki-chan's hands and the flask that I am holding. Mingei pottery.

Shinji-san preparing dinner

Shinji-san fileting fish, slicing squid and removing the awabi from its abalone shell.

Home Party

Salmon, hotate (scallops), sanma (Pacific saury), aji (mackerel), awabi and ika. The seafood all came from Tsukiji Market to our local Uoriki fish market at Tachikawa station in Tokyo, which coincidentally is where I was born. Shinji-san prepared all of these sashimi style, or raw. This was the highlight or our dinner with good friends.

Seasonal Fish in Nagasaki

The seafood in the markets in Nagasaki were fresh (fresher than what we find in Tokyo) and cheap! Shinji-san made sashimi of several types of fish. The middle photo also includes some basashi, or rare horse meat and fat, which is eaten with ginger and the local sweeter soy sauce.

Tempura-style Squid Tentacles

Here is the tentacles served up tempura after we ate the sashimi portion of it.

Eaing Live Yobuko Squid

Yobuko squid is famous from Saga. We found it on the menu in a restaurant in Fukuoka. It is served while the tentacles are still moving. Great texture and a rich flavor. We enjoyed it with some wasabi and soy sauce.

If you touched the skin, you could see the color change. There was a fluorescent blue and green color that reminded me of the Northern Lights.

We had this at "Waza Waza" in Fukuoka. (Hakata-ku, Hakata Eki Higashi 2-1-27)

http://wazafood.jp/

Fisherman's Wharf at Himi Port in Toyama

A few images from The Fisherman's Wharf at Himi Port in Toyama. This is a small market on the pier at Himi Port. It is just a few minutes from the Himi Fish Market.

Breakfast at Himi Fish Market

Our honeymoon coincided with the harvest of kanburi in the Sea of Japan. Our breakfast this morning, in the cafeteria at the market on the second floor, was "shioyaki" or salt grilled kanburi, and a sashimi platter of both kanburi and sawara.

Kanburi in Himi Port of Toyama

Shinji-san wanted to see the Himi Port of Toyama famous for its kanburi, or winter buri. The market is small, the photo above shows half of the market. The top two photos are kanburi. We went to the cafeteria on the 2nd floor and had kanburi for breakfast following the morning auction.

Kawahagi sashimi

Shinji-san made sashimi from kawahagi. Great fish with a nice texture. And, if it is very fresh, you can eat the liver. We make a sauce out of it by simply crushing it and dipping the sashimi into it.