The Real Deal: Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo. Dai-wa Sushi.

I've been back to Tokyo and had a chance to practice my standard jet lag result of either recovery & submission. Flying from California to Japan turns me upside down and I really don't mind all that much because without fail it has similar effects on every trip. I go to bed early on the first night and then wake up way, way too early the next day. Usually about 3am or so it's all over. I'm up looking out the window of the hotel to the glowing blinking red lights amidst the towering buildings. It won't be light for a while. I putter around, take a shower and plan the first day in Tokyo. It's simple. It's basic. I am taking a taxi to the Tsukiji Fish Market to wander around and take in the frenetic commerce. There's guys in rubber boots sauntering around smoking cigarettes and riding delivery vehicles at speed of true abandon in the narrow stalls. It's nice there and in the pre-dawn hour it's an amazing sight. Giant fresh tuna. Massive torpedo's of the sea. They are lined up in an huge arena and auctioned off. In the surrounding stalls there is every type of sea creature that I have ever seen and many, many more that I have never even imagined. In the decades of travel to Japan and well over a decade of living here and popping by periodically I never tire of the Tsukiji Fish Market. Walk around at 4:30am and take it all in. At 5am? It is time to begin to line up outside of Dai-Wa Sushi. Located within the confines proper, it is a tiny place which does not disappoint.

This time? Basic. In after a short 20 minute late and then belly up to the counter. The seats seem to get smaller and closer with each visit. The sushi master sees me as yet another 'gaijin' (foreigner) and smiles to greet me with a big 'hello!' Quickly 'oshibori' steamed hand towels are brought out and steaming hot tea comes out. The counter is beautifully polished white wood. I order the requisite sushi 'omakase.' The goods. His 'chu-toro' is better than the 'o-toro' I get back at home in California.

I pop a lovely, buttery 'hamachi' in my mouth and look around me. There are no business men here with their Blackberry's. There are no suits. None. This is not a spot for entertaining clients. This place is for locals, drunks and tourists. Several people come in and seem a little drunk. They order beer. Others are older and appear familiar with the sushi chef. They order all kinds of esoteric bits and pieces all the while chatting with the sushi chef about everything from the weather to politics. I love this place. If you are planning to come to Tokyo you need to wander the fish market and find this place. Worth the effort? Yes. Worth the trip? Well, I certainly think so. Do you like sushi? Have you been to Tokyo? Please tell me the answer is 'yes.' If you haven't been to Japan (or been to Kuruma-zushi in NYC) then it's quite likely you haven't had the real deal. Put down the mouse, log off this site and book a flight. Is it really that good? Trust me on this. There is something magical about a pre-sushi wander in the Tsukiji Fish Marget. It does wonders for the imagination as you stroll past massive crates of live king crab from the Northern waters of Aomori. Buckets of live eel. Soft shell crab, salmon, sea cucumber... It is an aquarium of treats and to eat sushi within the very heart of the market? Words can not describe. I salivate at the thought and hope you will too... Sushi? It all starts at the Tsukiji Fish Market. If you are eating an amazing hand roll at 'Uchi' in Austin I can guarantee you that 24 hours earlier it spent a bit of time at the Tsukiji Fish Market. If you eat at Dai-wa? Chances are good it's spent much less time clearing customs in Texas!

A few basic ordering tips

Sushi Savvy -

OK, I've probably said this before... If you are at a sushi bar and want to get the best of the best you really need to put yourself in the 'chef's hands.' 'omakase' or 'chef's choice' is the way to go. At some places this can be a pricey and somewhat dangerous move. "Hey, who put the poisonous blow fish on the menu!?" [just kidding. very, very unlikely that you would get 'fugu' on any 'omakase' without warning] Yes, there are places where you can add that safety net caveat of, say, a specific price ceiling... "omakase, and can we do $50 each?" This is a fine approach and seems to work well in and around the Americas.

What about those days when you just want a couple of very specific slices of fish? You can certainly order a la carte. I'm not sure if this is deep seated tradition or just what I was raised with in Japan. Generally, I like to go with some sashimi followed by a few nigiri (simple fish on rice *not* a roll) followed by the tamago(egg omellette) Generally your local sushi bar in America will have a photo menu where you can identify the fish you are familiar with and these are named both in English and in Japanese.

Light meal with some good options? For a small dinner I generally go with maguro (tuna), hamachi (yellow tail), uni (sea urchin), unagi (grilled eel) and... also, it's generally a good idea to be open to options. Order a few. Ask the chef what's fresh or what's good today and go with the directives. This will generally ensure you get the good stuff that's really fresh. Also, if you are going to get a few rolls I would opt for 'o-shinko-maki' which is a roll made generally from the yellow Japanese pickle. It's a perfect palate cleanser. 'Inari-zushi' is sweet rice surrounded with a brown tofu bi-product. It's another delightful palate cleanser. Some places make these incredibly well, and I'll always give a new place a try to see if they are up to snuff. If the sushi bar offers 'miso' soup you might want to add that to the mix as well... Any rolls that come with fresh Japanese 'shiso' leaf are also generally a good idea. The 'shiso' leaf has an unreal flavor that's similar to basil only with an unusual and particular finish.

Experiment and have fun. Generally a good idea to learn some of the Japanese names for the fish you like. Hamachi and Maguro are pretty basic. If you pick up some of the more esoteric names, like 'meji' your sushi chef will see that you have done your homework and likely done some of this homework in Japan. There are a lot of options out there and your chef and wait staff should be happy to help with your ongoing education process.

You'll find that in many places they will serve your sushi in the order you place it. If you really want the 'tamago' to come at the *end* of your meal you might need to mention it in some places.

So, you are ordering a few at a time and want more? Ask and they will keep em coming. Final tip of the day? Tea. You are at the sushi bar, possibly in Japan, where the wait staff and chef are actually Japanese? Looking to score style points? When you ask for tea skip the standard 'o-cha' and ask for 'agari.' This is how you order tea when you are at a sushi bar in Japan. Kinda geeky? Esoteric? Sure, but the bar staff will know that you know your stuff. Gotta take the points where you can get em!

Have fun out there and enjoy the fish!