Tsukiji Market / Uogashi Yokocho-Vol. 7 Bentomi-sushi
‘Bentomi’ has an excellent eye for select high quality seafood, and its kitchen staff is highly skilled in cooking
As well as their sister restaurant ‘Iwasa-zushi’, ‘Bentomi’ is also particular about wild fish such as tuna
‘Bentomi-sushi’ is a sister sushi restaurant of ‘Iwasa-zushi’ run by the same owner. Fresh seafood materials for their sushi are usually high quality because Mr. Ishigami, shopkeeper & chef has an excellent eye for purchasing. Pacific bluefin tuna and wild white meat fish are used for their sushi, but never farmed fish. ‘As we concerned about our fish, we do not care about which fishing port comes from. We try to cook with great care to bring out original taste of wild fish.’ A long experienced chef said.
For example, conger eel is grilled after being simmered in a stock to bring out its original aroma. Blue back fish, such as ‘kohada’ or dotted gizzard shad, and mackerel, are washed in salt water for killing stinks of fish. Kitchen staffs do not mind devoting a lot of time and effort to cooking.
Mr. Ishigami is an expert who has worked as a sushi cook more than 50 years. He has an excellent eye for examining seafood materials, and tries to purchase only wild fish after careful selection and also dependent on advises from intermediate seafood wholesalers at the market. Not only he is a first-rate judge of purchasing, his cooking skill is also excellent.
Famed brand rice ‘koshihikari’ from Koshiji in Nigata is mixed with plum vinegar for ‘shari’ or vinegared rice for their sushi, which has a faint sweet taste. You can enjoy tasting their ‘nigiri’ without soy sauce. Only an expert can cook such a ‘nigiri’ sushi.
He is rather talkative so you can enjoy a dialogue with him, if you can communicate in Japanese. His recommendation is, of course, tuna. He only purchases fresh Pacific bluefin tuna and lets it mature on ice. His intuition after long experience decides when is just ready to eat. ‘Ohtoro’ or pink fatty tuna is one of the best for taste among them which is tender and something like melting on your tongue.
■ ’Omakase-nigiri’ or Chef’s recommendation course 3,150 Japanese yen
Although, items are changeable depended on purchasing conditions in every season, 10 pieces of ‘nigiri’ consisteing of tuna, white meat fish, scallop, prawn, Pacific saury, and conger eel, and a roll-sushi, such as ‘himo-kyu’ or ark shell strings and cucumber and ‘tekka-maki’ or tuna roll. Common white meat fish is sea bass in summer, and flatfish or sea bream in autumn. Either, tiger prawn or pink shrimp is usually used. And a bowl of miso soup also served.
■Assorted nigiri-zushi ‘Sakura’ 3,600 Japanese yen
12 pieces of ‘nigiri-sushi’ and 1 roll-sushi with a bowl of miso soup
Pieces of fresh seafood for sushi are chosen among various sea products in the market under careful selection with concerning on what fishing port come from and their best season in taste.
■’Kaizukushi’ 3,500 Japanese yen
10 pieces of ‘nigiri-sushi’ cooked with all shellfish including as such crunchy texture of abalone and complex flavor of scallop. A bowl of miso soup is served together.
■’Nigiri and otsumaki set’ 2,300 Japanese yen
It consisted of 5 pieces of ‘nigiri-sushi’ and assorted ‘sashimi’ or fresh slices of raw fish. The set is recommendable for those who like to drink Japanese sake or rice wine together.
■’Bentomi-don’ 2,000 Japanese yen
’Bentomi-don’ is signature dish of ‘Bentomi-sushi’, that is a bowls of rice named after the restaurant name. Plenty quantity of Pacific bluefin tuna, sea urchin, salmon roe, and salmon are put on top.
■’Kaisen-chirashi’ 2,100 Japanese yen
As well as their nigiri, ‘kaisen-chirashi’ or vinegared rice topped with plenty of fresh seafood and assorted three kinds of fresh seafood, as such sea urchin eggs, scallop, and salmon eggs are also popular.
Plenty 12 kinds of fresh seafood entirely covers vinegared rice in a bowl. It is really a genuine ‘kaisen-chirashi’.
■’Anago’ or conger eel 530 Japanese yen
Conger eel gives off a fragrant smell as it grilled just before serving, which had been gently simmered in a stock. It is really delicious serving with a special sauce.
■’Uni’ or sea urchin 790 Japanese yen
Plenty of brand sea urchin ‘Ezo-bafun-uni’ or short-spined sea urchin fromHokkaidois cooked with vinegared rice for sushi. It is really delicious something like smoothly melting on your tongue with the smell of the sea.
＜Reference materials＞
Tsukiji-marukajiri published by the Mainichi
Tsukiji-o-kiwameru published by Aspect co.
http://www.bentomi.com/ja/
http://www.tsukijigourmet.or.jp/
http://tabelog.com/tokyo/
http://tsukijigo.cocolog-nifty.com/
■For travelers from overseas
As a certified guide-interpreter in English and also a writer of the website “Cool Japan Guide”, I am very happy to introduce ‘Tsukiji Market’. If you have something to ask, like to make reservation, or need English speaking tour guide when visit toTokyo, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for your kind cooperation, I am looking forward to your contact.
Please Contact Us/お問合せ
(3 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5)
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