Tsukiji. Where the connoisseurs go.
Where do professional food connoisseurs dine after buying and selling fresh perishable goods at Tsukiji Market? Here are five of their favorite restaurants.
Where do professional food connoisseurs dine after buying and selling fresh perishable goods at Tsukiji Market? Here are five of their favorite restaurants.
Ankoya Takahashi
Simply the finest catch of the season.
Torito Bunten
The choice of chicken aficionados.
Sushi Dai
Tsukiji's most popular sushi bar.
Tempura Kurokawa
Pure artistry and innovation.
Tonkatsu Yachiyo
Unrivaled freshness locked in.
Ankoya Takahashiあんこう屋 高はし
Phone: 03-3541-1189
- Address:
- Building 8, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Weekdays and Saturdays, 08:00-13:00
- Closed:
- Sundays and holidays
Clockwise from bottom right: Steamed red rockfish, conger eel in jelly broth, lean bluefin tuna sashimi and late spring salmon. The menu consists mainly of seasonal fish, but also includes side dishes such as marinated spinach and simmered vegetables.
Fresh, lean tuna sashimi made from bluefin, yellowfin or southern bluefin tuna depending on the season.
Carefully cleaned, slowly cooked conger eel is served in sauce naturally gelled from its oil.
The restaurant, in Tsukiji Market's No. 8 building, is a mecca for discerning fish lovers.
Third-generation chef-owner Yoshikazu Takahashi adapts techniques learned at various restaurants to achieve the taste passed down from his father.
Simply the finest catch of the season.
Simmered channel rockfish, steamed red rockfish, grilled sweetfish, late spring salmon, sashimi cockles… Most dishes posted on the walls of Ankoya Takahashi restaurant are simply prepared catches of the season. The restaurant has been in business for over 80 years and is one of the area's better known establishments.
The steamed red rockfish was priced at 2,000 yen, but prices vary daily based on market value. "To be frank," explained Yoshikazu Takahashi, the restaurant's third-generation owner chef, “I could have priced the fish at 2200 yen, but today's catch was so good that I decided to lower it. Customers who know true value will recognize this is a bargain."
Some people might hesitate to order rockfish for 2000 yen, but a single taste would convince them it is not overpriced. The plump, simmered meat is delicious with a subtle taste of sweet oil.
Takahashi purchases only the finest natural-bred fish every day from a trader who sells the same fish to Japan's most demanding reservations-by-referral-only Ryotei restaurants. Takahashi personally prepares each fish by removing the scales, thoroughly cleaning the dark meat and soaking the fish in saltwater that enhances the taste overnight.
Appearances can deceive. Especially at this long-established restaurant where every bite proclaims exquisite quality.
Phone: 03-3541-1189
- Address:
- Building 8, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Weekdays and Saturdays, 08:00-13:00
- Closed:
- Sundays and holidays
Torito Bunten鳥めし 鳥藤 分店
Phone: 03-3543-6525
- Address:
- 4-8-6 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Weekdays and Saturdays, 07:30-14:00 (last order)
- Closed:
- Sundays, holidays and when Tsukiji Market is closed
Clockwise from bottom left: Oyakodon with delightfully textured eggs and chicken, Toriju combining teriyaki and ground chicken, and Bonjiri with chicken, soft boiled egg and addictive sauce.
Delicious Daisen chicken is raised in the Daisen district of Tottori Prefecture where rich natural water flows.
Toriju tops rice with ground chicken, teriyaki chicken, flavorful chicken liver, a slice of kumquat and more.
Manager Masaaki Kubo was previously a regular customer who became enchanted with chicken cuisine.
The chef carefully tends the flames to achieve the perfect fluffy yet flowing Oyakodon texture.
The choice of chicken aficionados.
The aroma of dashi fills your nostrils the moment Torito's signature Oyakodon is served. You sink your teeth into the jelly-like egg yolk draped in wholesome egg whites soaked in dashi and soy sauce, then savor tender chicken that releases its rich, satisfying flavor as you chew. The name Oyakodon (parent and child) is derived from its chicken and egg ingredients.
Torito restaurant was created to promote the great taste of Daisen chicken from Tottori Prefecture and has never wavered from its founding principles. It was established by Torito, a poultry wholesaler located in the Tsukiji Outer Market since 1907.
Freshness means everything. So whole chickens arrive daily from Tottori poultry farms and are deboned right on the premises to heighten tenderness and juiciness. Furthermore, Torito only uses Okukuji eggs from Ibaraki Prefecture, which are renowned for their quality, to bring out the full flavor of its chicken dishes. The eggs are carefully stirred in water and heated twice to achieve the perfect combination of fluffy whites and custardy yolk.
“Chicken is our specialty at Torito, so we strive to serve customers the best possible chicken and open their minds to the splendor of poultry” says manager Masaaki Kubo. At Torito, the Oyakodon is so delicious that many customers decide to buy chicken at the main store on their way home.
Phone: 03-3543-6525
- Address:
- 4-8-6 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Weekdays and Saturdays, 07:30-14:00 (last order)
- Closed:
- Sundays, holidays and when Tsukiji Market is closed
Sushi Dai寿司大
Phone: 03-3547-6797
- Address:
- Building 6, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Weekdays and Saturdays, 05:00-14:00*
- Closed:
- Sundays, holidays and when Tsukiji Market is closed
* Entry is allowed up to the last customer in the queue at 14:00 (On Wednesdays the deadline is earlier to enable closing at 14:00.)
Learn more
While others wait in line, the chef serves you with care, preparing and serving the sushi at your pace. The great food and atmosphere combine for an unforgettable experience.
The Chef’s Choice. Every item in this course is separately prepared and served at the counter.
The first sushi in the Chef’s Choice is Otoro tuna, the perfect start for a hungry customer.
Every seasonal topping is stringently selected by a professional with over 20 years of experience.
Manager Urushibara stays in shape so he can make better sushi. Hats off to his perfectionism!
Tsukiji's most popular sushi bar.
The first fanatical customer arrives at 2:00am. By 5:00am there are 30 customers standing in line. Every day between 5:00am and 2:00pm (the restaurant's business hours), more than 180 customers wait three to four hours each for one of the 13 counter seats at Sushi Dai, the most popular sushi bar in Tsukiji Market.
The main attractions of Sushi Dai are its excellent sushi and reasonable prices. The restaurant's location inside of Tsukiji Market ensures the sushi is super fresh. And bargains like the Omakase (Chef's Choice) for 4,000 yen — including 10 assorted pieces of nigirizushi plus rolled sushi and grilled egg — keep customers coming back for more.
The Omakase course begins with sublime fatty marbled Otoro tuna, prepared and served at the counter, followed by one item after another as you eat. The alfosino flavored with kelp is moist and tender, while the conger eel is lightly simmered and puffed to perfection.
Every ingredient is expertly prepared using traditional Edomae sushi techniques, and no item is served in quite the same way. These techniques clearly bring out the full flavor of each ingredient.
Despite being Tsukiji Market's most popular sushi shop, there is no pressure to hurry. The chef lets you choose the last item in the course: a gesture that warms your heart. As you take the last bite, you promise yourself to line up again for some great sushi in coming weeks.
Phone: 03-3547-6797
- Address:
- Building 6, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Weekdays and Saturdays, 05:00-14:00*
- Closed:
- Sundays, holidays and when Tsukiji Market is closed
* Entry is allowed up to the last customer in the queue at 14:00 (On Wednesdays the deadline is earlier to enable closing at 14:00.)
Learn moreTempura Kurokawaてんぷら黒川
Phone: 03-3544-1988
- Address:
- 6-21-8 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Weekdays, Saturdays and evenings on national holidays
Lunch: 09:00-14:00 (last order at 13:45)
Dinner: 17:00-21:00 (last order at 20:00) - Closed:
- Sundays and holidays
The restaurant serves various original tempura dishes. Green tea ice cream tempura, for example, is a popular dessert. "I enjoy trying unconventional ingredients," says chef Kurokawa.
The lunch menu includes Kakiagedon, a bowl of rice topped with rich sauce and ample shrimp and scallop tempura.
The popular Yuki (snow) tempura course includes shrimp, sweetfish, gluten cake and seasonal vegetables.
Reservations are recommended for this renowned tempura restaurant located in a quiet alleyway.
The aroma of sesame oil fills the room. Customers at the counter receive tempura straight from the pot.
Pure artistry and innovation.
"The difference between great tempura and everyday tempura is the sensitivity of the chef," claims owner-chef Takeshi Kurokawa while dropping something yellow into the oil pan. "The recipe for tempura is simple, but the technique is not." A dozen seconds later, he removes fried egg yolk from the pan and lets me try it. The creamy morsel fills my mouth with a very pleasing sensation.
Kurokawa chuckles and shyly informs me that "Soft boiling an egg that way takes practice." He learned the basics of tempura from three masters at long-established restaurants in Tokyo, then led a team of tempura chefs at a major Tokyo hotel for over 10 years before starting his own business.
With imagination and skill, honed from over 30 years of tempura making experience, he keeps dreaming up new tempura dishes for his restaurant's menu. "This big box is filled with fresh vegetables from a farm in Chiba. I can hardly wait to open it up and discover what's inside. I get excited just thinking about how to prepare the tempura."
Humble vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes become tempura masterpieces when Kurakawa prepares them. Even mustard spinach is effortlessly transformed into something exquisite when Kurokawa rolls it in seaweed and fries it with flair.
With uncommon sensitivity, he creates unforgettable tempura whether using fresh seafood like shrimp and scallops from Tsukiji Market or vegetables from Chiba. You have to taste it to believe it.
Phone: 03-3544-1988
- Address:
- 6-21-8 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Weekdays, Saturdays and evenings on national holidays
Lunch: 09:00-14:00 (last order at 13:45)
Dinner: 17:00-21:00 (last order at 20:00) - Closed:
- Sundays and holidays
Tonkatsu Yachiyoとんかつ八千代
Phone: 03-3547-6762
- Address:
- Building 6, 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Mondays to Saturdays, 5:00 to 13:00
- Closed:
- Sundays/holidays/days when Tsukiji Market is closed
Clockwise from left: mouthwatering roast pork, juicy tonkatsu (deep fried pork) and scrumptious fried shrimp. All seafood is fresh enough to be eaten raw at a sushi restaurant — but fried to lock in the flavor.
Japanese tiger prawn are fried while alive to maximize taste, texture and freshness. The set is 1600 JPY.
Serving sizes are exceptionally generous, as with this fried fish, shredded cabbage and rice set.
The atmosphere of the dining area is intentionally simple so customers can relax and enjoy.
Chef Hideaki Ishizuka's recipes bring out the best of every ingredient based on 50 years of experience.
Unrivaled freshness locked in.
Enter bustling Tsukiji Market, known as Tokyo’s kitchen. Proceed past the busy workers to the alleys lined with restaurants and slide open the frosted glass doors of Tonkatsu Yachiyo, Tsukiji's most revered deep fry restaurant. Then seat yourself at one of the counters that accommodate 12 customers in total and prepare for a flavor bonanza.
Many eateries serve deep fried food in Tsukiji Fish Market because local workers, including gastronomers working as food traders in the market, often crave something different than simply prepared fresh food. But nothing fills their urge like the satisfying fare at Tonkatsu Yachiyo.
Founded in 1926, Tonkatsu Yachiyo has earned an impeccable reputation through decades of constant effort to improve the taste of its food and quality of its service. It offers a wide variety of food, but is best known for its fried seafood, including horse mackerel, scallops and Japanese tiger prawn.
Only the freshest seafood worthy of a sushi restaurant is served at Tonkatsu Yachiyo. However, it is expertly fried in an original, fragrant blend of lard, beef tallow and vegetable oil to strike a consummate balance of light flesh and crispy crust and locks in every ounce of the fresh seafood flavor.
One bite and you'll rediscover how good fried fish can be! Fried fare is served with shredded cabbage, ample tartar sauce and plenty of rice to give market workers the energy they need. Whether you work locally or travel from afar, warm-hearted Tonkatsu Yachiyo is a treat worth experiencing.
Phone: 03-3547-6762
- Address:
- Building 6, 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Mondays to Saturdays, 5:00 to 13:00
- Closed:
- Sundays/holidays/days when Tsukiji Market is closed
*Articles are written based on information available at the time of publication.
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