favorite delicacy of the aristocracy. Sliced raw fish was soaked in a salt brine that naturally fermented and preserved it. The slightly sour sushi became so popular that demand for the fermented fish exceeded supply. The solution was to put fresh sliced fish on vinegared rice. In the Edo period the art of sushi reached its current form as nigiri-zushi and became the favorite meal of the city-wise Edokko.
Ideally, sushi is prepared by thinly slicing only the choicest parts of the freshest of fish, and serving it on a bed of specially prepared, vinegar-flavored rice. Sometimes a dab of wasabi, green horseradish, is spread between the two. The sushi chef trains for years, spending two or three on just the rice balls, before he is considered a master. Menu-These are the types of fish most commonly served as sushi:
| maguro | tuna |
| torn | tuna belly |
| hamachi | yellowtail (young) |
| ika | squid |
| tako | octopus (boiled) |
| anago | conger eel (cooked & served with a sweet sauce) |
| ikura | salmon roe |
| uni | sea urchin roe |
| katsuo | bonito |
| ebi | shrimp (boiled) |
| ama-ebi | shrimp (raw) |
| awabi | abalone |
| akagai | red clam |
| hotate | scallop |
| tamago | cooked egg |
| norimaki | raw fish and various fillings rolled in dried seaweed |
| kappamaki | norimaki with cucumber |
| tekkamaki | norimaki with tuna |
| chirashi-zushi | raw fish with various other ingredients scattered on top of a bowl of rice (good for lunch) |
| gari | pickled ginger served as a sushi condiment |
| wasabi | green horseradish that is mixed in with the soy sauce when eating sashimi (use sparingly or you lose the flavor of the fish). |
How to Order
• As an hors d'oeuvre, sashimi is usually eaten with saké before the sushi.
• If you sit at the counter, you can order your sushi by pointing at or naming the fish. At a table you can also order piece by piece, but the best and easiest way is to order a set course such as matsu (expensive), take (medium), or ume (inexpensive). If you want more after the course, you can then order more of your favorites.
• When you make an order, the sushi will usually come in a pair.
• Certain fish are particularly good at certain times of the year. See the list of seasonal fish, or order by asking for "Shun no sakana."
• To eat the sushi, use your hands and dip it, fish side down, in soy sauce you've poured into a small dish. Cooked fish such as anago shouldn't be dipped since they will already be sauced.
TSUKIJI FISH MARKET Go early in the morning and have the freshest fish possible at one of the sushi shops in the area. [M-22]
KIYOTA
6-3-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 3572-4854. Hours: 11:30 A.M.-8:00 P.M., closed Sun. & hol. If you checked in any Japanese restaurant guide, this famous sushi bar would probably be given top ratings for food, service, and atmosphere. There is no need to order here, the chef will just present you with possibly the best fish in town. Its list of regulars is also impressive: assorted politicians, captains of industry, and other celebrities. A minimal sushi meal will start at ¥25,000. [M-8]
FUKUZUSM
5-7-8 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Tel: 3402-4116. Hours: 11:30 A.M.-2:00 P.M., 5:30-11:00 P.M., closed Sun. Considered by some to be the best sushi restaurant in town. Very good sushi in a sleek, modern setting. Courses from ¥6,000. [M-1]
ICHIKAN
9-5 Daikanyama-cho, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 3461-2002. Hours: 11:30 AM.-2:00 P.M., 5:00-11:00 P.M., closed Mon. An excellent classic sushi bar, rather on the spacious side, so it is particularly good for larger groups (it gets crowded so try to make reservations). A meal here will cost upward of ¥10,000. [M-20]
KIKAKUZUSHI
3-7-2 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku. Tel: 3401-3880. Hours: noon-3:00 P.M., 5:00-10:00 P.M., closed Mon. Small and intimate, Kikakuzushi has the feel of a friendly neighborhood sushi bar. A basic meal here runs from about ¥5,000. [M-5]
SUSHI SEI
Ginza: Dainana Kanai Bldg., 1F, 8-2-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 3572-4770. Hours: 11:45 A.M.-2:00 P.M., 4:45-10:40 P.M., closed Sun. & hol. [M-81 Aoyama: Bell Commons, 5F, Tel: 3475-8053. Hours: 11:30 A.M.-2:30 P.M., 5:30-10:30 P.M. Sat., Sun., & hol.: 11:30 A.M.-9:30 P.M. [M-5] Roppongi: 3-2-9 Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku. Tel: 3401-0578. Hours: 11:45 A.M.-2:30 P.M., 4:45-10:45 P.M., Sun. & hol.: 11:45 A.M.-9:30 P.M., closed second and third Wed. [M-11 A reputable, medium-priced sushi restaurant, there are numerous branches throughout the city. The restaurants have good basic sushi-bar interiors and good food. About ¥4,000 per person.
TSUKIJIEDOGIN
4-5-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku. Tel: 3542-4401. Hours: 11:00 A.M.-9:30 P.M., closed Sun. This old shop, located near the fish market, is famous for the size of their sushi as well as its taste and low prices. Their tamago-yaki is huge. About ¥3,000 per person. [M-22]
MATSUKAN
3-4-12 Azabu-juban, Minato-ku. Tel: 3455-4923. Hours: noon-2:00 P.M., 5:00-11:00 P.M. (Sat.: noon-10:30 P.M., Sun. & hol.: noon-9:00 P.M.), closed Mon. The food, service, and interior is just like a sushi bar should be. Cost is about ¥7,000 per person. For a side dish, try their hotate no shioyaki (grilled scallop) or other shioyaki-style fish. [M-1]
SAKAEZUSHI HONTEN
3-6-2 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: 3351-2525. Hours: 11:30 A.M.-11:30 P.M. daily. Kohaku-don, maguro, and ika on sushi rice are their specialties. About ¥2,000 per person. [M-7]
SUSHI BAR SAI
Rambling Core Andos Bldg., 2F, 1-7-5 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 3496-6333. Hours: 5:30 P.M.-1:00 A.M. daily, hoi. 4:00-10:00 P.M. Western-influenced sushi bar serves California-maki, (rolled sushi with avocado) and tofu-zushi using tofu instead of rice. Courses only, from ¥1,200. [M-3]
GENROKUZUSHI