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“Haha! Look at you…you look sooo happy!!!”

Cherry the Manic Shopper would say that again and again whenever I put something in my mouth during our lunch at Tsukiji. I couldn’t help but smile while savoring the glorious food.

Tsukiji, named after the biggest fish market in the world that is located in Tokyo, is one of the most authentic Japanese restaurants in the Metropolis. According to owner Chef J. Gamboa (the same group behind Milky Way and El Cirkulo), three times weekly, they actually have someone go to Tsukiji, Tokyo in the morning to buy seafood. Sometimes, Chef J goes there himself! The fresh goodies are then brought to Manila the same day via Japan Airlines where it remains chilled, not frozen! By lunch, they can be on your plate! (Chef J.’s tip: for the adventurous ones, make sure you go to Tsukiji on a Friday for lunch or dinner! Unique seafood products are brought in Friday mornings!)

Here’s what we had!

The Sashimi Set we had is probably the freshest I ever tasted here in the Philippines! Caution ahead: I’m a sashimi lover, so I will be describing the dish in detail.

The Ama Ebi or Sweet Prawn is actually not cooked! Sweet, firm… yum!

Look at the color of that salmon sashimi! I went to Vancouver, Canada earlier this year and noticed that salmon sashimis there are more “orange” than what I usually see here. I never thought I’d be seeing that exact orange color here! No Photoshop

Uni or Sea Urchin is another must-try here at Tsukiji! This is one of the best tasting Uni I have ever had. It is sweet and has a firm texture and, which are the characteristic of the best unis. Reminds me the sea urchin I had at Cebu! An uncle went on a boat trip early morning and bought some sea urchin from fishermen who just got them from the sea! Less than twenty minutes after purchasing them, the uni was on our breakfast plate. Imagine having the same experience in the middle of the city.

Seeing the wasabi made me excited! Chef J chuckled after I exclaimed “Let me take a picture of the wasabi! That is not processed wasabi for sure! It’s not the wasabi paste we see in restaurants and groceries!” He said even the wasabi is made by their Japanese chef! It’s fresh from Japan as well.

Included in the set is Hamachi (Yellow Fin Tuna) Sashimi, texture is just right and there is absolutely no fishy taste. One bite and you know they are all fresh. At this time I was already telling Cherry eating at other local Japanese restaurants might not satisfy me anymore! Chef J shares that Japanese really favor fatty fish. The fact that they have different names for one fish is a proof. For example, the young yellow tail tuna are called Hamachi. The more mature ones which are caught on colder -ber months (therefore fatter as well) are then called Buri. Tsukiji then tries to bring us what Japanese want by sourcing directly from Japan! Since the waters there are cold, the catch there is fatter! No wonder Tsukiji has lots of Japanese clients. And as some say, the best Japanese restaurants are the ones Japanese themselves patronize.

Here’s another Hamachi that we had, but a grilled version.

For salad, we had Kaiso (Seaweed Salad with Sesame Dressing). Check the picture closely, the green and purple leaves are not lettuce, but seaweed! The salad was light, and that gave us enough space for what we will be having next… WAGYU BEEF!

Our Wagyu Ohmi Sirloin Steak was cooked perfectly. Every bite was to-diieee-fooorr. Since the beef is finely marbled, the fat allows you to have a “melt-in-your-mouth” experience!

Tsukiji Restaurant serves the exclusive Wagyu Ohmi Beef, whose roots go back 400 years to the foundation of the Shogun’s capital city, Edo. Wagyu Ohmi Beef, known for its “melt-in-the-mouth” quality, was developed exclusively for the Shogun and his family as a health remedy to promote well being and vitality. To this day, Wagyu Ohmi Beef is the official beef of the Japanese Imperial Household. Tsukiji Restaurant proudly serves Wagyu Ohmi Beef since they opened in 1989.

Chef J says this soup is usually served to sumo wrestlers! It has a little bit of everything, tofu, seaweed, spring onions, fishcake, meatball, etc!

We had Alaskan King Crab Tempura as well. This is a pretty good alternative to the ebi tempura (prawn tempura).

Finally, for dessert, we ordered Milky Way’s Halo-halo (P99)! When you dine in Tsukiji, you can order some items from its sister companies Milky Way and El Cirkulo, which are both located in the same building.

Say hello to Chef Toshiro Okajima! Or just call him Chef Oka! He has been with Tsukiji since they opened in 1989.

Though they have some pricey items, Chef J shares that they have more affordable meals as well. As a matter of fact, the restaurant offers a daily Executive Lunch Set, which is a big hit at only P395+. Diners can choose from 8 to 10 different set-lunches ranging from US Beef Yakiniku, Mixed Tempura, Natto, Zosui-Rice Porridge, Yakizakana-Grilled Fish of the Day, Shogayaki – Gingered Pork, Katsu-Curry Rice (on Fridays) depending on the day of the week. Set lunches include miso soup, rice, small salad and sashimi.

Then on Fridays for dinner, and Saturdays and Sundays for lunch and dinner, Tsukiji offers Weekend Specials, a full course meal with a beef dish, noodles, and fish, priced at about P695+.

Here’s a set menu with Sole Fish as its main course, P650+. Notice the rich red color of the Maguro Tuna Sashimi on the upper left corner.

Photo courtesy of Chef J
Aside from the main dining area, Tsukiji has a sushi bar, tatami tables, and a teppanyaki table.

Photo courtesy of Chef J
There’s also a Yakiniku room where guests can cook their own meal.

I’d definitely want to go back to Tsukiji! Though the meals can be pricey, the experience is definitely worth it.

Tsukiji is located at 3/F, 900 Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road) corner Paseo de Roxas, Makati City. For inquiries, contact 843-4285 or 812-2913. Dress code: smart casual. They’re open Mondays to Sundays, 11am to 2:30pm for lunch and 5pm to 10pm for dinner. Parking is at the street-front and at the basement.

Prices are available upon request. Please call 843-4285 or 812-2913 for inquiries.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Food and Drink. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.