cook

If I were to have an office in Tokyo, I would without doubt  like to be near the Tsukiji Fish Market.  It so happens that one film organization I work with have this ideal location and they invited me to have lunch at one of their favorite restaurants in Tsukiji called Itadori. It has 7 locations right in Tsukiji, so it must be a popular place. Itadori specializes in Kaisen chirashi  (Seafood sushi rice) and curry noodles.  I couldn't  imagine a more unsual and strange combination of dishes but I can see how it could happen in Tsukiji where busy people need something quick, filling and fast to eat.  Curry is perfect for that.  Seafood and Sushi are already a given at the fish market.  

The restaurant was tucked away in the back of a fish shop. You have to go down a very dark narrow walk way.  It would take a bit of courage to go there alone.  It may have been a storage space in its previous life but when you go inside, it was surprisingly clean and well lit. Naked bulbs were used to light the place.  There were several communal tables.

It felt humid inside the restaurant but it felt that way everywhere.  Temperatures reached a high of 35 degrees centigrade. I could not possibly order their famous hot curry udon, though curry is always good in hot weather.  We unanimously chose the cold Chinese ramen noodles dipped in a mild curry sauce and ordered one seafood chirashi zushi to share amongst us. 

The Seafood chirashi sushi was sushi rice with a variety of toppings.  It had sea urchin, salmon eggs, water eel, tuna and snapper, all cut into small pieces. You can have it with braised shitake topping, wasabi and pickled ginger.  The seafood was fresh and the sushi rice had just the right amount of rice vinegar.  It made a nice appetizer for the five of us.