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Sushi mania: discovering the best sushi in Tokyo

Sushi mania: discovering the best sushi in Tokyo

When you first think of Japanese cuisine, sushi is probably the first thing that comes to mind.

Tokyo is one of the best places in the world for an intense sushi #foodporn experience, mainly as a result of having the world’s largest fish market.

We set out to discover some of the places to enjoy the best sushi in Tokyo and also stumbled on a few more obscure discoveries.

WHAT IS SUSHI?

Sushi is raw fish, sliced into small pieces and served on cooked vinegared rice. When it’s served without the rice it’s called sashimi. 

Sushi literally means, sour tasting in Japanese and comes from the old tradition of preserving raw fish by fermenting it by wrapping it in soured fermenting rice. The fish proteins are then broken down via the fermentation.

 

Sushi time ? for this greedy Frenchman ✌?️(and yes that whole plate is just for him!!) ??

A photo posted by Nomadic Boys (@nomadicboys) on

 

WHERE TO EAT THE BEST SUSHI IN TOKYO?

THE TOYOU FISH MARKET!

Toyosu is famous for being the largest fish market in the world. Daily auctions start from 4am, drawing huge crowds. This is serious fish business. The most expensive fish (222kg of bluefin tuna) was sold here for $1.8m (155.4 million yen) on 5 January 2013.

You can come at the crack of dawn to watch the auctions, or if like us you struggle with waking up that early, you can instead turn up a little bit later in the day before the market shuts at 1pm.

Toyosu fish market caters to the surrounding restaurants, so come here, pick one and enjoy the tastiest, super fresh sushi ever.

 

SUSHI SURPRISES!

There were quite a few WTF?! moments during our sushi adventures in Tokyo…

#1 CHICKEN SASHIMI

You read right. Raw chicken goodness.

Actually not as bad as it sounds. It’s very chewy. But obviously try it in a place popular with locals. A good tour company like Arigato Food Tours will point you in the right direction.

 

#2 WILD BOAR SASHIMI

Another one that raised eyebrows, but not as bad as you think.

 

Going sashimi loco in Ishigaki – Stefan preparing to go face down in this plate of wild boar sashimi ?

A photo posted by Nomadic Boys (@nomadicboys) on

 

#3 HORSE MEAT SUSHI

Basashi is sushi with raw horse meat. Another one to look out for in your sushi discoveries.

 

best sushi in Tokyo Basashi (raw horse sashimi)
Basashi (raw horse sashimi)

And – you can even get basashi ice cream…!

Best sushi in Tokyo Basashi ice cream

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Sebastien

Sebastien is the co-founder, editor and author of nomadicboys.com. He is a tech geek, a total travel nerd and a food enthusiast. He spends the majority of his time planning Nomadic Boys' travels meticulously right down to the minute details. Sebastien has travelled to over 80 countries with his partner in crime and the love of his life, Stefan. He regularly shares his expertise of what it’s like travelling as a gay couple both on Nomadic Boys and on prominent publications ranging from Pink News, Matador, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian and many more. Originally from France, Sebastien moved to London in the early 2000s where he pursued a career as a computer programmer for Thompson Reuters and Bloomberg. He subsequently left it all to explore his passion for travelling around the world with Stefan to hand, and thus Nomadic Boys was born.

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