Fish First!

The warehouse at the Tsukiji Fish
Market in Tokyo

Konnichiwa! It’s Friday afternoon here in Japan and we’re aboard the bullet train traveling to Osaka where we are to perform this weekend. After a whirlwind of shows in Tokyo and exhilarating experiences sightseeing, I’ve finally found some time to write as I sit by the window of the train watching the mountains roll by.  Today has been one of the best days so far, and it has only just begun.  

You might think I’m crazy, but after a day of performing Symphony in 3 Movements, Balanchine’s Swan Lake, and Symphony in C in Tokyo, I woke up this morning at 2:30am to go to the famous Tsukiji Fish Market.  Each weekday, tourists are allowed to view the iconic tuna auction located in a warehouse, in which freshly caught tuna is displayed and sold to buyers who make the most delectable sushi in Japan.  Only the first 120 people are guaranteed a spot to witness the event, and for this reason, you must arrive at least two hours prior to the 5:25am showing.  The auction is one of those once-in-a-lifetime events, so despite my exhaustion from performing, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see it.  My friends and I marveled at the freshly caught tuna – frozen and cut open to display the quality to the perusing buyers – and listened to the chants of the auctioneer echoing throughout the chilly space.  Before bidding, buyers tested the tuna quality by thrashing picks against the tuna’s flesh, and sometimes even tasting a bit of the raw fish before purchasing! Who knew tuna was such a big deal? Among the top Japanese chefs, sushi making is an art form that requires careful selection of ingredients and the skill of creating such masterpieces. I was able to observe their craft after the auction by going to a distinguished sushi bar in the market for breakfast – yes BREAKFAST.

At the sushi bar about to try sea urchin!

 Seated at the bar, we witnessed the creation of sushi right in front of out eyes, and enjoyed the chef’s selection of raw fish.  Oh my goodness it was so fresh! It makes sense seeing that it was literally brought directly from the ocean. I’m no sushi connoisseur, but I know I will never taste sushi like that anywhere else. We tasted raw tuna, prawn, sea urchin, eel, and squid (the latter giving us all difficulty because of its thickness and rubbery-ness).  But we ate it all! Before 7am, I saw how a body of raw fish was bought, transferred, prepared, and ultimately enjoyed by people like us. I left the market constantly saying “WOW.”

S'mores in a Jar at
The Smith

I wish that for this week’s NYC excursion I could tell you of an amazing Japanese sushi restaurant tucked away in Greenwich Village or Chelsea, but I have not been to many sushi restaurants myself to give you that advice.  But I will tell you that I’ve eaten one of the best fish dishes at a cool urban restaurant called The Smith, located on the Upper West Side, in the East Village and Midtown.  Their salmon is perfectly seared and complimented by a bed of leeks, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts. It’s one of those meals that will melt in your mouth.  If salmon doesn’t suit you, the restaurant also has a wide variety of other fish, including oysters, mussels, shrimp, and delicious non-fish meals such as the chicken pot pie (another personal favorite).  Be sure to save room for the “s’mores in a jar” dessert – a rich chocolate pudding infused with graham crackers and toasted marshmallows.  You won’t get a taste of Japan by eating here, or experience the wonder of freshly caught and immediately prepared fish, but your taste buds will delight in the flavors of these classic and innovative dishes. 

As we are approaching the Osaka train station, I just want to say one last thing; arigatuo gozaimasu (or thank you very much) for reading!