旦ナビ

「Fish hunting in Ginza!」

2018.06.11

In this edition, we welcome Mr. Ryuta Takahashi, owner of Ginza Natsuno, a chopsticks specialty store with a collection of 3,000 different sets of chopsticks and 2,000 designs of chopstick rests.

I was given a mission of “fish hunting in Ginza” by Mr. Takahashi, so I went to Ginza for a little stroll!

First, I went searching for whole fish!

The first place I went to was Karaizutsu, a Japanese cuisine restaurant on the first basement floor of the Ginza Building and a place you wouldn’t know without insider information.

When I descended the stairs of the urban-looking building, I saw warm lights and a shop curtain that gave off a very welcoming vibe and changed the atmosphere completely. I arrived at a Japanese cuisine restaurant in Ginza.

Lunch meals start at 1,150 yen and come with dessert, two small side dishes, and pickles. I ordered Mr. Takahashi’s recommendation of fried flounder topped with grated daikon radish! A whole flounder with the head cut off was put in the oil pan as is.

Dynamic sounds were accompanied by a delicious aroma that grew steadily stronger.

The chef adeptly added the grated daikon radish sauce and, in no time, the meal was ready. Before me was an exquisite-looking flounder.

I ate the crispy and flavorful fillet part on the outside, tasting the plump soft flesh together with the sauce that has seeped in. The grated daikon radish sauce spreading over the plate was so delicious I tried to scoop up every morsel, and devoured the entire flounder. The red miso soup also tasted great. Dessert was served just as I finished. I excitedly opened the lid to see sweet red-bean soup. It was just bite-sized, and adding a single mouthful of sweetness to my full belly felt again like absolute perfection.

The staff were all friendly, making you feel very comfortable.
I can now add lunch at a Japanese cuisine restaurant in Ginza to my list of luxury options.

Thanks for the great meal.

Next I went looking for fresh fish!

The next place I went was one where Mr. Takahashi said fresh fish are sold within 24 hours of being caught!
It was the Haneda Market Ginza retail shop on Ginza 8-Chome. It is close to Higashiginza Station. I got to the shop and right away saw the words, “Haneda Kaisendon” (seafood rice bowl) at the entrance!!
And, there was a row of delicious-looking rice bowls topped with seafood.

That day’s menu was a set of fishhead soup and a rice bowl with nine deluxe seafoods including bluefin tuna, blue fusiliner, and sweet shrimp. A fresh seafood rice bowl seems almost too luxurious.
After all, at this Haneda Market Ginza retail shop, fresh fish caught early in the morning is delivered directly to Ginza from Haneda that same day.
This day also happened to be a day off at the Tsukiji Market, and the vendors just kept on coming. When I went inside, I saw tons of fresh fish that was just delivered from Haneda, and the place was bustling. Naturally, the freshness level was very high being so close to the production location, and there were also some rare species. They are available for purchase by not only restaurants and retailers, but also general consumers. There was also a section selling sliced fish that is easier to buy.

They also offer a BBQ set. I bet it’s not often you can find a fresh BBQ set delivered from all over Japan. Now I know that Ginza has a fresh fish specialty shop like this. I asked the shop staff when was the best time to come, and they said that the morning catch from Haneda arrived sometime after 2 p.m.

Let’s do an ecological survey on live fish!

To finish off, I went to the Paupau Aqua Garden that Mr. Takahashi recommended for dates to have a bit of an aquarium experience.

The sign says tropical fish in large letters. I entered excitedly, and the store was huge and had absolutely everything. This tropical fish specialty shop is one of the largest in Tokyo.
From the entrance, the shop splits into an aquatic plant area, a goldfish area, a freshwater fish area, an ocean fish area, a tropical fish area, and other areas. The moment you step into the shop, the vastness makes it really feel like an aquarium and it is very exciting. There are rows and rows of aquariums, and when you look carefully at each one, time passes quickly before you know it. Just like Mr. Takahashi said, it might make a good spot for a small date. In addition to looking at all the fish, you can also ask the shop professionals questions about rearing them. Let me introduce a few cute fish.

There are also eels. They look cute when there are two side-by-side.

I forgot there are so many different kinds of tropical fish.
There are also many varieties of goldfish I have never seen.

It was really fun just looking at them all, and there were some rare tropical fish and goldfish. When I thought of Ginza before, I pictured shopping buildings, high-end Japanese restaurants, and bars. I was surprised to learn that there is a tropical fish specialty shop too.