Phone 03 9510 2318
Some may have noticed a certain affection for Japanese cuisine in our blog of late, but that is only because in 28 days, EG and I jet off for four weeks in Japan – not that I’m counting 
So it was no surprise when trundling down High Street, Prahran on the tram that I spotted a place that blipped on my Japan-radar.
Tsukiji is a small shop named after the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, Japan, which is the biggest wholesale fish market in the world. The market is renowned for moving approximately 2000 metric tonnes of fish and seafood per day, and whilst Tsukiji (Prahran) is not so prolific, it does provide a pleasing range of piscatorial products.
Tsukiji (Prahran) straddles a few different business fronts – it is part sashimi fishmonger, Japanese grocer and lunch spot. A custom made pine sushi-style counter seats ten in single file – a utilitarian spot to stop and eat and admire the black and white photos of the Tsukiji Market in Japan. The menu is small – you have a choice of a few handrolls of the day, curry don, miso, sashimi set, una don (eel on rice – which looked VERY good) or takoyaki (octopus balls). There are also a few sweets – Japanese ice-creams and taiyaki (red ben cakes).
We couldn’t resist the $10 sashimi set or the opportunity to order in Japanese (we have been taking classes) – “Sashimi seto futatsu kudasai”. They obviously understood as a few minutes later two trays arrived (above). The set included a rich miso broth that was studded with shards of spring onion and tofu, a small dish of seaweed salad and a warm bowl of Japanese pearl-like rice. The best bit was the plate of super fresh sashimi – tiles of firm red tuna, salmon, king dory and blue-eye. What I found most interesting was the two different cuts of blue-eye, which showed just how not all parts of the fish are equal. One part was tender and soft, whilst the other was firm and to the tooth. A good skill of the chef no doubt. The dish was absolutely delightful – it was pureness and simplicity on a plate.
As mentioned above, Tsukiji also operates as it’s namesake, a market for fish and other seafood products. It is not like your regular monger though, as you won’t find much in the way of whole fish etc. But you will find trays of ready cut chunks of fish, prepared for sashimi/sushi. There are your popular items such as tuna and salmon, but a few unusual ones pop up, such as whole small whiting, octopus, arc shell, clams, scallops etc.
Along with the cafe and fishmongery is the grocery part of the store, selling large bags of rice, an impressive array of sauces, seaweeds, noodles, and Japanese junk food. There is even a couple of hunks of frozen wagyu in the freezer. Tsukiji is a nicely set out store that has certainly added to our excitement for our forthcoming trip.
This cafe sounds like a good place to hang around…
Melbourne defenitely has so many japanese restaurants now. but I am still craving for something really standout. Perhaps a trip down to Sydney will be good.
What a great find. Definitely next on my list.
Hi anh – for stand out Japanese I would suggest the omakase at Shira Nui. That place absolute does it for me.
Hi vince – yeah, it was a great little find. It’s only small, but I just love what they’re doing/specialising in. It is great to have sashimi fish all ready to go.
I miss Melbourne. I used to live in Glen Iris and we used to go to Ayame on Glenferrie all the time. Their sashimi is amazing and so beautifully presented. I used to love watching the chef prepare it for us
hi mellie,
do you know if tsukiji is open for dinner? thought of giving it a try tomorrow night.
have fun in Japan!!.
Hi goldie – ooh, I haven’t been to Ayame as yet, and I don’t live too far away. Thanks for the tip!
Hi junie – unfortunately it is only open for lunch, Tue – Fri 11.30am – 4.30pm and Sat 11-4pm. Thanks for your wishes – I’m sure EG and I will have a fabulous time! My fingers are just itching thinking about all those blog posts when I return
I’m going to make a visit this Saturday. Sounds like a fabulous spot. I hope you have a wonderful trip and can’t wait to read all about it!
Mellie, I have booked in for Kenzan. I hope it is still as good as I remember it. have taken note of your recommendation, too!
Wow, that sashimi looks amazing – good enough even to tempt me to try it out!
dear tummy rumblers….
recently remigrated to melbourne from london and tokyo… unfortunately havent found sushiya’s to cut the mustard(ahem wasabi)
where do you recommend for
1. sushi(i’ve tried shoya-(uni was stale and toro not as good for price/kenzan-(no toro/uni on my night)/shira nui(good omakase- but more fusion style))?
2. sushi ingredients – i was wondering if there is a place to buy fresh o-toro, chu-toro uni, and ikura fresh to make my own temaki/nigiri…
3. on a side point…. any place for charcoal japanese-korean bbq(yakiniku)(shoya and seoul house only has gas)
regards…
Hi truffle – hope you enjoy your visit. Let me know what you think. And thanks for the wishes!
Hi anh – Kenzan is always pretty reliable.
Hey anna – go on. I dare you
Hi tetsujin no tabemasu – hmm, I think I may have trouble recommending an appropriate place for you, only because I have only eaten sushiya in Australia, whilst you have obviously eaten it in Japan. Perhaps when I come back and have a good point of reference, I may feel comfortable doing so.
There was a great article in The Age Melbourne Magazine last Friday called Sushi City (unfortunately it is not online, so I can’t provide a link). It ventures quite intimately into the state of sushi in this town, which you may find very interesting.
As far as finding good sushi ingredients, Tsukiji Prahran is probably a good spot. The wholesale supplier to the high end sushi joints is Oceania Seafoods in Footscray (Ph 9396 1797). I don’t know if they sell to the public, but worth a try if you are seeking o-toro.
Charcoal Japanese/Korean BBQ – Hwaro has been getting a bit of a going over on the blogs of late (you can read some reviews here, here and here). They do charcoal yakiniku/BBQ.
tetsujin, Aka Tombo in Greville St Prahran is quite authentic for sushi. although I haven’t been, I’ve heard good things about Jamon Sushi, although the omakase there is probably more fusion.
The irony is that some of the best seafood in the world is caught in Australian waters but they are priced beyond our reach. A lot of chefs like Hiro from Shira Nui has to buy from Japan. Otherwise, Oceania supplies a lot of sushi places in Melb, which explains a similarity in the produce. Even then, the quality (or the perception of it) may not be as high as elsewhere. The article in the Age cited the case of Shoya’s chef being able to purchase some high-grade tuna only because it had a shark bite and was deemed to be “unsuitable” for the Japanese market.
Dear Mellie and elegantgourmand,
thank you kindly for your advise… would kindly recommend these 3 sushi places in tokyo to calibrate the palate:
1. Sushizanmai(tsukiji)… a reasonable yardstick to judge sushi sets by…is open 24 hours for a chain(its sooooo terrible to have uni/toro on tap…;)…)
http://www.kiyomura.co.jp/sushi-e/
2. Daiwa(tsukiji) – gold standard for omakase in not fancy sushiya surroundings but the finest ingredients. Be prepared to wait to get inside
http://www.cntraveller.com/Special_Features/Tokyo_restaurants/Daiwa_Sushi/
3. Kyubei(ginza) – very good sushi kaiseki ryori… maybe considered THE place for sushi…
http://www.kyubey.jp/index.html
sushi wa oishii desu yo….gambatte kudasai…:)
Hi there tetsujin no tabemasu – thank you so much for your great recommendations! Yes, my palate will definitely need some calibration, and your suggestions seem like a very good place to start. EG and I had heard of Kyubei, and we’d already put that one on the list. Daiwa and Sushizanmai must now also go it too
We are very much looking forward to the degustory delights to come. Oishii.
Hi guys. Thanks for the tip on Tsukiji. We are going to be there every weekend from now on for the sashimi set.
Daiwa was a great experience.. a bit pricey.. but how can you go past a sushi breakfast after checking out the sights at Tsukiji. The seared salmon was amazing. The chef speaks English and does a good job of telling you when to and when not to dip.
You’re welcome vince. Glad you’ve found somewhere to satiate the sashimi hankering
Thanks for the tip on Daiwa. We’ll be visiting Tsukiji (in Japan) on a Saturday, which is probably one of the busiest days of the week as far as tourists are concerned. So I’m sure we’ll be lining up for seats at Daiwa.
HI guys
Just wondering if you received my emails?
Vince
Hey there Vince!
No, I haven’t received anything yet. Try again at mellie AT tummyrumbles.com
[...] been itching to go to Tsukiji ever since I’ve read the blog on Tummy Rumbles , so off we went today to Prahran for a sashimi feast
. Tsukiji is the famous fish market in [...]