Emergency Exit Seat. Always Worth It.

Sushidai

Tsukiji fish market

(click photos for hi res)

Adjacent to the Tokyo Tsukiji fish market, where fisherman come to sell their catches of the day, there is Sushidai, easily the most popular sushi joint in the market. They average a wait time of 3-3 1/2 hours and are open from 5am to 2pm. The restaurant is tiny, only able to sit 12, but the service and food quality is like none other.

After being in line for about two hours in the cold, it started to rain. Without missing a beat, the restaurant owner was outside handing out umbrellas for those who came unprepared and cups of steaming green tea for everyone in line.

Once we squeezed ourselves inside the tiny restaurant, we were given two meal options. The option I chose was called "Trust the chef" which meant that the chef chose the best catches of the day to serve to us.

We sat in front of the chefs who told us about each piece we were being served, what part of the fish it was made from and what the best way to eat it was. It was an amazing experience and I'm very glad I had the patience to stick it out.

Tokyo subway map. (One of them)

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Asimo showin' off