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 Jun 8, 2016 at 4:09am PDT

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.

Did you know the Japanese cuisine (Washoku) is UNESCO listed? It’s one of our favourites and we’re always sure to completely destroy it whenever the opportunity arises ???
A photo posted by Nomadic Boys (@nomadicboys) on Apr 19, 2016 at 2:35am PDT

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.

Can you guess what type of raw meat sashimi has startled Stefan??!! If you’re in Tokyo check out @arigatojapan for some excellent food tours ?✌?️?
A photo posted by Nomadic Boys (@nomadicboys) on Apr 28, 2016 at 6:36pm PDT

#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 Jun 16, 2016 at 5:51am PDT

#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…!

FOR MORE INSPIRATION:

salivate at our 10 favourite Japanese foods

giggle at our quirky 8 interesting facts about Japan

read about the gay bars of Tokyo, how to spend 2 days in Hiroshima and what to do in Kyoto guides

first timers plan your trip with our 10 days itinerary to Japan post

discover how you can dress up like geisha in Tokyo

try our recipes for tasty chicken ramen, yummy yaki udon and Japanese green tea cake

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