Venture down the narrow alleyway that houses Tsukiji Masa and you’ll find the best fish burgers in the market. Owner-chef Takahashi took inspiration from the burgers he ate while working in New York and created a distinctive blend of American and Japanese flavours.
The classic cod burger contains a tender piece of fish in a crispy panko crumb coating, laid on a bed of salad, and topped with a slice of melted cheese. The shimesaba burger (seared pickled mackerel), inspired by a mackerel futomaki (thick sushi roll), comes with a slice of tamagoyaki omelette, shiso leaf and crunchy cucumber slices.
Make sure to order your burger with fries on the side – that way, you can try one of the shop’s special seasonings: salt with bonito flakes, or salt with aonori (powdered seaweed). There’s also an anago (eel) hot dog, plus seasonal specials.
Keen to challenge the idea of burgers as mass-produced greasy junk food, Takahashi sources his fish fresh from the market each day, the bread is custom-made by a baker in Akita who uses natural wild yeast, and the tomato and tartare sauces are both house-made. These are next-level burgers at street-level prices.