Best restaurants at Toyosu Market
Just like its predecessor in Tsukiji, Toyosu Market is home to some of the top sushi restaurants in Tokyo
Toyosu Market couldn’t be more different to its predecessor: if a visit to Tsukiji was like seeing your favourite band at a ramshackle local dive bar, Toyosu is like a stadium gig. While in Tsukiji you’re in the thick of things, mingling with the vendors, at Toyosu visitors are not allowed into the wholesale areas, be it seafood or fruit and veg, and have to take in the action from the observation galleries above. Still, some things remain the same: there’s great food.
When visiting Toyosu, even if you’re not going for the tuna auction, go early – as in crack-of-dawn early. By around 10am, the market has mostly wrapped up and the restaurants will involve a significant wait. Food options are spread out across the three buildings: the Intermediate Wholesale Market Building, the Fruit & Vegetable Building and the Management Facilities Building, which you’ll pass through on your way to the Wholesale Market Building.
Some of the popular restaurants from Tsukiji has made the move to Toyosu – to continue serving the market’s 65,000 workers and also to make sure they get the freshest seafood by sticking close to the source. But it’s not all sushi; Toyosu Market offers a good range of options from old-school coffeeshop fare to tonkatsu, soba and more. Here are our favourites.
Where to eat at Toyosu Market
Sushi-dokoro Okame
The original Okame sushi shop at Tsukiji was a classically rustic Edo-style sushi joint: standing-only, cramped, smoking permitted. The Toyosu version is more polished: the 13 counter seats are spaciously spread out in a horseshoe shape around the sushi chefs and the restaurant is non-smoking. The Okame staff work efficiently and amicably together, interacting warmly with guests while adding special touches to their sushi, like a brush of house-made nikiri-joyu applied to some of the fish slices...
Ryu Sushi
The interior at Ryu Sushi features a stylish dappled stone counter, lustrous copper back wall and a floor-to-ceiling window, which floods the room with the freshness of natural light. There’s also the distinguished air of authenticity – the chefs take their Edo-style sushi seriously and have been doing so since their restaurant opened at Tsukiji over 50 years ago. In true Edo-style, you’re encouraged to eat your sushi with fingers rather chopsticks. And don’t ask for salmon – it wasn’t a fish served during the Edo period and it isn’t now at Ryu Sushi...
The Impression
At The Impression, you can experience a classy sushi meal without breaking the bank. The restaurant has a glowing hinoki-timber interior, the shelves are stacked with refined lacquer boxes and the immaculate-looking chefs execute each piece of sushi with precision and subtlety. The omakase sets come in ¥4,500, ¥5,500 and ¥7,000 options, and offer a creative selection of seasonal seafood, such as kinmedai (golden eye snapper) rubbed with sudachi lime, lightly torched sawara (Spanish mackerel) topped with pink salt...
Odayasu Tonkatsu
Although tonkatsu is typically pork rolled in panko crumbs and deep-fried, Odayasu Tonkatsu offers many seafood-katsu plates, such as prawn, crab, scallop and mackerel. You can order set meals teishoku-style, with a side of rice and miso soup and piles of freshly shaved cabbage, as well as choose from a selection of appetisers and side dishes. There’s also a selection of non-katsu options, like butter-sautéed fish.
Senriken
The typical kissaten (old school Japanese diner-café) atmosphere has been served up at Senriken since it opened at Tsukiji in 1914. Savoury dishes on the menu at Senriken include kissaten classics like egg sandwiches, katsu sandwiches and the store speciality: stew served with a soft-boiled egg. For sweets, don’t miss the airy cheesecake or coffee soft serve...
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