For serious maguro fiends, this izakaya in Nakano serves virtually every cut of bluefin tuna in a multitude of ways. There’s even a maguro sake (served hot or cold), where the nihonshu is infused with dashi (fish broth) to make a drink that’s something between a soup and a cocktail.
Most chefs believe that maguro is best served raw, so that you get a chance to enjoy the texture and flavour of the fresh tuna in its purest form. Maguro Mart follows that same principle with the majority of their dishes.
The Maguro Mart platter, for instance, is a plank of assorted sashimi featuring different cuts of maguro for those who didn’t know there was more to tuna than akami (red lean tuna) and chutoro (medium fatty tuna). There’s also the maguro yukke (Korean-style tuna tartare), where thin strips of fresh lean tuna are mixed with fresh egg yolk and a sweet-savoury sauce for a rich starter that’s packed with umami. Even the warm dishes like maguro tempura only ‘cook’ the outside of the tuna, leaving the centre rare and tender. Everything is delicious, but the key is not to let your eyes grow bigger than your stomach, or you’ll end the meal feeling like you never want to see tuna again.
There are more than a handful of maguro fanatics in Tokyo competing for a table here. So expect to book a table a month in advance if you want to experience this tuna extravaganza.