Discovering Japan through the Toyosu market
Greetings from the Park Hyatt Food & Beverage team.
I’m Ben Wheeler, Chef de Cuisine of New York Grill & Bar.
This month our Materials team, a handful of New York Grill & Bar culinary team members and I met up before sunrise to go and visit the famous Toyosu fish market. The purpose, to gather inspiration for our seasonal menu and meet some of our suppliers, some of which have been sourcing amazing local fresh produce for us for almost 30 years.
We set off with excitement from Park Hyatt Tokyo at 4:45 am to get us in time for the live tuna auction which starts every day at 5:30 am. As soon as we arrived, we managed to get a front row spot from the viewing deck to watch the auction take place. The merchants and customers inspected in detail each whole tuna for flesh, color and fattiness. As soon as the auction bell started to ring, the atmosphere changed from a quiet hall into a buzzing market with lots of yelling and bidding. Each tuna was auctioned off to the top bidder and packed away ready to be sent off to the customer’s destination.
Next, we moved on to the bustling fish market to see the seasonal catches. We were also able to watch the freshly sold tuna skillfully being cut, then sold on in smaller pieces to the restaurants of Tokyo. It was so inspiring to watch a 250 kg tuna being cut by hand with such precision using a razor sharp Maguro-kiri knife. The market was full of life; every corner we turned were stalls selling their daily catches, carts darting around transporting pallets of seafood, as well as buyers and curious visitors.
At 7 am we stopped for an omakase sushi breakfast where we were able to taste fresh tuna and other seafood we had seen on display at the market beforehand. Every morning, the chefs collect their seafood for the day from the market next door which ensures the freshest sushi breakfast. First, we were served a rich bowl of clam miso soup with a cup of green tea. This was followed by an assortment of sushi prepared right in front of us at the counter. My personal favorites where the tuna, sea urchin, and eel.
We finished the tour with a stop at Tsukiji Sadamatsu to try some of the seasonal fruits in their prime. We sampled oranges, blood orange, strawberries, mangos and my personal favorite, white strawberries from Saga Prefecture. Each fruit had a unique and intense flavor; sweet, juicy and perfectly ripe. They were so good that I couldn’t help myself have a second piece.
Toyosu market being the largest and busiest fish market in the world, is also a popular tourist spot even for people who are not into seafood. It’s a fabulous experience which provides an education about the market, tuna and other fish on sale. There are many different areas of the market to explore such as restaurants and stalls to purchase items. Toyosu is modern, clean and well maintained. It certainly did not disappoint and I would strongly recommend a visit for a day out for anyone.
I’d like to thank Mr. Nagata from our Materials team, Toyosu market, our suppliers, and Park Hyatt Tokyo for arranging this inspirational tour for me and our young chefs.
