While staying in Tokyo, I found a small restaurant with much popularity called Tsujihan. I was curious to find out the reason why they are so popular, especially since they offer extremely limited menu. We decided to check it out for lunch. We arrived about five minutes before they opened, on Tuesday, and they already had a line! About 20 people were in line, wow!
When they opened, they let 12 people in, as this place only has 12 counter seats. From there, we just had to wait until people finish eating and leave. They had a menu by the entrance, showing four item. Yes, four, with some variations. The wait can be long, and it can be hot (not much shade here). With a kind consideration, the restaurant had complimentary cold green tea for the people in line. While waiting, a staff came out and started to take orders for the people in line. This will speed up the process, great efficiency! When the staff got to the two ladies in front of us, they responded that they have not decided yet, in a cute voice and manner… He was not amused, and said “decide now” in almost shape way, which was funny! I like the old fashion, strict mannerism. No funny business here, serious, real-deal, authentic kind of place.
When it was our time to enter, we were so excited! We quickly took our seat. It was kind of quiet here, as everyone just enjoying their food with peace and quiet.
As soon as we sat, the chef offered us small plate of sashimi. They had four pieces of sashimi with miso sauce. Super fresh and just melt in your mouth… BUT, you MUST stop yourself from eating them all. It is recommended to leave two pieces of sashimi for later. I will explain the reason why after the main dish.
As I mentioned, Tsujihan only offer four dishes, and they are all the same sashimi donburi. The difference is the amount of sashimi toppings that you are going to get. They have Ume, the smallest, Take, the mid-size, and Matsu, the biggest. Then they have the Deluxe which I don’t even know what it looks like… We went with the third one, Matsu (1,980 yen/about $20 USD). We decided we are gonna get extra fancy, and added Extra Salmon Roe (additional 500 yen). The chef almost forgot the extra Ikura, but I made sure to get them! And look at how much of the shiny jewels he added on top! Wow!
And here is the Matsu with extra salmon roe. Just look at the mountain of goodness from the sea! I was so ecstatic, I had to appreciate its beauty before I went to town…
From what I heard, the topping contains Tuna, Fatty Tuna, Shrimp, Clam, Salmon Roe, Squid, Cucumber, Crab Meat, Herring Roe, Sea Urchin. They are all cut up into small pieces and mixed together, making it easy to eat. They have a special soy sauce there for the donburi. Mix it with wasabi, and pour it over the donburi. The first bite was heavenly, especially for true seafood lovers! It was soooo good, super fresh, not fishy but refreshing and packed with flavor. Cucumber added extra texture of crunchy goodness against other ingredients that are soft and velvety. It was totally the jewel box of the ocean!
If you enjoy having ginger as accompaniment to sashimi, they do have an awesome ginger there. It looked homemade, and it was very refreshing!
Depends on how hungry or full you are, you can either leave some rice in the bowl, or eat them clean until you see their logo that says Tsujihan. Now, remember the two pieces of sashimi that you put aside before the donburi? This is where they shine… They have a huge pot of broth constantly bubbling up, filling this small space with delectable aroma.
When you are finished with the bowl, put it on the counter, and a staff will pick it up. You can ask him to add some rice in the bowl, which is what we did. He added some rice, garnish, and then poured the liquid of gold on top.
The broth is their special Sea Bream Broth. And with that, you can have Sea Bream Ochazuke! What!!! And yes, it is included in the price. So, if you were not completely full with the donburi, this will take you the perfect satisfaction state…
Here, you put your two pieces into the piping hot broth. The sashimi will cook in the broth a bit, and you can enjoy the rich soup with the sashimi pieces. It was such an amazing way to end the meal. Very comforting, warms your body and soul from the inside.
It was a pricy lunch, but I say it was totally worth and more! It was soooo good, the quality was amazing, and the portion we received overall was great too. We were full and happy. I am so glad we got to try Tsujihan while we were in Japan! One of our favorite spots to get seafood in Japan is Isogiya. They are more affordable, but also they are outside of Tokyo as well. They are also worth checking out, if you are a seafood lover.
Tsujihan – 3 chome-1/15, Nihonbashi, chou-ku, Tokyo Japan
日本橋海鮮丼 つじ半 日本橋本店 – 東京都中央区日本橋3-1-15 久栄ビル1F