Sushi to Dai For

In honor of my Blog receiving its first comment, from none other than my good friend Federico, all the way from Italia, I would like to dedicate this post to him – for his friendship that started years ago and continues to this day.  We have shared many good times, on three different continents, and as he states in his comment below on the “Fish in the Morning” post, some of the best times I just cannot publish.

So I should start off by saying my first trip to the Tsukiji “outer market” (as it is called) was indeed with Federico.  We perused the various small shops one morning, and when we finished, we went for a coffee (ok actually a double espresso for F) at a local shop.  I took the picture up above at that shop into a mirror, and as you can see Federico should have an identical one in his collection.

So on to the important part of this story.  One of my Japanese colleagues who I respect greatly as a gourmand extraordinaire is named Tak, and he currently resides in Singapore (do you know him?).  Anyway, Tak gave me a hint that there was a very nice sushi restaurant over in the Tsukiji area, and I should give it a try.  It is called “Sushi Dai”.  Now come to find out Sushi Dai has a couple of locations around Tsukiji, but the one we targeted was on the main road that surrounds the outer market on the northeastern side (if my internal compass is correct) just short of the Harumi Dori Bashi.  It was difficult to find as it was tiny and had absolutely no English anywhere, but it stood on the corner of the street and I took a picture of it here (which for reasons below is now a valuable picture). If my memory is correct, there was a sushi bar on the first floor where we ate, but also another one up a narrow set of stairs on the second floor.  So Federico and I enjoyed a fantastic sushi lunch that included what I still consider to be one of the single most enjoyable pieces of fish I have ever had.  It was a piece of Toro (I think it was Oh-Toro actually) and its meat was barely held together by its own fibrous connecting tissue (fat?).  No soy sauce required here, no teeth either, as it just melted in our mouths.  It actually tasted like a piece of the most tender filet mignon you could possible imagine!  I will never forget the beautiful taste of that single piece of fish.  At that moment, I realized the great heights that prized pieces of raw fish could reach.  It was unbelievable and I wish I had taken a picture of it!

 

Since that fateful encounter I have returned to this same Sushi Dai restaurant with my brother Greg, pictured here at their upstairs counter.  In addition, I have had a few other very memorable sushi experiences at a different Sushi Dai facility that is about 6 blocks from this one (away from the Tsukiji market) that I must, and will, write about in a different post.

Sadly, when I returned most recently to Sushi Dai, the original restaurant I went to on the corner is no longer there.  It seems they have moved it across the street and down a little ways.  You need to stay on your toes to keep up with the goings on at Sushi Dai!  There is good sushi to be found there, and I highly recommend it.  Thank you Tak, and thank you Federico!!!!!