TRIP GUIDE - SUSHI DAI - TSUKIJI FISH MARKET TOKYO JAPAN

I have never in my life, waited in line, standing on my feet for FOUR HOURS. 

But for the legendary Sushi Dai, I woke up at 2:30AM, and had the meal of a lifetime. I kid you not. 

TRIP GUIDE SUSHI DAI |We finished our Tuna action around 5:50AM and sprinted to Sushi Dai. I saw a line of people (say around 40-50) and thought people were waiting for the bus. When we got to Sushi Dai we saw approximately 20 people in front of it, then obaasan scolded us to another line - what I thought was the bus line. Obaasan kindly informed us that the current wait time (at 6:00AM) is 4 HOURS. We really waited for 4 hours and ate around 9:45. Sushi Dai closes at 2pm sharp, So if you plan on arriving anytime after 8:30AM, I say you'd probably will not get in. You need to expect at least a 3-4 hour wait time. The line only gets longer and longer, and there are only 13 seats in the restaurant, people after us were waiting anywhere close to 4.5 - 5 hours. 


SUSHI DAI | I have heard puns everywhere that Sushi Dai is "Sushi to Die for". I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. I honestly believe Sushi Dai is as close to the word "fresh" as anyone can ever eat. The fish are perfectly translucent and my clam was still moving when served. The moment we entered the restaurant we were greeted with multiple "thank you for waiting! arigatougozaimasu!". Because there were only 13 people in the restaurant, the chefs were able to connect and interact with everyone - such as asking "where you from!" or "how do you enjoy your stay in Japan!". The chefs are so cheerful and I suddenly forgot I just stood on the street for 4 hours.

Sushi Dai is expensive, but the entire journey here in the Tsukiji Fish Market (see previous blog post here) has been unforgettable. The adventure beginning at 2:30AM until waiting in line for 4 hours, with nothing to do we were literally playing rock paper scissors for an hour, we could only wait for time to pass slowly. But the anticipation only made Sushi Dai more delicious. The desire for the hyped sushi and the feeling of seeing the sushi only to still be counting the hours until it is finally in my mouth. But Sushi isn't only famed for its line and extravagance, its quality lives up to its name and reason why it IS famed and extravagant. Four hours is alot of time, but by the time we left Tsukiji it was only 11:00AM, for some tourists, its only the beginning of their day. 

There are two course choices of "trust the chef" (3900 yen/ $51 CAD) or "standard"  (2500 yen/ $33 CAD). We just waited 4 hours, its a no brainer for us to pig out on the deluxe menu. The Chef menu or "Omakase" consisted of 10 nigiri sushi, 4 sushi rolls, tamago (sweet egg) and one extra item of your hearts pleasure. We even added on 2-3 more sushi each on top of the regular menu. 

Otoro/ Tuna Belly/ Fatty Tuna

Hirame

Miso Soup

Uni/ Sea Urchin

  

Aji/ Horse Mackerel

 

Ika/ Squid

Akagi/ Red Clam

Lean Tuna

 Shira Ebe/ Baby Shrimp

 Tamago/ Sweet Egg

 Unagi/ Sea Eel

 Scallop

 Otoro/ Fatty Tuna (again!)

TRIP GUIDE - TSUKIJI FISH MARKET TUNA AUCTION - TOKYO JAPAN

The Tuna Fish Auction was really only 20 minutes, is it worth it? Well, considering Tsukiji Fish Market is the largest fish market in the world and houses some of the largest frozen tuna in the world, yes, it was well worth my sleep deprivation. You experience not only the sightings of the large tunas, but you experience an industry and a culture. Auctioneers sweat and stress over selecting the "perfect" tuna, some pacing back and forth, some staring at the fish for minutes. You experience a sort of dedication and passion from these fisherman, and there was a certain fire of respect that emerged from me - an appreciation for the art of Japanese cuisine. 

TRIP GUIDE TUNA AUCTION | We had done alot research on the Tuna Auction prior to our dedication, and I do recommend and stress (for those who wish to view the Tuna Auction) you must arrive to Tsukiji before 4:30AM. I woke up at 2:30 that day (had about 3 hours of sleep, maybe less) and was out the door by 3:30AM in a cab. There is no subway that early in the morning, you must take the cab. From Shinjuku to Tsukiji is approximately 30 minutes. They only allow 120 tourists into the Tuna Auction, while that sounds like alot, it is really broken down into two groups - 5:25AM viewing and 5:50 viewing, each group consisting of ONLY 60 people at once. Trust me, 120 spots are easy to fill up, there are keen tourists like us everyday. When we arrived around 4:00AM, there was already 15-20 people. It is EXCEPTIONALLY important to be part of the first group as next destination Sushi Dai opens at 5:00AM, and people line up at Sushi Dai at 5:00AM, hence, the earlier you arrive to Sushi Dai, the less time you have to wait there (again haha) and... the earlier you will get to eat.

It is incredibly dangerous in the market, little barrel carts (I made that name up) and whizzing around at high paces, each worker hurrying to beat the clock and grab stock. It's just common courtesy and respect to stay out of their way and let them move first. I like to say, it is out of their good will to allow tourists to tour the market. A few years ago, a few tourists arrived in the market drunk and was horsing around, Tsukiji closed the market from visitors for a few months. 

For reasons as such, Tsukiji market is taken very seriously by the Japanese, and to me, it makes the tour that much more interesting and more respectable. 

GLAMOUR SNAPS - TOKYO JAPAN FOOD TRIP SHOTS

I have taken a month absence to the land of incredibly exquisite and delicious food - Tokyo,Japan! 

I couldn't think of a better way to showcase the variety of delicacies I had than to create one large post of chosen glamour shots. Flipping through nearly thousands of pictures was not easy!Tokyo is a city filled so much excitement, I love how its cultured has been well preserved and each city within Tokyo paints a different story. 

Asakusa houses the Sensoji Temple, filling the streets with lanterns and drums in all shades of bright red. Harajuku is filled with fashionable teenagers and modern cafes. Ginza is a high-end, posh city filled with international brand names and extravagance. Shinjuku (where I stayed) is a towering city of offices, but has my favourite foodie street filled with scents of ramen, udon and beer.

This food journey had me eating 8 meals a day, each time eating a small portion. I thought Vancouver had good Japanese food, but boy is the authenticity lost across the Pacific Ocean. A walk into literally, any store, has a flavour of its own, a taste to remember. 

Stay tuned for some more in-depth reviews to launch later this week!

Follow me for some updated food journeys on instagram at:
web.stagram.com/n/jessimmica or @jessimmica :)

TEA-HEE - THOMAS HAAS FINE CHOCOLATES AND PATISSERIE - KITSILANO VANCOUVER

Thomas Haas houses my memory of the very first macaron in my life. Which is why I will always hold a dear string to this patisserie. 

But Thomas Haas is named for its fine chocolates and intricate cakes over its macarons. Their long practiced, and talented chocolate making is not longer merely for taste, but for the mastery of art and craftsmanship. Their intricate tea pairings and coffee grounds add not only pop to the tastebuds, but bring out a certain joy from the sweet yet bitter melts of chocolate. 


A group of four ordered-
White Chocolate Kalamansi Cake
Lemon Lemon Tart
Crispy Chocolate Raspberry 


Proscuitto Panini


Green Tea Latte
Caffe Americano
Green Tea with Peach

Disclaimer: Photos courtesy of my dear friend CCW <3

2539 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC

Dine Fine - [CLOSED] HAPA UMI - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

Hapa Izakaya has a popular ring to Vancouverites all over town. Hapa Umi to my surprise, isn't as popular. Hapa Umi is the more upscale version of Izakaya with a twist of class and elegance. I seriously caught the late train. I didn't realize Hapa Umi closed down last month until I went to back for another plate of beef tataki. Nonetheless, I had pictures saved on my laptop, I felt a need to honour this loss love of mine. 

Hapa Umi is now replaced with Hapa Izakaya Coal Harbour. Unfortunately I didn't go in because I didnt have a reservation and I decided to choose another restaurant. It was said in their news release that customers "felt there was a greater, unmet demand for an izakaya style restaurant in the Coal Harbour area". In essence, the spirit of the Hapa chain is still there, but I think the higher class of Hapa Umi's spirit has transformed into a more approachable environment, striving for an authenticity vibe straight off the streets of Tokyo.

I have been here many times, each time without reservation, as Hapa Umi is consistently my "heat of the moment I am craving Japanese food" restaurant. Hapa Umi seems to be a sold out show all the time, believe it or not, I have never sat at the dining room. Each time I come last minute, I have been seated at the lounge. Which is not a big deal to me, there are higher couches and stools in a slightly darker section of the diner, serving the same menu. I need only to be happy to have a seat to enjoy the food. I much enjoyed Umi to Izakaya because I preferred a professional ambiance than a party mood. But now that Umi has shifted to an Izakaya, the food is cheaper and more diverse... I can't complain!