I heard there was a good place in Tsukiji, so I went to check it out. Tsukiji actually has quite a range of well-regarded spots, but the trouble is you never know which ones are really good until you go. If someone recommends one, I am nothing but grateful.
What sets Takeno apart, I think, is that the room is cramped, some people smoke, and the menu has no prices on it. Thanks to that, the customers are all of a fairly advanced age..
Fava beans
This was the otoshi, and it was good. A place has to be at least this good to count as a real find.
Inside
Apart from basic items like fried rice, nothing has a price on it. Market price, in other words. Since they only serve what they bought at Tsukiji that day, prices would be kind of meaningless anyway.
Drinks
The sake selection is a bit weak here..
Shirako ponzu
The quality is definitely there.
Ankimo
This one is good as a matter of course..
Aged buri
Well.. same here.. I visited in February, and even end-of-season buri was pretty good quality.
Scallop kakiage
The perfect thing to drink with.
Kaki fry
A rather rich style.
Isoyaki
The photo does not really convey it, but this was a super-jumbo size. Never mind the taste, I had never seen a turban shell like this before. Tsukiji really does have everything.
Squid
There is nothing here that does not taste good. Of course, Korean whole steamed squid is better, though..
Nodoguro
It looked a bit pricey, but with a bunch of old guys gathered together, we ordered it anyway. The taste was so-so.
Oysters
These called for a Bowmore, didn’t they.
Fried rice
Going somewhere else for round two was too much bother, so we took care of the carbs at round one.
It may be a place with no price tags, but eating and drinking all this came to around 7,000 yen, so it is definitely not expensive. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to see what Tsukiji Market is really capable of.
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