Atabozushi - Time for Autumn Sushi

We've moved to WordPress! Check this post and more at TasteTokyo.com

Autumn in Tokyo, time for sushi.

Seasons play a big role in Japanese cuisine. The seasons change very suddenly here too. One day the island will be sweltering and covered in mosquitos and then the next morning it's chestnut lattes at Starbucks. Sidenote: Pumpkin Spice Lattes are not a thing here, it's all about the chestnut. Autumn is in full swing! The halloween decorations are out and the city is covered in Jack O Lanterns. As in literal Japanese lanterns with a Jack O'lantern face. Very cute.

One of my absolute favorite parts of Autumn in Japan is the arrival of 3 very special fish. Sanma, katsuo and iwashi. Or in the simple English we have Autumn Sword Fish, Bonito and Sardines. The Bonito in particular is something to get excited about. They are passing through the oceans near Japan in Autumn having just finished a summer of pigging out. This is a fatty and deliciously oily fish at  its best in Autumn. There is a whole mess of foods to get excited about in Autumn but we'll stick to sushi for now.

Welcome to Atabozushi in Araki Cho

Someone si hungry.

An uncommonly spacious sushi place in Araki Cho.  They've got counter seating and tables. If you're a group of 2 or 3 go for the counter. You can watch the chefs prepare the sushi and possibly get some inspiration for your orders. The menu is completely in Japanese and an English one was not to be found. Remember what I always say though! This doesn't mean they dont want non Japanese in the restaurant, they just cant be bothered rewriting the menu everyday depending on what kind of fish they have in stock. It's fresh! At the end of this post I'll leave you with some top notch sushi suggestions in Japanese with photos.

Shots!

First things first, sake. 

That little jug is under 9USD and will definitely last through your first course. They have an extensive list of sake and they serve them all for about the same price in that little jug. The lady serving the sauce knows a great deal about it as well. She was filling us in on where the different sakes were from and what not. If you want some advice you can say "sake osusume onegai shimasu" which will prompt some menu finger pointing back and forth. You could also try the far more badass "sake omakase shimasu" which means "please choose a sake for me". This phrase usually leads to good places. Well...depending on where you are I suppose.

Next up, keep it simple and repeat after me "sashimi mori awase". This means basically "Sashimi Sampler". It'll come loaded up with the freshest stuff on offer.

"Someone dropped a leaf on this, send it back!" - Chipotle Customer

Autumn Sashimi Platter

Under the maple leaf (autumn!) we have Squid sashimi which is always a treat. Then we've got Katsuo that has been scorched on the outside. Katsuo is a smaller member of the tuna family. This is an absolute must for sashimi lovers in Autumn. Next to that we've got kanpachi, or Amberjack if you know your fish. This is a light, less fatty piece of sashimi that is a go to for first timers and an old favorite for seasoned sashimi fans. Next up we have tsubugai which is, wait for it, a SEA SNAIL! Great name, it's a shellfish and is definitely on the more adventurous side of sashimi. Last but not least, in the middle we have iwashi. Sardines. These are INCREDIBLE. These can be eaten with wasabi and soy sauce but if you really want to dine like one of the local island folk you're going to need to eat that with some grated ginger.
You're welcome.

Miso Grilled Cod

My Cod, you're gorgeous. This is an all time favorite. Gindara Miso Ni. This is a cod filet smothered in Miso and then perfectly grilled and burnt on the edges. I swear to cod this will have you rethinking the types of meat you put on your BBQ. The way it has been grilled has perfectly captured all the oils of the fish, just as cod intended. When you cut into it with your chopsticks you'll know its delicious before you even eat it, cod as my witness.

That long pink thing that looks like a press on nail from hell? That's a type of pickled ginger, don't eat the neon pink bit. Or do!

Caviar so fresh...

Go ahead and get another sake, you've come all this way. Next up on we've got Shishamo. Shishamo is a mispronunciation of an Ainu word, susamo, which means Willow Leaf Fish. The Ainu are the indigenous people of the islands of Hokkaido, and these people know their fish. These little guys are grilled whole and with their roe intact. SO it's grilled fish and caviar all in one! This means only the females are eaten which makes this a bit of a delicacy. The males however, are unceremoniously left to dry and served as beer snacks way up north. You eat the whole thing, head, fins, all of it. It's delicious and goes great with a bit of sake. Not feeling up to it? Order more sake til you do, I promise you won't regret it.

Get to the sushi!

Katsuo, Autumn's Fatty Gift

Move over pumpkin spice latte. This is what Autumn is all about. Katsuo nigiri zushi. A perfect slice of bonito, fatty, oily and full of flavor. Served on slightly sour sushi rice with myoga onion, tiny scallions and grated ginger. This little bite of sushi is so good it doesn't even need soy sauce. It doesnt hurt either though. If you get one thing out of this blog post let it be this, Katsuo in Autumn is bucket list food. Make sure to cross this one off.

Maguro

Standard, delicious, simple. A must try for any sushi first timers. This is never a bad choice. Rice, a cut of tuna and soy sauce. That's it.

Iwashi

Another must try Autumn nibble. The sardine is naturally oily and salty and perfect with a bit of grated ginger and scallions. Remember, if you see ginger on it, dont add wasabi. Dont be a noob.

Kohada

This is Kohada. A very tiny fish, that when grilled can be a bit stinky. As sushi however, it is delicious. Delicious and complicated. The deeper parts of the fish are a bit too potent. So the skill comes in being able to slice off the tasty outer bits. As the fish is quite small this takes some skill. Also, this is a fun one to order as the meat of this fish is quite flexible and chef's often take this chance to show off their skills. I've had this fish sliced so it was able to then be braided over the rice ball. Wowzers!

Aji

Finally, we have Aji. This is horse mackerel. I've read this gets a bad rap in most countries for being too fishy but I've never thought that, at least not here in Japan. It's cousin, regular mackerel however does have a much heavier note. So perhaps it just cant shake the family name. Either way, dont be afraid to order Aji, it's delicious! While it's best season is summer this is a crowd pleaser year round at any sushi place.

So there you have it, my favorite way to ring in autumn. It's no trip to Sbux in your sweatpants for a pumpkin spice latte but I think it does the trick.
Enjoy!

Nearby Stations: Yostuaya San Chome, Akebonobashi

Neary Attractions:
Yotsuya Fire Museum 
Shinjuku National Gardens
Yotsuya Children's Toy Museum