Nishiazabu Taku

Threadfin/Family: Percichthyidae Length: approx. 40cm The taste of summer Isaki is said to rival that of sea bream. It's a popular fish among anglers. It has a unique aroma characteristic of reef fish and a light, refined taste. Especially those over 30cm caught in the Izu Islands are exquisite when made into sashimi. Serve as a whole fish sashimi with tade vinegar. For fried or simmered dishes, remove the sharp dorsal fin spines. Freshness is obvious if you touch the belly. If it's firm, it's fresh. This is because the belly spoils quickly due to the large amount of entrails.

Sand Lance/Family: Ammodytidae Length: approx. 10cm Caught in large quantities in the Seto Inland Sea. As it spoils quickly, it is usually boiled immediately at the fishing grounds. Chirimenjako from Kansai is dried, boiled young sand lances. Compared to young sardines, they can be distinguished by their thickness, which is about twice that of a cotton needle, making them slender. Kugini, a dish of young fish simmered in sweet soy sauce, is a representative local dish of Hyogo Prefecture. The fish season is spring, and the young fish season is winter.

Filefish/Family: Balistidae Length: approx. 30cm Distributed along the coast from Honshu southward to the East China Sea. Filefish liver: Choose extremely fresh ones if you want to eat the liver. It's exquisite when simmered or eaten raw with ponzu sauce. The flesh is best thinly sliced.

Horse-faced Filefish/Family: Balistidae Length: approx. 25cm Sagami Bay, Izu Islands While the taste of the flesh is several levels below that of filefish, the liver is quite delicious. Most are made into dried fish. Characterized by its rasp-like skin: It's rough due to small spines on the surface. To peel the skin, pull it from the mouth towards the tail. A tip is to use salt on your fingertips when peeling.

Length: approx. 1-3m Rarely available in Alaska or Hokkaido. An extremely large flatfish. Some can be as large as a tatami mat. With the advancement of freezing technology, some are now available for raw consumption.

Length: approx. 40cm Considered top quality from Ibaraki southward to Kyushu and the Seto Inland Sea. Most are delivered live. Catches have drastically decreased, and most go directly to high-end restaurants.

Length: approx. 40cm Distributed from Toyama northward, and on the Sea of Japan side from Shimane northward. The main production area is Hokkaido. The flesh is plump and has less of the characteristic flatfish odor. "Konago Garei" (roeless flatfish) is delicious.

Length: approx. 50cm Distributed from Miyagi and Fukushima northward, and along the Pacific coast of Hokkaido and the Sea of Okhotsk. As the name suggests, its body surface is covered in mucus. Many are sold under the alternative name Nametagarei. A large amount is also imported frozen from Hokkaido, Russia, etc.

Length: approx. 25-30cm Widely distributed from Sakhalin to Taiwan. Imported frozen.

Needlefish/Family: Hemiramphidae Length: approx. 35cm Thinly sliced Sayori: Arrange thinly sliced, beautiful translucent flesh to showcase its appearance. The quality of Sayori is not related to its size. Choose a size that is easy to handle; larger ones called "Kannuki" are suitable for sashimi. Use after filleting into three pieces.

Common Mussel/Family: Mactridae Shell width: approx. 5cm x Shell length: approx. 15cm Those with large, thick siphons: When the black, thick skin of the siphon is peeled, a beautiful pink color appears. The siphon, foot, and byssus are used in chirashizushi, etc. Those with large, thick siphons.

Family: Pharidae Shell length: approx. 10cm Available from Hokkaido, and related species from the US (Shiromiru) are also imported. Generally distributed as "Shiromiru". Shell length: approx. 10cm Shiromiru