Visited a long-established shop preserving the Edo atmosphere with its traditional simmered dishes. The building was impressive! I went there as part of my Tsukishima sightseeing, and the ambiance and customer service made me feel like I caught a glimpse of the Edo culture. The taste was also delicious. I especially enjoyed how the simmered dishes paired so well with the rice porridge. The clam simmered dish was particularly tasty.

Visited around 1:30 pm on a holiday. I have been here a few times before. A few customers were already there, and a few more came in later. Located in Tsukishima, away from the hustle and bustle of Monja Street, is Ten'an, one of the three tsukudani shops scattered around the area. You can easily spot it by the large purple curtain. The interior and exterior have a traditional feel. They offer assorted packs, but mainly sell by weight. They have a wide variety of around 20 types of tsukudani. I purchased 200 grams of karabuki, 100 grams of kombu, and 100 grams of leaf chili for a total of 1810 yen including tax. The karabuki has a slight spiciness and a refreshing fuki aroma. The classic kombu is thick and substantial, with a strong sweetness. The leaf chili is refreshing with a mild spiciness and strong umami. What stands out is the perfect level of saltiness and the elegant sweetness of each ingredient. You can easily have 2-3 bowls of rice with just these. They go well as a side dish for drinks or tea. A bit pricey, but the authentic tsukudani here is delicious.

I went to Tsukishima for work. While looking for a parking spot, I ended up at the Sumida River bank where three simmered dish shops were lined up. I left my assistant in the passenger seat and went to Tenyasu. I had a little extra money in my wallet, so I decided to try the classic simmered dish of cod roe and clams. I bought 100 grams of cod roe for over 1000 yen. It's not necessarily true that it's delicious just because it's expensive. When I got home, I opened the cod roe and clam simmered dish and had it as a side dish with rice. It was my first time trying cod roe. The flavor wasn't as strong as I expected, but it wasn't too mild either. The flakes were cooked firm and crumbled in my mouth. Sprinkling it on rice allowed me to enjoy it multiple times with each bite. On the other hand, the clams had a rich flavor that intensified as I chewed. It would also be delicious as a filling for rice balls. I haven't tried eel yet, but I remember it being over 2000 yen for 100 grams. The bar is set high, but someday, I'll try it...

I stopped by Ten'an to buy some tsukudani since I was in Tsukiji. Tsukudani always makes me want to eat more rice. I bought kombu and clam tsukudani from the showcase. I want to try eel and tarako tsukudani at some point, but they are so expensive that I can't buy them! 😂 I took them home as a side dish for rice. Each clam and each piece of kombu is full of flavor. The kombu had a strong soy sauce flavor. Both were around 100 grams in total. The kombu was a little over 500 yen, and the clam was a little over 700 yen, so it was around 1320 yen in total. It's delicious tsukudani. It might be a good little souvenir to bring back!

I went to buy the nori tsukudani that I received from someone who used to live on Tsukishima because it was delicious. When I entered the shop, the smell of tsukudani tickled my nose, and the person sitting there in a white chef's jacket made me feel like I had slipped back in time to the Edo period. They only accept cash payments, no credit cards or electronic money. There is no receipt, and even the receipt is handwritten (!). I briefly thought if they supply their products to any department stores. The nori tsukudani seems to last quite long, and I felt like there are more additives now and the taste has become stronger (need to refrigerate after opening). I think such long-established shops don't change their recipes much, so it might just be my memory playing tricks on me. The shop is located about a 5-minute walk from Tsukishima Station on the Yurakucho Line. I heard that Tsukishima only has luxury apartments and nori tsukudani shops, and it turned out to be true, haha.

I left from Exit 6 of Tsukishima Station on the Toei Oedo Line and headed towards Tsukuda Ohashi. Without crossing the bridge, I walked to the right from the base of the bridge and found a shop. It is a long-established store specializing in Tsukudani, one of the few remaining shops on Tsukishima Island. It is now connected to Tsukishima and has become part of the old residential area with remaining old houses, but it used to be a small island. This shop was the final stop of this tour, after visiting places like Sumiyoshi Shrine, we bought several types of Tsukudani here before heading home. Among them, "Wakasagi" had a nice balance of sweetness and firmness which I personally really liked, but "Unagi" was a bit too tough and didn't leave a good impression. Also, "Hou Tougarashi" had a good balance of sweetness and spiciness and went well with rice.

Until 1964, there was a ferry service to Tsukishima Island. There is a shop near the old ferry terminal. In front of you flows the Sumida River, with Tsukuda Ohashi visible to the left. I visited for the first time in about 4 years, and the shop has the same atmosphere as before. Inside the shop, products are displayed in glass showcases. This time, I bought 200g each of raw sweet shrimp and kombu. The kombu is close to black in color, but the sweet shrimp has a caramel color. The taste of the sweet shrimp is slightly sweet. It seems that in the Edo period, before soy sauce was available, they used to cook it with salt, but later switched to the current method with sugar and soy sauce becoming more common. The long-aged broth has absorbed the deep umami of each ingredient, resulting in a rich and flavorful Tsukudani. The unchanged method and taste over the years are the reasons for the shop's longstanding reputation.

Founded in the 8th year of the Tenpo era, this long-established store is named after the "Ten" from the era name Tenpo and the "An" from the first generation owner Yasuyoshi. I visited the area after a long time and decided to stop by a store that sells various kinds of tsukudani (preserved food simmered in soy sauce and mirin) along the Sumida River. I purchased three types of tsukudani: tarako (cod roe), nama-ami (raw fish), and Edo-style. Each type has a slightly different flavor, but they all share a common sweet and savory taste. These tsukudani are perfect with warm rice and also make a great accompaniment to sake.

When you think of Tsukudani, you think of Tsukishima! Or should I say, when you think of Tsukishima, you think of Tsukudani! Either way! It feels like you've slipped back in time around here, with a nostalgic Showa era vibe. The wooden houses with open doors and curtains blowing in the wind give off a charming atmosphere. After strolling around and comparing the exteriors of different nearby shops, we decided to go with the one that caught my eye the most, which exuded a more vintage and quaint charm. Established in 1837, this place had a showcase filled with various Tsukudani and three elderly ladies sitting in a raised alcove, with a grand kamidana shrine further back near the ceiling. We ordered shrimp, kelp, clam, and scallop sinew, 100g each. The three elderly ladies worked in perfect harmony, efficiently managing customer service, packaging, and payment. When we opened the package at home, for some reason, only the "shrimp" had a label. The flavor was rich but not overwhelming, allowing the natural taste of the ingredients to shine through. It had a salty taste that complemented rice, tea, onigiri, and even served as a good accompaniment to sake. Although they now offer online sales, I recommend visiting the store to experience its unique atmosphere.

I have been refraining from eating out and spending my days feeling a bit down, but staying home is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. I apologize for continuing with old reviews, but please bear with me. It was October 2010. After attending the noon mass at Ignacio Church, I headed to Tsukishima with my late wife. We went to a okonomiyaki restaurant (which I found out has already closed) and ordered yakisoba and mentaiko okonomiyaki. I remember how excited my wife was, like a child experiencing okonomiyaki for the first time. After filling our stomachs, we took a stroll in Tsukishima and visited this place that was featured on a TV show. We bought kombu and clam tsukudani. At that time, I was getting home after 10 pm every night and only having a light ochazuke for dinner. When I left work, I would send emails about the toppings for the ochazuke and the ingredients for miso soup. My wife would come up with different dashi for the miso soup every night, and it became a daily routine for me to guess whether it was made with bonito flakes, mackerel flakes, Hidaka, Rishiri, Rausu, real kombu, or flying fish. The tsukudani was rich in flavor but surprisingly not salty. It paired well with green tea or hojicha, flowing lightly through the stomach. It seems like ten years have passed already, and I haven't visited since then. Once the situation with the new coronavirus settles down, I plan to take a leisurely walk around the Tsukishima area. And that was a delicious meal.

I had always wanted to visit Tsukuda at least once. As expected, I bought some tsukudani and tempura from Ten'an. I tried the most popular clam and bonito tsukudani. Both were so delicious that they would make you want to eat more rice. The clam tsukudani tasted even better when put in a salted rice ball. Nothing can beat the history and tradition.

When you visit Tsukuda, you cannot miss out on the Tsukudani at the main store of "Ten'an". I had 50 grams each of tarako, shirasu, and asari. I love the atmosphere that blends in with the town.

"Shoga" The food was delicious and the service was excellent. I highly recommend this restaurant.