I missed the chance to ask for the other person's name at my favorite fish store in Ikebukuro. It's been a while since I bought sushi here (^o^) The last time I bought sushi was in January 2020, so I haven't been able to go since the world turned into a pandemic. This time, I had the opportunity to stop by Ikebukuro, so I finally bought sushi♪ The store seems to have been renovated while I was away, as the sales floor seems larger than before. I couldn't find any sushi with wasabi on it, so I had to give up. I ended up buying the "Tuna Sushi Assortment" (1,490 yen) which includes 3 pieces of medium fatty tuna, 3 pieces of lean tuna, and a tuna roll. The sushi looks delicious and I thought this was the best choice. I started with the tuna roll, which was packed with tuna! The lean tuna was soft, melty, sweet, and delicious. The rice was less and the fish was bigger, which was great. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from the tuna roll, so I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. Next was the lean tuna, which had a powerful color and was soft and melty, with a delicious flavor. Lastly, I tried the medium fatty tuna, which may not be the same as the fatty tuna, but it was still delicious. It had more fat and melted in my mouth. I still prefer fatty tuna over lean tuna. Overall, it was a great meal! I hope that next time, all the sushi will be without wasabi, so I won't have to give up on what I want to eat because of it. It's too frustrating to miss out on something just because of wasabi...

Ikebukuro station is directly connected to an ISP where there is a seafood and sushi restaurant. I usually avoid going out in the hot weather, but I had to go to Ikebukuro for work. It was lunchtime and everything around the station was crowded, so I decided to buy a bento at the ISP before taking the Seibu line back home. I was intrigued by the sushi corner and decided to get a crab chirashi with low freshness for the summer. I took the train back home, made some tea, and enjoyed the crab chirashi. The crab meat was plump and slightly salty, and the sushi rice had a hint of sweetness from the vinegar. It was easy to carry around even in this season, which was convenient.

- Sushi (510): Squid, salmon, shrimp, tuna belly, tuna red meat, squid legs, green onions, tuna belly with egg. The quality of this sushi is amazing! Can you believe it's this price? The temperature of the fish and rice is perfect, and the vinegar rice is also great. - Natural amberjack sashimi (500): I wasn't planning on buying this, but the color and gloss are amazing! And the amount of fat on it is just perfect. When you bite into it, it's smooth and the sweetness of the fat oozes out from the cross-section! Combined with the deliciousness of the flesh, it's the best!

On June 17, 2020, I went out for a hospital visit. I passed through the area around "Ikebukuro West Exit" on my way to and from the hospital and was shocked by the drastic changes in the city. The new format of "Shanoir" called "Standing Izakaya Ageto To" opened on top of "Yokohama Style Ikebukuro Store" last year, but the "Azalea Street Store" that was scheduled to open in April has also been postponed. *As of June 23, according to Shanoir's website, "Agito To" will close on June 19, and the brand name has been removed from the website. The restaurants at the back of Mac, "Hidaka-ya" and "Pizza Shop," have closed. "Mizu Tabako-ya" has been replaced by "Akamotsu Daio." The eateries on this street don't seem to last long. In Ikebukuro Station, "Camp Curry" and "London Pub" have closed, and a new shop called "T's Tantan" has opened. Around the old "Sunakuland," "Ooedo Soba" has reopened today. The construction of "Takoyaki-ya," "Ike-men," and "Ippudo" is still ongoing in various places. The renovation of "ISP" is almost complete, and it now looks like a fresh food section in a department store basement. Tomorrow, on the 18th, the second phase of the reopening will take place. I might as well buy some "bento and side dishes" at "ISP" and eat at home. A pack of "lunch sushi" from "Nakajima Suisan" with 8 pieces is priced at "550 yen" including tax. Oh, that's cheap. So, I got two packs and went to the register to pay. It came to "1101 yen." It's disappointing to have to pay that extra "1 yen" due to consumption tax. They also charge for plastic bags, and if you refuse a bag, they don't provide ice packs. It might be difficult to make impulse purchases from now on. They don't provide ice packs, so you have to hurry home, especially in the summer. I rushed home and transferred the sushi to a plate. It looked a bit plain, so I added two shiso leaves and chopped myoga to the miso soup for garnish. The tuna included "akami" and "chutoro," and it was decent for 550 yen. It seemed like they used thawed frozen fish, so it was a bit watery. The absence of "ebi" was disappointing, as it used to always be included. The "engawa" or "negitoro" substitute was acceptable. It's understandable that they omitted some items to keep the cost down. Overall, it wasn't bad, but the absence of certain items was noticeable in this "lunch sushi" pack.

The 1002nd restaurant in Tokyo, all about tuna for 1580 yen - 300 yen, and plenty of salmon for 780 yen - 50 yen during the weekday 6 pm. Compared to supermarket sushi, it was definitely worth paying the price. The tuna was delicious. It truly became a luxurious dinner. It's quite crowded around 6 pm on weekdays. I wonder if there are still more inside? I'm not sure about that. If this is what you get at an ISP store, I wonder if Seibu or Tobu would offer something even more delicious? Or would it be the same? It's adding to the excitement.

On December 25, 2019, I purchased "Tuna Chutoro", "Red Snapper", and "Yellowtail". I tightly wrapped them in dehydrated sheets, then wrapped them in plastic wrap and stored them in the freezer. On January 2nd, I prepared a sashimi platter by slicing them to my liking. I didn't feel like making daikon garnish, so I just did it casually. The flat parts of the red snapper that I didn't use were put back in the freezer without thawing. I enjoyed the sashimi platter with some drinks, it was delicious. Later, I took out the leftover red snapper from the freezer and made it into a sashimi dish in a delicate style. I arranged it on a dish from Korea and enjoyed it with some drinks. It was a kind of "finishing dish". Of course, I realized I need to use up the remaining "salmon roe" soon too.

On October 27, I have plans to have a meal with my mother and sister after visiting Chuson-ji Temple. Before that, we must visit the Suntory Museum of Art for the "Mino Oribe Exhibition." The restaurant for our meal was found by my sister on "Tabelog." I wish she had told me earlier so I could have made arrangements here... On the 29th, I also need to buy the sweets that were requested. After having lunch, I will head to Seibu Ikebukuro to buy some things. First, I will buy some aquatic plants at the rooftop store "Kingyo-ya." Then, I will buy 10 boxes of "Mame-raku" at Toyoshimaya downstairs. They are easy to distribute and have a good shelf life, making them suitable for gifts. I also need to buy some "Konbini" for my sister at Chitagi Koshizuka. My nephew won't complain if I buy this for him! After shopping at Seibu Ikebukuro, when I reached the station passage, I remembered that I could make "Chirimen Sansho" using the "Sansho" that was sent to me last time. So, I quickly bought 6 packs of 100g of "Chirimen" at Tsukiji Nakajima Suisan in ISP Ikebukuro Shopping Park. I hurried back home and started cooking. I decided to prepare 3 packs of 300g each. I washed the "Chirimen" in a strainer, removed the small scraps, rinsed it quickly, and checked the saltiness, smell, bitterness, and hardness of the "Chirimen." The condition of the "Chirimen" varies depending on the store and season. For sake, I have an old bottle of "Kubota Senju" that I can use. Well, it's fine! I boiled 2 cups of "Kubota" and half a cup of "Mikawa Hon Mirin" in a snow pot with a piece of kombu for 30 minutes. After that, I boiled the pot until it boiled. When it starts boiling, flames rise as I add the sake and mirin! Be careful not to start a fire. Once the alcohol has evaporated, I removed the kombu and added half a cup of "Hakata Sweet Soy Sauce" and simmered it for a bit. You don't need to simmer it too much. Then, I added the "Chirimen" and cooked it on low heat. I stirred it occasionally with chopsticks to evenly mix it. After 10-15 minutes, when the broth has reduced and it's almost done, I added 40-50g of "Sansho" with the bitterness removed. I spread it out on a plate to cool down. With this, the soft "Chirimen Sansho" 500g is ready! I did the same for the remaining 3 packs, and the work is done. Oh no! I forgot to make some for myself! I remembered that I had 200g of "Chirimen" in the freezer. I searched for it and made some for myself. The 200g I made ended up being 340g. Phew! I made 1kg of "Chirimen Sansho" for my sister and mother. Am I a professional or something? On the next day, before our meal, the three of us visited the Suntory Museum of Art to see the "Mino Oribe Exhibition." After leaving the museum, we had our meal in Ginza. I gave my sister some "Corned Beef" with 500g of "Chirimen Sansho" on the side. I told my mother that I would send her 500g later. In the evening, I received a call from my mother who was staying at my sister's house. She, my nephew, and my sister enjoyed the "Chirimen Sansho" as a snack with beer. They said it was delicious. On November 3, I packed the "Chirimen Sansho" in a way that it wouldn't get damp and sent it in a box. After asking the Yamato delivery person, I had a leisurely lunch. Of course, I had freshly cooked rice with "Chirimen Sansho" on top. It's softer and more flavorful than store-bought ones. The scent of Sansho is so nice. If I receive "Sansho" again next year, I might make and send it again.

Before using Tabelog, I had bought sushi before, but this is my first time using it since then. I bought some whale bacon, which I love, because it was cheap. I enjoyed it with beer while watching the Rugby World Cup. It was delicious just as I expected. If I can continue to buy whale bacon at a good price, I would like to keep using this service.

I fell in love at first sight with the expression of the tuna. When it comes to fish shops connected to Ikebukuro Station, I often use "Uoriki" in the Tobu Department Store basement at the West Exit, and "Kitatatsu" in the Tobu Plaza Department Store basement. In terms of tuna shops, in addition to the above two shops, I also frequent "Suzuki Suisan" in the Tobu Department Store basement and "Kanajirushi" in the Tobu Plaza Department Store basement. I occasionally visit the Seibu Department Store basement, but less frequently due to the distance. However, in terms of strict distance from my home, the Ikebukuro Shopping Center (ISP) on the East side is not much different from the Tobu Plaza Building, yet I haven't used this store much. This time, I visited ISP for another store, but I was captivated by the sight of the whole tuna displayed in this store and the off-price, so I decided to try it out. The "Tuna Sushi Assortment" (1,580 yen excluding tax) was excellent value for money, with 2 pieces each of Otoro, Akami, and Chutoro, and 4 pieces of Tekkamaki for 1,580 yen. If you were to sit and eat this in Ginza, the price would far exceed that. The sushi was all excellent in terms of price. The "Unagi Donburi" (980 yen excluding tax) was almost half a portion of Chinese eel, and the quantity and thickness were appealing. I couldn't resist buying it. Pouring the sauce generously, sprinkling plenty of sansho pepper, and eating it created a nice atmosphere. Although it is Chinese eel, it still had a good river fish-like smell similar to domestic eel. Both items were 300 yen off during the time sale, so 2,764 yen became 2,116 yen. For the price of enjoying both tuna sushi and unagi donburi at the same time, there is nothing to complain about. Thank you for the meal. (By Kyonatsu Shuukuu, 2019.10.3) (13 reviews, 3.20 stars)

Purchased on September 8, 2019 at 18:45. Ordered a "Sashimi Assortment 6 pieces" which included 2 pieces of fatty tuna, red tuna, amberjack, saury, and squid, as well as "Red Snapper for Sashimi." When I got home, I thought about rearranging the sashimi on a plate for drinking, but decided against it. The amount of daikon radish underneath the sashimi was incredibly excessive! The slices of the sashimi were so thin that they resembled shabu-shabu or tessa, and not to mention, there were only "2 slices" instead of 3! This doesn't seem like sashimi from a fish market at all. I sliced the red snapper for sashimi and had it with the assortment and beer. The fatty tuna was delicious, but it would have been better if they didn't try to be clever by giving 2 super thin slices instead of one thicker slice. The amberjack was good too, but again, the super thin slices were disappointing. The red tuna was mediocre, even worse than the red tuna at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. The saury had deteriorated over time, so I had to mask the flavor with ginger soy sauce. The squid was too mushy to be enjoyable. I then tried the red snapper sashimi I cut myself, but it lacked the taste and texture of real red snapper. Perhaps it would have been better as a carpaccio. In the end, the sashimi didn't pair well with the alcohol, so I ended up eating Kirafuki's tsukudani and finishing my beer.

On January 3, there were too many people visiting shrines and temples for New Year's, so I decided not to go to crowded or faraway places anymore. I also stopped visiting shrines and temples where I didn't feel a connection. I recommend visiting Akasaka Inari Shrine and Azabu Hase Temple on the morning of the third day after New Year's. The real New Year's visit should be after Setsubun on January 3 is just to express gratitude for the past year. At Akasaka Mitsuke Station, early blooming plum blossoms can be seen. There were no men and women in formal attire or traditional Japanese hairstyles, but there were some people in cosplay outfits. After praying at Akasaka Inari Shrine, I tried to buy Inari sushi at the nearby Iemotoya shop, but it was sold out. So, I bought sushi at the adjacent Miyoshi shop and then went to Toraya Akasaka Main Store to purchase a limited edition item I had reserved. Next, I hurried to Azabu Hase Temple to pray to the Eleven-Faced Kannon statue. After that, I went to Ikebukuro Station, where I decided to buy some additional items. Since there was Inari sushi available, I thought about getting some hand-rolled sushi. However, the selection at Nakanoshima Suisan, the sushi shop, was limited, possibly due to the New Year season. The variety of sushi had decreased, and some higher-priced items like fresh squid and kazunoko were not available. I ended up buying a bargain-priced tuna sushi set. When I got home, I enjoyed it with beer and warm sake. The taste was average, similar to takeout sushi. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. I wonder how things will change next year in terms of tuna quality, quantity, etc. I hope it doesn't get worse.

If you go after 8:30 PM on weekdays, you can get half-price sushi for 1080 yen! I love scallop and salmon roe, so I feel like I got a great deal.

The cost performance of the takeout sushi is quite good! The 10-piece set for 880 yen includes 2 pieces of fatty tuna.

I sometimes buy sushi and Negitoro donburi from the fish market at Ikebukuro Shopping Park (ISP). It's nice to enjoy them on the Seibu department store rooftop, especially when the weather is good. On May 2018, I had a tuna sushi set at Karukaya on the rooftop. In January 2018, I had the daily special premium sushi set. On December 9, 2017, I enjoyed udon from Karukaya along with tuna donburi on the rooftop. On November 4, 2017, I paired ISP's tonkatsu with tuna donburi on the rooftop. On October 21, 2017, I had a tuna sushi set with plenty of toro. On October 7, 2017, I had a Negitoro donburi. On July 30, 2016, I tried the rare dish of fresh shirasu donburi. On May 29, 2016, I had a seafood bowl after shopping at Seibu and ISP. Nakajima Suisan used to be in Seibu but is now located in Ikebukuro Shopping Park.

On April 19, 2017, I visited the Ueno Metropolitan Art Museum to see the "Tower of Babel Exhibition" and met with three minions of Babil II. I learned that Poseidon is often depicted as a half-fish god since medieval times, but I was surprised to discover the reverse half-fish person, "Tara-chan" from the Isono family. After visiting the museum, I went to the Tokyo National Museum to see the "Tea Ceremony Exhibition" and the "New Designated National Treasure and Important Cultural Property Exhibition". By the time I arrived in Ikebukuro, it was already past 7 pm and I was hungry. I decided to look for something to eat at the ISP in Ikebukuro Station's underground area. I found out that there was a discount on sushi at "Nakajima Suisan". I remembered my bad experience at "Chazuki" with sushi, so I picked up two packs of sushi at "Nakajima Suisan" and headed home. I enjoy the sushi with barley tea as I have some errands to run tomorrow and need to avoid alcohol. The quality of the sushi at "Nakajima Suisan" is worth the price, especially considering the high prices of fish this year. The herring roe sushi is my favorite. After satisfying my craving for sushi, I feel like having some cold sake. Cheers!

I saw "Nakajima Suisan" at various places, and around 7:30 pm, the Ikebukuro ISP stores started discounting before closing. I thought, "I wonder if they have discounted sushi," so I peeked in. There were only a few items left in the sushi corner. I decided to buy the Tuna Cucumber Roll, which was discounted by ¥50 (¥230 → ¥180). I wanted to eat seafood, but I like tuna and seaweed rolls, so I appreciate it. The balance of tuna and mayonnaise was good, and the cucumber didn't get in the way, so it was delicious. But if I had the choice, I would have preferred to eat Tekka Maki or something similar.

Nakajima Suisan in Ikebukuro specializes in takeout sushi. I bought a sushi set called "Shakunage" and the slices of fish were all thick! The eel had plenty of sauce, and there were two slices of tuna. The egg was soft and large, and the squid was tender and easy to chew. The salmon had a rich flavor. The shrimp, scallop, and negitoro battleship rolls were also delicious! The rice was tasty too. Overall, it was fresh and good value for money. You can easily enjoy delicious sushi through takeout here.

In the evening, I bought sushi with a "Chief's recommended item" sticker on it, 2 packs for 500 yen, and a clam rice bento for half price at 250 yen. The sushi had six different types of fish, all enjoyable. The clam rice bento was made with red snapper and was elegant but lacked a punch. The seafood curry I tried recently was rich and flavorful.

When I went to Ikebukuro for work, I visited a shop that seemed like a fish store in a supermarket. I was browsing what to buy this time. I found kanpyo rolls as usual, so I bought kanpyo. Vinegar... well, it's okay I guess? I thought the taste was a bit weak. Rice... it was okay, not too mushy. Kanpyo... didn't have much flavor, didn't really taste like kanpyo while eating it.

This is a fish market located in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. While walking around, I noticed a crowd at the fish market as they were having a closing sale. The fish here are large and thick, being specialty products. Everything was on sale for half price, and I managed to buy a blackfin flounder for 720 yen and a mackerel for 480 yen, both for a total of 200 yen. It was a great deal and a fantastic shopping experience!