Food Tours · Tour

Buy the Fish, Then Shape Five Nigiri Yourself

Four hours in two halves: the market first, then a sushi class using what comes out of it. You meet at the main gate of Tsukiji Honganji and walk the outer market with a guide who explains the ingredients, the utensils and what the shops are actually selling. The wholesale auctions moved to Toyosu in October 2018, so what remains here is the outer market and a small wholesale area, which is where the trade with chefs still happens. Then the class, taught by a professional sushi master with an English-speaking host translating. You make five different nigiri and one rolled sushi. Nigiri looks simple and is not: the rice is seasoned and handled at body temperature, the ball is formed with a specific number of movements, and the pressure has to be firm enough to hold and light enough that it collapses in the mouth. You will not be good at it in one session, and that is the point of watching a master do it beside you. What you make is lunch, with dashi soup and a few pieces from the master himself for comparison. Ingredients and utensils are all bought at the market. Up to ten guests. The classroom is on the third floor of a traditional building with stairs only and no lift. It leaves at the stated time and cannot wait; go to the front of the temple, not the back, since maps send you round the wrong side. No refunds for late arrival. The wholesale market is closed Wednesdays, Sundays and holidays. Sushi toppings cannot be changed on the day. Vegetarian, halal, gluten-free and kosher requests cannot be accommodated; declare allergies at booking and they will try.