Tokyo

That’s why the quality of Japanese gastronomy in Tokyo is so high!

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Over the past few years more and more people have become aware that Tokyo is the city with the most Michelin stars.

In general, the food and especially high-quality food is very important to Japanese people. I see that as soon as I arrive in Tokyo.

Japanese schools have a food scheme that makes very high quality organic food for the children. The classes with youngest students the food that they are having for lunch is part of the lesson.

Before the kids are allowed to go for lunch the class teachers review the menu with the school children. The children learn about the different ingredients that are included in the food. The children do also learn about the nutritional content of the various dishes.

Teaching children about healthy food and give healthy food for lunch the children gets healthy diets. It helps fight overweight children and future lifestyle diseases.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

How much fish does a Japanese eat in average?

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The Japanese have a little different relation to fish than the rest of the world.
Japanese children learn from very small to eat many different kinds of fish cooked in many different ways.
In Japan it’s a bit reverse. The Japanese population eats as much fish as the European eat meat. On the other hand the Japanese eat significantly less meat than the rest of the world.
They eat as much meat as we eat fish.

The large amounts of fish are a contributing reason why the Japanese look 20 years younger than their age.

You can read more about Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

How big is the selection of fish for sushi in Europe?

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Denmark is a small country with about 5 mio citizens compared to Japan where only 20 million citizens in Tokyo.

Since Denmark is a small country the demand for fish is small too.

In Japan it is very normal that there are approximately 20 different high quality  fish on the menu in a Japanese sushi restaurant. In Denmark most people know of tuna, whitefish, salmon and prawns for sushi.

Denmark do have national high quality fish which are not used for sushi. I do not know why. But the Danish people will miss out unique flavors because they can never try different types of fish during a meal.

At Sushi course for beginners I will speak more about fish for sushi.

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

What was your impression when you first tasted sushi in Tokyo?

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In 2004, I traveled to Tokyo for the first time on a training session. My Japanese kendo teacher Hirakawa sensei had arranged that I was going to practise in Tokyo’s best kendo club.

As it was my first trip to Japan, I was told that I was going to take the bus from Narita Airport to the Sunshine Hotel in Tokyo where I would be picked up by 2 members from the Kendo Club Yushinkan Dojo.

When I arrived at the hotel we walked directly into the hotel to have lunch at one of the hotel’s many restaurants. In the restaurant I was served sushi and it was my first meeting with Japanese sushi.
I clearly remember the experience. The quality was different and the sushi pieces tasted more fish than what I had experienced in Denmark.
I was also surprised at how many different kind of seafood are used for sushi.

That it would later go to be my way of life I did not really think so at that time.

You can read more about Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

How the Japanese fish monger keeps fish in Tokyo

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The Japanese have some strict rules for handling fish. On the cooking class I teach I follow the Japanese rules which are more strictly than the Danish rules. I do this for the health of the students.

It does matter how fish are stored.
All fish species have their own bacteria and to prevent the different bacteria from being transferred to each other it is best to keep fish separate.

In Japan, it is not enough that the different fish are kept separate. They are also wrapped in tightly closed films so that the fish do not dry out.
It is also important keep the fish cold all the time unless they are used in the preparation of sushi.

At Sushi course for beginners I talk more about handling fish for sushi.

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Japanese food stalls at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo

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Japanese food stalls at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.
At Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo you will find some small food stalls in the side streets, worshiping small dishes on the outside grill. It is dishes consisting of seafood such as squid, oysters and scallops.

On the picture you can see a few oysters with sea urchins a delicate eat in Japan.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

What is your best tip if I am going to Japan?

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I would say be sure to have plenty of cash.
Although there are more and more Japanese businesses that accept Visa card and Master Card there are still many shops and restaurants that prefer cash.

It is often shops where you can buy food, beverages or personal items that do not cost very much. Here I think of a spring water, cup of coffee, a little lunch or objects that cost less than $ 20.

You can expect that shops or restaurants outside tourist areas do not accept Visa card and it is regardless of the size of the amount.

Read more about Sushi chef & Sake sommelier Zoë Escher

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Tsukiji Fish Market is a very popular area in Tokyo

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The Japanese love high quality food and they prefer fresh raw materials which you can enjoy 6 days a week.

Right next to the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo there are a couple of small pedestrian streets with many small restaurants, food stalls and specialty stores. It is a cozy busy area where there is life from early morning until around 11:00 AM.

In those few hours where the eateries open there will be cows at the most popular restaurants and food stalls.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier 

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Japanese night snack at its best!

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In 2014 I went to a concert at an English pub in Tokyo with my teacher’s son-in-law, son-in-law’s English teacher and his Japanese girlfriend.
It was the coolest concert with a Japanese / British band and while we drank cold beer on the very hot summer evening, it embedded with Europeans living in Tokyo. It was a pretty fun experience.

At about 11 p.m. we had to go back because the metrologists had announced that there would be a typhoon coming later in that evening. Before the son-in-law and I had to go home we would have a little night food on the road. It turned out to be the wonderful sashimi dinner we had served at 11.30 p.m.
We reached home before typhoon hit Tokyo the rain poured down at that time.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Therefore, Tsukiji is the world’s largest fish market!

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Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo is the largest fish market in the world. Tsukiji fish market is very unique compare to other countries.

The suppliers at the fish market are specialized within just what they sell for example tuna or shrimps.
This means that the selection and quality of seafood and fish is very large and you can get seafood and fish which are not found anywhere else in the world. The specialized suppliers often sell one kind of seafood in many different qualities and price level.

At Sushi course for beginners you will gain more in-depth knowledge of Japanese Sushi chefs approach to fish.

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.