[Endo] A long-established sushi restaurant in the Central Wholesale Market celebrating its 100th anniversary, famous for its 'tsukami-zushi' (hand-grabbed sushi)
Hello.
This is Hayashi.
This time, I revisited Endo, a sushi restaurant with 100 years of history that I have been to before.
Revisiting Endo, a 100-year-old sushi restaurant.
100 years in business is amazing, isn't it?
100 years ago from now would be 1922.
It was an era when Ryunosuke Akutagawa, who was recognized by Soseki Natsume, was active.
I can feel the deep history.
Fresh toppings and fluffy hand-grabbed sushi
I thought it would be better to show you than to talk about it, so I have lined up the photos first.
They provide fresh, top-recommended toppings of the day.
A feature of Endo's sushi is that the vinegared rice falls apart the moment it enters your mouth.
The lightly packed rice is hidden to support the fresh toppings.
Common sushi is nigiri-zushi, where vinegared rice is firmly shaped using techniques like hon-tegashi or kote-gaeshi.
I will explain why[Tsukami-zushi]was born.
The birth of [Tsukami-zushi]
To start with the conclusion, it seems it began from an emphasis on serving speed.
In the first place, this is a market where freshness is life.
It is a place where men who fight against every second work.
There is no time to let the vinegared rice cool down.
But even in that limited time, they want to serve sushi.
With that thought in mind, 'tsukami-zushi' (grabbed sushi) was born, where the sushi is quickly grabbed and shaped using vinegared rice at a temperature too hot to touch with bare hands.
The most popular item: 'Jo-maze' (Assorted Premium), 5 pieces per plate.
You may have already noticed, but
actually, you aren't ordering 5 pieces; rather, one plate consists of 5 pieces.
It's a unique style that is neither Edomae nor Osaka-style.
They will serve you the day's recommendations in order.
One round consists of 5 plates, and from the 6th plate, it returns to the toppings of the first plate.
Of course, you can also order your preferred plates along the way.
However, the owner says, 'I want you to climb to the summit (the 5th plate) first.'
This way, you can enjoy a full range of the fresh toppings prepared for the day.
I also climbed to the summit (the 5th plate).
I thought about having one more plate, but I was already completely satisfied.
Next time, I'll come with a bigger appetite.
~Summary~
I visited half a year ago, and it was packed with people this time as well.
You need to be careful as the business hours are early,
but it is one of the restaurants I definitely want you to visit if you have the chance to come to Fukushima or Noda.
Please enjoy the tsukami-zushi that doesn't fall apart even when grabbed, but melts the moment you put it in your mouth.
Chuo Ichiba Endo
Location: Osaka Central Wholesale Market, 1-1-86 Noda, Fukushima-ku, Osaka
Business Hours: 5:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Closed: Sundays and holidays
Fumiomi Hayashi