Sushi at the Source: Kaiten Zushi in Tsukiji Fish Market

Tsukiji fish market is the beating heart of the Japanese sushi scene. The market is the main spot for the buying and selling of sushi-grade fish in Tokyo. Every morning, at an absurdly early hour, fishermen and restauranteurs crowd Tsukiji to take part in raucous auctions. During these sales, choice cuts of raw fish are sold to the highest bidder and sent out to restaurants all over the world. For sushi lovers this is it-- the Mothership Connection, a can't-miss stop on any trip to Japan. You need to eat sushi here, and according to every local I asked, Sushizanmai is the place to do it.

There are countless sushi stalls and restaurants sprinkled throughout the fish market, but Sushizanmai, a small chain with several locations in Tsukiji and around the city of Tokyo, is the best of the bunch. The restaurant is the brainchild of Kiyoshi Kimura, a former sushi buyer who calls himself "The King of Tuna." Thanks to the prime location and Kimura's sushi expertise, Sushizanmai serves some of the tastiest and freshest fish in Tokyo. The quality of the sushi isn't the only thing that separates Sushizanmai from its competitors. It's the place in Tsukiji to try kaiten zushi (better known as rotating sushi to us Anglos). This style of eating involves having plates of sushi travel past your seat on a conveyor belt. Diners can watch the dishes go by and snatch up any items that catch their eye. Rotating Sushi restaurants are famous for being a better bargain than more traditional sit-down eateries, and Sushizanmai is no exception. Their pricing system is based on color-coded plates of fish that cost between $1-$5. The dishes all weigh different amounts: after your meal, the waitresses place your stack of empty plates on a scale to figure out your bill. On my initial visit to Sushizanmai, I had a completely gluttonous 16-plate sushi feast with a glass of shochu and oolong on the side for approximately $50. Every meal at Sushizanmai also comes with an endless supply of green tea. This pours from faucets that are next to every seat.

Sushizanmai is open 24 hours a day. No matter how late or early it is, the restaurant is always filled with the sound of clanking plates and the chefs and servers shouting greetings and thanks as customers come and go. There are no American-style California rolls and maki here. They almost exclusively serve mouthwatering slices of sushi. I know it's blasphemous to suggest this, but as with many of the restaurants in Japan, I found that most of the fare at Sushizanmai was comparable to what you can find in the very best sushi restaurants here in the states. That's not to say that there aren't several standout dishes at Sushizanmai. The more esoteric items, such as the sea urchin and salmon roe, taste far better than any sushi I've had outside of Japan, and their fatty tuna sampler will make your knees buckle.

There are multiple Sushizanmai restaurants in Tsukiji. They're not hard to find, and there are staff assigned to entice potential customers throughout the fish market. If you'd like to visit Sushizanmai somewhere other than Tsukiji, or if the thought of simply showing up in the market hoping to find the restaurant seems too scary, there's more information available on their web site. (photos)