Tsukiji: Where Each Meal Makes You Feel Like a Glutton

Armed with years of experience in the restaurant industry, it’s no surprise that the Milky Way Group was able to turn Tsukiji to a household name. Its famed reputation stems from the restaurant's choice and premium ingredients imported from the renowned Tsukiji market. It also boasts of one of the widest selections of quality prime grade meats that would definitely make anyone's mouth water. However, these aren’t the reasons why I fell in love with Tsukiji. It’s its hearty quality donburi’s and daily lunch sets that keep me hooked and yearning to come back for more.

Its lunch sets change daily. Check Tsukiji’s FB page around 11am for the updated menu for the day. Each dish would certainly keep one bloated for the rest of the day.

SARA UDON TEISHOKU (P495+)

One of the most interesting ones (and one of the heaviest sets) I've tried would be the Sara Udon Teishoku. The udon came with hefty servings of fresh seafood and crunchy vegetables on a very buttery viscous sauce which was rich, and immensely filling. To be able to counter the umay brought about by the sauce, the set came with Chirashi Rice, which featured perfectly vinegared rice, pickled vegetables, and topped with nori strips. I expected the chirashi rice to feature at least a slice of salmon or tuna sashimi; but it came bare. This would probably be the only source of disappointment in this set.

TSUKIJI DONBURI (P550)

For dinner, Tsukiji’s donburi selections provide the best value-for-money. Tsukiji’s servers told us that these bowls are good for only one person. A set comes with a bowl of miso soup and pickled vegetables; so we got a set each. Little did we know that each bowl was a gigantic bowl enough to feed 1.5 – 2 hungry stomachs. The Tsukiji Donburi came with a generous serving of grilled unagi surrounded with scrambled egg cooked in a sweet mirin-based sauce. This was truly delicious; but I recommend splitting it with another person since the serving was way too much even for me.

GYUDON (P650)

Another good donburi selection would be the Gyudon, which was interestingly served with glass noodles. The taste and look were more reminiscent of a sukiyaki dish, than a gyudon dish; but it was tasty nonetheless. Tender strips of well marinated beef are paried with caramelized onions and crunchy leeks to complete the dish.

Dishes You Can Opt to Skip: Negitoromaki (I’d rather stick to the sashimi selections), Kakiage Tempura (the vegetable fritters were a bit dry), Melon Ice Shavings (This was a good palate cleanser; but the melon flavoring was too artificial for me).

Tsukiji's sets are a source of solace for the hungriest of stomachs. These heavyweight dishes feature some carbo loading; so don't make a trip to Tsukiji if you're trying to lose weight!

Tsukiji

3F Milky Way Building, 900 Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City

Dates of Visit: May 19, 2015 and July 1, 2015 with Lily Chua and Jem Chua