No Edomae Sushi

Tsukiji delicacy comes from tender hands

By Sharon Huang Translated by Diva Yang
Photos by Andy Lin

85, XinSheng N Rd, Sec 1; (02) 2581-7577
Hours: 12-2 pm, 6-9:30 pm
Closed on Sundays and the first Monday of each month; it's best to RSVP.
Credit cards accepted. 10% service charge.
Xin-Sheng public parking lot nearby.

A few winter seasons ago I visited a tiny nigiri-zushi shop in Tsukiji Ichiba, Tokyo. That experience put me in a state of bliss. Every time I think about the warmth of the vinegared rice and the freshness of ingredients I can feel joy in my brain and my mouth. Ever since nigiri-sushi has ranked number one on my list of the most blissful cuisine.

This winter I walk into No Edomae Sushi which finished renovation last April. It is the one & only Taiwan branch from the famous Japanese sushi establishment Ikkiyu. The decor is simple and elegant. Looking through the glass on the sushi bar I can see fresh seafood that are direct airfreight from Japan. Just this view can get me all excited.

Japanese chef, Nomura Yuji, is the manager. He says that all the ingredients are from Tsukiji Ichiba and handpicked daily by his senior fellow, Ogihara Tatsuya who is the head chef for Ikkiyu sushi. The fresh seafood is not farm-raised but captured from sea fishing, providing the most delicious taste to the customers.
Aside from top-notched seafood the pickled dishes are excellent. The most important factor of making good sushi is the sushi chef's kneading skill. Nomura's slicing skill is very precise as he cuts the fish along the texture on the surface. He then presses freshly ground wasabi into vinegared rice and molds Edomae sushi (depending on the type of fish the prices vary from 150 to 400). The perfect ratio between the raw fish and vinegared rice is 3 to 7. It melts in your mouth, leaving the aroma lingering between your teeth. That feeling is brilliantly satisfying.

Before I head out I ask Chef Nomura what makes his cuisine special that everyone ought to have it. Without any hesitance he replies, "I have confidence in every nigiri-zushi I make." As I walk out of No Edomae Sushi and into the breezy cold weather I realize that the winter may not be as nearly bone-chilling as Japan but the blissful feeling on my mind is the same as my nigiri-zushi experience in Tsukiji Ichiba.

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