Customers flock to the fish on today’s special chosen by a fish auction participant

Just looking at the specials on the handwritten menu – an assortment of sashimi, tempura of sea eel, breaded and deep-fried oysters in the winter – brings a smile to our faces, while a sip of Japanese sake relaxes the mind. This is an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) for fish lovers where lively conversations with the fish-loving owner/chef are an added bonus. In fact, the owner/chef, by day, is a participant in the fish auctions working for Okumura Shoten, a wholesale broker for dried-salted fish in the Kyoto City Central Wholesale Market. “I know many business operators who deal in fresh seafood and it is essential that I go to the market every day in order to get fresh and seasonal ingredients at a reasonable price.” There is also an excellent selection of grilled fish and dried fish, steeped in the tradition and wisdom of the Japanese people, including a Saikyo Yaki (Saikyo Miso-marinated grilled fish) of thickly-sliced salmon, which has been marinated in the home-made miso mixture for a week for \800 and the full-flavored, grilled flathead flounder from Kobama, which has been dried overnight from \580.