Nihonbashi Toyoda

Before there were Toyosu or even Tsukiji fish markets, there was Uogashi. With the great pier of Nihonbashi serving as the capital’s largest centers of trade throughout the Edo period, the large public square next to it naturally became the Uogashi Fish Market. By 1912, transactions carried out in the Uogashi were said to be worth over 1,000 ryo a day—not a large amount by today’s standards, but absolutely staggering for the time. It was in such a setting that Toyoda was born, a humble street stall (yatai) on the main street of Mitsukoshi. In 1961, the restaurant moved from the main street to its current location, shifting its focus to kappo cuisine—but the freshness of its seafood has remained unchanged over five generations. For over 160 years, Toyoda’s chefs have been keeping the spirit of Edomae culinary tradition alive. As the food of the working man, like stevedores and fishermen, Edomae cuisine is characterized by its strength and robustness. This is in contrast to the more delicate, sweeter touch of traditional Kyoto cuisine, and is particularly evident in the two culinary schools’ soy sauce. This even extends to dishes like sesame tofu, which is traditionally vegan. However, Toyoda adds milk in the process, which gives it a distinctly stickier texture and stronger aroma than regular sesame tofu.