Tag Archives: 美食

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2009/11/11)

November 11, 2009 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

New Baird Beer Website Unveiling:

We are extremely pleased to announce the unveiling of our new Baird Beer website. The site has been designed by our friends at LINC Media who not only are first-class professionals but also top tier human beings. It is a privilege to work in cooperation with them.

The new site, in addition to crisply attractive design, simplicity of navigation and revamped content, sports several new features which include: individual Taproom blogs (including one in English for our Numazu Fishmarket Taproom), a photo gallery where you can view and also upload beer related pictures, and an E-shop where you can order Baird Beer and accessories delivered direct from the brewery (the E-shop will begin handling and processing orders sometime in early December). The site, including the E-shop, is fully bilingual. Please check us out at www.bairdbeer.com and let us know what you think.

Suruga Bay Imperial IPA Debuts as the Eighth Member of the Year-Round Baird Beer Lineup:

Imperial, or Double, IPAs are a stylistic creature of the American craft beer movement. Compared to a standard IPA, an Imperial IPA is higher in original gravity, higher in bittering units (IBUs), higher in alcohol strength and even more profound in the impact of its hop character (flavor, bitterness, and aroma). Origination of this monster IPA style is generally credited to Vinnie Cilurzo, the brilliant Brewmaster/Owner of Russian River Brewing (www.russianriverbrewing.com) in Northern California and former brewer at the now defunct Blind Pig Brewery. His wonderful beer, Pliny the Elder, is the best in this genre that we have ever tasted and it has served as our muse in the creation of Suruga Bay Imperial IPA.

Suruga Bay Imperial IPA (ABV 7.5%; IBU 90):

The first key to a great Double IPA is dryness of character despite the high original gravity. This is accomplished, foremost, through high attenuation by the yeast during fermentation. We aim for an apparent attenuation around 85% which yields relative dryness and alcohol strength. The second key is a fantastic and powerful hop aroma. This we achieve by dry hopping Suruga Bay Imperial IPA with several varieties of pungently strong American hops. We conduct this dry hopping not once but twice, in two separate tanks. Then, at packaging, to ensue a vigorous secondary fermentation and natural carbonation, we krauesen Suruga Bay with a percentage of peak fermentation beer from a different batch.

Suruga Bay Imperial IPA is a wickedly compelling flavor experience. Its hop character is as rich as Japan’s Suruga Bay is deep (it is Japan’s deepest bay and Baird Brewing is located on its inner shore). The greatness of Suruga Bay Imperial IPA resides in a supreme drinkability that pervades in spite of the potency.

Great pubs and restaurants (including all of our Taprooms), as well as fine craft beer retailing liquor shops, all over Japan are now carrying Suruga Bay Imperial IPA. The bottles for this first batch are of the large 633 ml kind but subsequent batches will be bottled in our standard 360 ml size.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird
Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
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Sweet Potato Cupcakes

November 11, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

SWEET-POTATO-CUPCAKES

I need no say how cupcakes are popular all over the world.
That is the main reason why I from now and then feature a cupcake recipe.
Japanese-style cupcakes seem to be still new. They naturally come with different ingredients. Have you ever thought of making one with sweet potato.
Sweet potato is satsuma imo/薩摩芋 in Japanese and they originally came from Central America.
The recipe below is very simple and should be easily expanded:

Sweet Potato Cupcakes!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 large 10×10 cm cupcakes (can of course be divided into smaller ones)

-Sweet potato: 200 g
-Sugar: 30 g
-Dry raisins: 30 g
-All purpose flour: 50 g
-Butter: 60 g
-Egg: 1
-Baking powder: half a teaspoon
-Powdered sugar: a little

RECIPE:

-Set a microwave oven on “vegetables cooking” and heat the sweet potatoes. Peel their skins off. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

-In a food processor drop in flour, sugar, butter, egg and baking powder. Blend. Add sweet potato and blend.

-Add raisins and mix roughly. Pour into cups. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 25~30 minutes.

-Once baked sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Easy, ain’t it?

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Tofu Terrine

November 10, 2009 dragonlife 6 Comments

TOFU-TERRINE

Tofu does have to be food exclusively for vegans, vegetarians and people with special priorities.
I can assure you that monivores like I are very fond of any any combination including tofu!

Here is a simple recipe that will impress your friends:
Tofu Terrine!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 servings

-Tofu (momen tofu, a bit mopre solid than kinu tofu): 300 g
-Wakame seaweed (salted preserves): 15 g
-Carrots: 30 g
-Sugar peas in their pods (or their equivalent. They are called pois gourmands in French, or kinu saya ingen in Japanese): 8
-Salt: a pinch (for boiling the veg)
-Mushrooms (white agarics): 3
-Broad beans (boiled or steamed) for decoration: 4

-Eggs: 2
-Soup stock: 2 tablespoons
-White wine: One and half tablespoons
-Salt: 1/3 teaspoon
-Pepper: to taste
-Salad oil for brushing

RECIPE:

-Break the tofu in large pieces. Boil lightly. Transfer into a large clean cloth and press as much water out as possible.

-Wash the wakame in clear cold water. Boil for a little while. Take out and press water out. Put it inside a clean cloth and press out as much water as possible.

-Chop the carrot fine. Boil a little and take water off as above.

-Take the “thread” off the sugar peas, boil in salted water. Let cool completely. Take off water and chop finely.

-Cut the mushrooms very fine (you may fry or boil them a bit if you wish to).

-Work the tofu in a suribachi (mortar and pestle) to obtain a smooth paste. Add eggs and mix with the pestle (food processing is fine, too). Add wakame seaweed, carrot, sugar peas, mushrooms, soup stock, slat and pepper, and mix.

-Coat the insides of 4 ramequins/oven cups with a very thin layer of salad oil and pour 1/4 of the mixture in each. Flatten the surface with a spatula.

-Place ramequins inside a steamer. Steam on a medium fire for 5 minutes, then 10 more minutes over a low fire.
Let cool down completely.
Wrap them in cellophane and keep in refrigerator until you serve them
Decorate with broad beans.

NOTE:

This is the basic recipe. It is open to all inds of variations!

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⑧ココット・ロンドにお湯を沸かし、スチーマーに⑦を並べて、湯気の上がったお鍋にセットする。中火で５分ほど蒸し、さらに弱火で７～１０分ほど蒸し、粗熱をとって冷蔵庫で冷やす。お好みでそらまめを飾る。

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Panda’s Vanishing Act?

November 10, 2009 dragonlife 10 Comments

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Just had some fun with another capuccino at Caffeteria Il Cuore!

CAFFETERIA IL CUORE
420-0035 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-cho, 13-20, Ishiwata Bldg. 1F
Tel. & fax: 054-2723737
Business hours: 11:30~23:00 (open every day)
Credit Cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow
Bread + Butter
Elinluv Tidbit Corner
Tokyo Terrace
Comestilblog

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Traditional Japanese Cake-Dorayaki: The Basics

November 10, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

DORAYAKI-1

Dorayaki, a traditional Japanese cake which combines many traditions and gastronomies has been a delicacy for such a long time in this country that it has expanded to the point of crossing all seas and oceans.

This posting is only a summary of common knowledge but I hope it will help many to understand the delicacy and make it themselves for the pleasure of all, adults and children alike!

I will eventually post a basic recipe for it!

DORAYAKI-2

Dorayaki (どら焼き, どらやき, 銅鑼焼き, ドラ焼き) is a type of Japanese confection which consists of two small pancake-like patties made from castella wrapped around a filling of sweet red bean paste (anko/餡子).
Incidentally Castella (カステラ, Kasutera) is a popular Japanese sponge cake made of sugar, flour, eggs, and starch syrup, very common at festivals and as a street food.
Now a specialty of Nagasaki, the cake was brought by way of Portuguese merchants in the 16th century.

It originally only had one layer, and the current shape was invented in 1914 by the Ueno Usagiya.
In Japanese, dora (銅鑼) means “gong”, and because of the simililarity of the shapes, this is probably the origin of the name of the sweet.
Legend has it that the first Dorayaki were made when a samurai named Benkei forgot his gong (dora) upon leaving a farmer’s home where he was hiding and the farmer subsuquently used the gong to fry the pancakes, thus the name Dorayaki.

In Kansai area, such as Osaka or Nara, this sweet is often called mikasa（三笠）. The word originally means triple straw hat, but also an alternative name of Mount Wakakusa, a low hill with gentle slope located in Nara. Many local people picture the shape of this hill while eating a mikasa. In Nara, a larger mikasa of about 30 cm in diameter is famous.

DORAYAKI-3

Probably thanks to the French Macarons vogue, modern dorayaki also come in various colours, with the bean paste, usually made of red bean paste and sometimes of white bean paste, replaced with creams of many colours.

DORAYAKI-4

Here in Shizuoka Prefecture which produces half of all Japanese green tea, they make dorayaki with matcha (抹茶) tea, both in the castella and in cream combined with the anko/bean paste!

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Vegan Rice Cupcakes

November 9, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

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Just discovered this cupcake recipe for my vegan (I’m not) friends with the extra bonus of possible variations!

Japanese style vegan rice cupaakes!

INGREDIENTS: For 1 mug cup (arrange quantities accordingly for a greater number)

-Rice powder (Ris Blanc): 4 tablespoons
-Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon
-Sugar (of your choice, honey might be feasible): 1 tablespoon
-Baking Powder: Half a teaspoon
-Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
-Soy milk: 4 tablespoons

RECIPE:

– VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES2

-In an oven ramequin or mug cup first pour rice powder, cornstarch, sugar and baking powder and mix well.
Next add olive oil and soy milk and mix well.

VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES3

-Depending on the kind of rce powder and soy milk you use, you may have to increase the amount of one or both for a smoother mixture. Experiment!

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-Cook insid emicrowave for 2 minutes or more. Check by pushing a thin wooden or meddle stick. It should come out clean. The taste is light. You may add sugar.

-Have a good look at the cake while it cooks. It should not be more than 2 minutes 30 seconds.
If you use kabocha powder, you will need 1 small teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon of water.

VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES5

-The above green cupcake was made by adding 1 teaspoon of spinach powder and 1 teaspoon of soy milk!

VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES6

-Add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of soy milk for a cocoa cupcake!

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-Add 1 tablespoon of carrot powder and 1 teaspoon of soy milk for a carrot cupcake.

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-Add crushed apple for the above!

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Vegan Tofu Lemon Cupcakes

November 7, 2009 dragonlife 12 Comments

VEGAN-TOFU-LEMON-CUPCAKE

This is a slightly different version of the Japanese style vegan tofu cupcake I introduced a couple of days ago. It will give you an idea of how to play on that idea!

INGREDIENTS: For about 16 cakes

-Tofu (kinu tofu): 180 g
-Sugar (of your choice): 80 g
-Soy milk: 3 tablespoons
-Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
-Olive oil: 2 tablespoons

-Flour (use chestnut flour if you are wheat allergic): 160 g
-Baking powder: 2 teaspoons

-Grated lemon skin: 1 whole lemon
-Dried English tea leaves, finely chopped ( the contents of 1 tea bag is adequate)

RECIPE:

-Mix flour and baking powder well.
Mix soy milk and lemon juice separately and and set apart.

-In a large bowl drop in the tofu and sugar. Mix well until you obtain a smooth paste. Add the soy milk, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix the lot thoroughly with a whisker.

-Add the all flour and baking powder mixture and mix in with a spatula until floury lumps have disappeared, but don’t mix too much!

-Pour mixture into cups and sprinkle them with grated lemon skin and dried tea.

-Bake inside oven for 16 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius.
If you make mini cupcakes, 12 minutes should sufficient.
keep looking at the colour of your cupcakes!

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Matcha Tofu Muffins

November 7, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

MATCHA-TOFU-MUFFIN

Tofu and Matcha tea are considered for good reasons as health food here in Japan.
They can also be combinedinto a very European/American style cake: Muffins!

INGREDIENTS: For about 6 muffins

-Tofu (kinu tofu): 150 g (no need to press waterout)
-Egg: 1
-Wheat (use one of your preference): 4 tablespoons
-Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons
-Cream powder: 2 tablespoons
-Sugar: 3 tablespoons
-Matcha tea powder: one and a half tablespoons
-Butter: 15 g
-Baking powder: 1 teaspoon

RECIPE:

-Melt butter inside microwave oven.
Take out and pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

-Drop all ingredients inside a food processor and process until you obtain a smooth mixture.

-Fill muffin cups with mixture up to nine tenths height.
(Pouring the whole lot in an oiled/buttered pound cake mold is fine, too)

-Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes (Check colour as all ovens have their own “character”)

-Let them cool completely.
If you don’t eat them at once, wrap them in cellophane paper and leave inside refrigerator or in a very dry box.

Best enjoyed with tea? LOL

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Baked Tofu Cheese Cake

November 6, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

BAKED-TOFU-CHEESE-CAKE

One way to lighten your cheese cake and invest into a new taste is to introduce tofu!

Here is a simple recipe that will please anyone woorying about unwanted calories:
Baked Tofu Cheese Cake!

INGREDIENTS:

-Cream Cheese (Philadelphia): 230 g
-Tofu (kinu tofu): 200g (before pressing water out)
-Sugar: 70g (of your choice)
-Eggs: 2
-Vanilla bean pod: 1 (small) (if not available use vanilla essence)
-Soy milk: a little
-Flour: 2 tablespoons (flour of any kind is fine)
-Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon
-Biscuits (crushed to form a solid base under the cheese cake/optional)

RECIPE:

-Line the bottom of a oven cake mold with a layer of crushed biscuit.
You may do without it but it will help absorb excess water from tofu.

-Soften cream cheese to room temperature (you may warm it a bit inside a microwave oven) and mix with sugar.

-Once the cheese and sugar misture has become smooth, add the tofu by crushing it between your palms, addd the whole eggs and mix well with an eletric whisker until you obtain a smooth mixture.

-Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and extract the inside (or use vanilla essence), mix it with some soy milk and add to the mixture. Mix well.

-The last three steps may be done with a food processor, but mixing all ingredients one by one give you a “right feel”!

-Pour the mixture inside the mold over the biscuit layer and flatten the surface with a spatula.

-Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake for 50 minutes r until you have obtained the right colour and a raising mound in the middle.

-If the colour even then is too white, raise temperature to 200 degrees Celsius and bake for 10 more minutes.

-Let cake completely cool down.
Only then may you take it out of its mold and leave it inside the refrigerator overnight before eating it.

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Vegan Tofu Cupcakes

November 5, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

VEGAN-TOFU-CUPCAKE-1

Cupcakes are the norm all over the world when it comes to bakery and tofu is a must for vegans.
Now, it is possible to make very simple cupcakes for vegans!
Wheat flour allergics can replace the wheat flour with chestnut flour like the Corsicans and Portguese do in their traditional food!
This is only the basic recipe to which you can add fruits and vegetables!

Vegan Tofu Cupcakes!

INGREDIENTS: For 5~6 cupcakes

-Tofu (kinu toufu): 300 g
-All-purpose flour (for substitutes, read above): 100 g
-Sugar (white, cane, or even honey): 30 g

RECIPE:

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-Get ingrediens ready and pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

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-Mix tofu and sugar. Mix well.

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-Sprinkle flour over tofu and mix roughly so as to leave a little flour on the surface.

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-Bake for 25~30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius or until desired colour.

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-Dead simple, aren’t they?
Now your skills will reside in what you add!

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Tofu & Chicken stuffed Green Peppers

November 4, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

TOOFU-CHICKEN-PIMAN

Tofu when mixed with other ingredients opens a door on an infinite number of easy recipes!

Here is a very simple Japanes-style snack:
Tofu & Chicken stuffed Green Peppers!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people

-Green peppers: 6
-Kinu tofu: 400 g
-Minced chicken: 175 g
-Japanese Sake: 1 tablespoon
-Soy sauce: 2 teaspoons
-Cheese powder: 1 tablespoon
-Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
-Black or white pepper: to taste
-Cornstarch: a small amount according to preferences

RECIPE:

-Leave a weight on top of the tofu to drain water and reduce it about two thirds of its volume.
-Wash the green peppers, cut in halves and wipe off humidity.
-In a bowl drop the tofu and minced chicken. Mix well by hand until you obtain a soft smooth paste.
-Add Japanese sake, cheese powder, salt and pepper and mix well.
Sprinkle insides of peppers with cornstach and fill each pepper half with tofu/chicken mixture.
-Place on oven plate and cook at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.
Serve with a little salt or soy sauce.

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Gastronomic Destinations: New Caledonia (’09/09-3)

November 3, 2009 dragonlife 5 Comments

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Ilot des Canards/Duck-canard Islet

New Caledonia ofers many escapes within short distances.
One of mine (and the Missus’) is a small islnad only 15 minutes away by boat from Noumea called Ilot (or Ile) des canards/Ducks Islet.
if you have your own boat (a yacht wouldn’t be able to find deep enough water to stop there) wind sail board or kayak you could reach the place quickly enough.
For pedestrians, go to Colleen Excursions (Tel.: 28-33-58) in Anse Vata Bay where you can book a boat across the lagoon for 1,000 Pacific Francs (return ticket)/12 US $.

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The sland is worthe the vist (daytime only) for many reasons:
Originally copmpletely desert, a French-japanese couple obtained the license to develop it.
Not ony did they build a restarant wih seats and parasols there, they also planted trees and plants form New caledonia, thus ceating a new environment while protecting and furthering native nature.
The birds have come back and even “fight off” tourists away from their nests!

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Enjoying local beer on an empty stomach…

The restaurant offers healthy and plentiful fare in a great natuaral enironment away but still within a short distance of civilization.

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Salade de Crudites/Vegetables Salad

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Venison Grill Salad

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The staff are all recruited from the locals who are very warm and friendly.
One can rent cahairs and parasols (bring your own parasol if you don’t want to spend the money as it can be pretty hot!)

A great day off away from the crowd (that is, in the off sason!)

ILOT CANARD, PLAGE LOISIRS
Tel.: 46-92-84
(Call to check day off)
Credit cards not accepted

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Gastronomic Destinations: New Caledonia (‘09/09-2)

November 1, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

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Ile des canards seen from Noumea, Anse Vata Bay

new caledonia is our regular destination when when we find the the time to escape from Japan for a short vacance.
being blessed with sun, sea and great food, be it French or “ethnic” of all kinds, it also offers some of the best natural water in the Pacific Ocean!

I’m not tired of repeating it, a benediction for beer Brewers and beer lovers!

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There are three distinct microbreweries in New Caledonia:
The first one, 3 Brasseurs, is actually a branch of a great microbrewery in France, but it uses only local water and thus can be considered a true New Caledonian mkicrobrewery!
It not only offers a range of four different beers, all made from pure malt and hops, unpasteurized and unfiltered:
Blonde (lager), Ambree (red ale), Scotch (porter) and Blanche (weizen)
sampling their tasting set is simply a must!

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New Caledonia lobsters!

But they also include a restaurant upstairs where you can eat all typical Alsatian Cuisine, Southern French Cuisine, and other typical French specialties:

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Mussles and fried potatoes, which is a belgian specialty actually!

On the first floor, you can either enjoy a drink at the pub or on a terrace.
Check their special band music nights!

3 Brasseurs
Centre Commercial de la Baie des Citrons, Noumea, Nouvelle Caledonie
Tel.: (687)241510

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Gastronomic Destinations: New Caledonia (’09/09-1)

October 31, 2009 dragonlife 6 Comments

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View of Noumea from Ile des Canards

Travelling to New Caledonia can easily become a thirsty venture!
Even in “Spring” (September), temperatures can uickly soar over 25 degrees in the shade, meaning at least 10 more in the sun!

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Number 1 Beer and havannah Beer at Le Fun Beach

New Caledonia is not only blessed with sun, sea and great food, but it also offers some of the best natural water in the Pacific Ocean!
No wonder this island has been settled for millennia as the water is slowly filtered through rocks before to gush out at the feet of pretty high (over 2,000 metres in some cases) for such a small island!
A benediction for beer Brewers and beer lovers!

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Tuna Salad at le Fun Beach

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Roast Beef salad at Le Fun Beach.

There are many restaurants in Noumearemisniscent of Southern France. Actually the Caucasian population is mainly from Southern France and Corsica.
Food in such restaurants is very healthy although a missing a little spice. Sauces and vinaigrettes are light in particular.
There are exceptions I will mention in my next posting!

LE FUN BEACH
Promenade R. Laroque, Noumea, New caledonia/Nouvelle Caledonie
Tel: 263132
Credit cards OK
Great View on Anse vata Beach and Bay
Lunch and Dinner

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Sushi and Sashimi: Eat Local!

October 29, 2009 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Saurel pike/Aji from Suruga Bay, Shizuoka Prefecture

Very few people will disagree with the notion that Japan is the ideal place to discover and savour sushi and sashimi in the whole world. Nevertheless, there are a few rules of the thumb to respect even in this gastronomic paradise.
The overriding rule is that you should try and eat only local fish or seafood.
Tsukiji might be considered a sushi paradise by Tokyoites, but the cheap prices enjoyed by tourists cannot conceal the reality: the fish and seafood are “imported” from all over Japan and beyond!
More than often, Edomae (Tokyo) sushi is nothing but a clever way to “dress up” ingredients to lure officionados (and customers) into believing they are eating top quality sushi (with the consequent prices).
Now, if you have the chance and time to explore Japan beyond Tokyo, you will discover an unfathomable treasure trove of gastronomic pleasure and knowledge!
After all, this country is a vast archipelago stretched across greatly different seas and climates, making for a diversity difficult to equal.
So, even if you cannot possibly explore all the shores of this nation, make a point to learn about the food available wherever you choose to stay.
The same goes for residents, not only for their own sake, but for that of their visitors and friends!

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Sushi set with fish all caught in Suruga Bay, Shizuoka Prefecture

You also ought to do some homework. Sushi chefs worthy of their salt will be only too happy to answer questions to genuinely interested customers and come up with revelations of their own.
As an example to illustrate the need for some basic knowledge, in Hokkaido “oyakodon” is not cooked chicken and omelette on a bowl of rice, but raw salmon and its roe spread on top the same bowl of rice!
Likewise, the same fish will more than often be sold under a myriad of names.
Many morsels will not be found anywhere else as “sakura ebi/cherry shrimps” and fresh”shirasu/sardine whiting” in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Sashimi in most cases has to be perfectly fresh as typified by “kubiore saba” in Yakushima Island where fishermen break the neck (“kubiore”) of mackerels (“saba”) to preserve their quality upon catching. The same fish will be served within a few hours, or less, on the local tables.
On the other hand, tuna sashimi is best consumed after ripening for a few days in a refrigerator.
In Hokkaido, large shrimps, especially “botan ebi” will be served only raw, whereas “kuruma ebi” will be first boiled in other regions.

If you ask for “tataki”, make sure it means the whole fish, especially “aji/mackerel pike” that will be served finely cut as tartare atop the dressed fish.

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Flying Fish/Tobiuo sashimi from Yakushima Island

On the other hand, sushi follows different rules.
Fish and seafood placed on “donburi” (bowl) are usually of the freshly brought variety but fish served as nigiri is prepared in a different way.
The greatest sushi (and this cannot be done in Tsukiji!) are made with fish which has been gutted and cleaned live within seconds, then dressed into strips/fillets left to mature in a refrigerator on clean cloth/kitchen paper. This can be done only with fish caught locally!
The same obviously goes with shellfish and other marine ceatures: One cannot sample better “uni/sea urchin” away from Hokkaido or sakura ebi from Shizuoka.

Vegan and vegetarians, upon finding a restaurant willing to satisfy their priorities should also ask for food grown locally, a search easier than one might think at first as there are many non-meat eaters in this mainly Budhist country.
The same vegetables will make for the perfect combination when associated with local fish!