This was one of the few things I wanted to tick off from my wish-list in Japan. I teamed up with another person I met at the hostel, woke up early and made my way through the different vendors and the bustling life of this district in the city. We queued for a good hour or so (I was surprised to see many locals here, unlike in other stalls), but we were rewarded by some superlative sushi. We opted for a tasting set and every piece had a story to tell. Despite the line, it did not feel rushed, and the sushi master in front of us truly enjoyed showing his skills!

Arrived early expecting a line. No line, but still glad we grab seats early to enjoy the very best sushi of our trip (quite possibly lives). The tuna was incredible! Everything was well prepared and delicious. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that early in the morning in my life and felt terrible that I couldn’t eat more - but it was truly delicious.

Daiwa Sushi is my go-to tourist choice at Toyosu market. The shop was started in Tsukiji Market by the son of the famous Sushi Dai shop and has since moved to Toyosu Market as of 2018. Their pricing is ~4000¥ which is the same as the father’s shop. Daiwa Sushi serves an omakase chef’s menu that includes 9-piece sushi, a 6-piece roll, a Tamagoyaki (egg), and a miso soup. They source everything fresh daily from the fish market where they’re located, quite literally from boat to table. They will always serve the popular hits including 3 types of Tuna (Otoro, Chutoro, and Akami), Uni (Sea Urchin), and Anago (saltwater eel). The key selling point here is freshness and they deliver, you can tell from the tunas and uni pieces specifically. Each piece is ready to eat, pressed with wasabi inside (they’ll ask you at the start of the meal) and the soy sauce is already painted on before serving. I’ve been here a handful of times both in Tsukiji and Toyosu market and the wait has always been relatively quick compared to Sushi Dai. The longest I’ve ever waited was early morning 8 am for less than 1 hour. However, in my last trip I came late at 11 am expecting a long wait but instead only queued for less than 15 minutes. It seems their busy times come in waves with a low time between their morning and afternoon rush. If you’re looking for a touristy option at Toyosu Market than Daiwa Sushi is the way to go it’s wait is short and the flavor is on par with Sushi Dai. Although they are a tourist hotspot their reputation warrants both the price and the wait time because they have always maintained their quality. Since they moved to Toyosu with the updated shop it feels like their quality has taken a step up. So, if you have an 1-2 hour to burn, I’d recommend giving them a try.

We are great fans of this one, especially after its move to the new market, as it is now bigger and better organized. Expect great service, chefs who can speak English and Chinese, and excellent sushi for the price (¥4400 in Dec 2019, cash only!). Sure, you can find better quality/skill in the city if you research and book far in advance (and usually pay more), but for a on the day, morning time sushi fix, I find it unbeatable. The other famous place in the fish market (Sushi Dai) has 2h+ queues of foreigners, Daiwa has a 15 min queue of locals. Interpret that as you may.

Excellent sushi restaurant. Top quality sushi as you'd expect, and the 'chefs choice' provided a great selection. Price was ¥4400 for the 10 piece set menu, cash only. Went on a cold winter's midweek morning, after the market rush and got straight in.