A note on the words: Tsukiji’s wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but the outer market (jogai) of small shops and stalls remains and is now one of Tokyo’s busiest food streets. Sazae is the turban shell, grilled whole in its own shell with soy sauce. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
Tsukiji Uoba Little Tsukiji Jogai on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Drinkers, thank you for waiting. It is Hangover Meshi time.
Tsukiji this time! I came out here with somewhere particular in mind — and the crowds were tremendous! Who was it who said the place would empty out once Toyosu opened?! Enormous numbers of overseas visitors, too.
I went into the first place that caught my eye, and the menu was almost entirely in English — squarely aimed at the inbound crowd.
Well, beer at least is not going to have tourist pricing.
So, being in Tsukiji, I ordered a grilled turban shell as well and settled in for a light drink.
Cold beer! Magnificent!
Mind you, at 1,340 yen for this, it is a fair price!
It is delicious, though! And eating out, that is how it goes.
Freshly grilled turban shell! They put it over the charcoal in its own shell and cook it slowly, bubbling and hissing away, which gives it a certain live-performance quality. The steam carries the smell of the sea and the toastiness of soy sauce — extremely promising.
Wind it out with the skewer and into the mouth: that distinctive crisp resistance, then a flood of oceanic savour. And at the end, the bitter part — the liver — which is the best bit.
Another beer!
One turban shell and two beers made it a slightly expensive stop, but a satisfying one. Prices everywhere have moved to tourist levels lately, so choosing your shop in Tsukiji matters rather a lot. For the use case of slipping in for one quick drink, though, it is an easy door to walk through!
May you meet something good to eat today too.
Tsukiji Uoba Little Tsukiji Jogai (izakaya / Tsukiji-shijo Station, Tsukiji Station, Higashi-Ginza Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★☆☆☆ 2.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
