Grindz - Tsukiji Fish Market & Restaurant
May 13th, 2008 by Braddah LanceHungry anyone?
Because I gotta say, if you not, waste money if you go to Tsukiji with anything in your opu. My first experience there was a 1st birthday party for Andrew Chao, the son of a long time friend Kara Lee.
Now when you add free and buffet together you no can go wrong even if you’ve never heard of the place like I did. In case you’re wondering where it is? It’s part of the new section in Ala Moana Shopping Center right next to Romano’s Macaroni Grill - you can’t miss it…just look for da long line.
It features a Japanese food buffet ranging from, of course, sushi, tempura and oodles of noodles but also a host of other concoctions such as miso eggplant and blackened sesame green beans. While the lunch selection differs from the dinner (crab and more seafood), the lunch at $18.95 is quite a deal…if you can pound.
If you’re a lightweight, bettah just grab da good stuff cause otherwise waste money Brah!
So wat da verdict?
Das right….Five Shakas and a Howzit!
The only thing bad to say was that the line was hella long but if you time it right, not too bad. Just no go at noon - that’s suicide cause you standing in a line that doesn’t seem to move…
Wassap Wit Dat?
Just a word of advice - until they figure out a sensible system, the line always stops at the tempura and noodle section. The table service was excellent and quick and tables aren’t jam packed next to each other leaving enough room to walk to the buffet.
So hea’s da pics cause I know you guys waiting for it…eh, no buss my nuts cause the pics out of focus. I still shame stand in front of food with a camera looking like a kook. 
Lunch and dinner pricing
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Lunch items on the left, dinner on the right. Maybe about a half dozen or so difference - mainly crab.
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Sushi bar was pretty extensive with something to please everyone. The maguro (ahi) were nice cuts - not the cheap cartillage stuff. There was even shrimp cocktail and as you can tell, the mob came and went.
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Ah, no can live without da Spicy Tuna!!! Had a different flavor but a good kick…and dat’s coming from a Korean! The serving dish was full…before I took my share then realized to take da pic. Oops.
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Tempura station. It was actually shrimp tempura…not tempura shrimp - if you know what I mean. There was also the vegetable tempura and croquette as well.
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Round 1
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Round 2
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Round 3, then I had Round 4 (Udon) and Round 5 (shave ice)
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In all this haste of trying to grind and taking pics, here’s the low down on the other stations.
Noodle Station: Udon, saimin, and soba. Fresh made and boiled right in front of you. The soup stock is ono.
Dessert Station: Minatures of various cakes, mousse and fruits. Also shave ice - or ice shaved for da neighbor islands - not da Aoki’s or Matsumoto’s kine but they have azuki beans and condensed milk for added calories.
Rest of Buffet That I remember: Kal-bi, kim chee, teri-chicken, miso soup and quite a few others.
Needless to say, my ex-coworkers had taken me back to Tsukiji’s two weeks later for my very very belated birthday….. free and buffet - how can you go wrong?
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SHOUT OUT - Happy Birthday Andrew Chao! Thanks for da grinds!
No bu’lai. Dat’s da way he eats…off da mat. Can you say watch out Takeru Kobayashi?
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Here’s wat he really looks like wen he eat normal. 
Tags: Buffet, Pound, Shakas, Tsukiji's Fish Market
May 13th, 2008 at 8:34 am
BL,
Went there when it first opened, we wandered in there for Father’s Day. The prices have come down for lunch buffet, when we went, it was $40 per person. I liked the food, as you did, but it really wasn’t $40 good. May have to reevaluate at $19 per person.
I did pretty good at the buffet, but no can compete with you. I guess I can qualify for middleweight then.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:37 am
I concur. That place is the winnas. Went there also for lunch and thought it was a pretty food deal if you can eat. Everything is very fresh and tasty.
Went 2x for the ice shave. With ice cream and azuki of course.
Side note. Went to Makino Chaya at Aloha Tower for dinner the other week. Lets just say, not a good experience. Good ting had one gift certificate. Had planny japanese tourists. They shoulda went Tsukiji!
May 13th, 2008 at 8:39 am
wow! i must be reading the paper early this morning
good job on da 5 trips thru the line and thanks for making my granola bar feel inadequate.
i always wanted to try Tsukiji but never ended up going….no more nuff time during lunch (i no work for da state! j/k) and i heard mixed reviews like “lunch was great but dinner not worth the price” or “Makino Chaya mo bettah” and of course “da line too long. ran out of sushi. and all da good stuff.” but after your 5 shaka & a howzit rating i tink da next lunchtime stop at ala moana will be there!
and BL, getting good wit da pics! but i know what you mean about feeling crazy taking pics of food…when you standing in line….holding up da line cuz da flash neva go off
May 13th, 2008 at 8:42 am
so you liked it, huh?? i’ve heard mixed things about the place…i heard not so good, cold food, but then your review echoed some other ones. maybe i’ll wait for someone to have a party there?? lol! $32 a person, ouch! but like you said, when you hear buffet you should automatically think starvation mode for the 24 hours prior! LOL!!
May 13th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Fuud Pixs!
I neva go to dat place yet.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:54 am
When I heard was going get one Tsukiji Fish Market ova hea, I thought was going be like the one in Japan…..one big a$$ fish market! But only get one manini size shop in there. WWD!
I neva eat there yet but the buffet look ono. I gotta go check um out.
Ho BL….5 rounds? u da man! And it’s ice shave.
Mahalo for da grindz pix.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Ho, brah, ROUND 5??? You got your money’s worth! I haven’t eaten there yet (although my family already has), but when I do, I goin’ attack like I do at other buffets…skip the fluff stuff like rice/salads and pile on da meats, fish and tempura.
Round 5…brah, you da man! I bet you had to loosen the buttons on the pants after!
May 13th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Holy moly! Did that come with a t-shirt?
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Ok, you got me there.
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I think I would call myself a buffet connoisseur and I’ve been to Makino’s and Todai’s and besides their “quantity” I would say Tsukiji’s is hands down the leader…so far. I think the mix reviews came must have been at the wrong times like the food is cold. I did notice that towards the ending of lunch, the “rotation” slowed down but if you go in the beginning they are hustling to replace and keep things fresh. Keep in mind that Tsukiji’s is a Japanese buffet so no expect New York Steak.
I should take a pic of Da Wife wen she stay standing next to me…
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You forgot to add any type of activity so that when you pound you no feel as bad.
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Whaaaaa? j/k Keep it in mind if you evah crave for buffet.
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Big Island native eh?
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You one seasoned vet too eh? Waste money (space) going fo’ dat kine stuff yeah? Just pound da things you regularly don’t eat cause dat’s how you do it at da buffet…. Wat? Challenge?
Ok, you not one vet…Braddah, it’s called ELASTIC…. nah, I buy my pants big already…
LMAO
May 13th, 2008 at 9:08 am
yes, tsukiji’s is really good!! too bad i gave up rice for lent, and didn’t miss it so much . . . that i still don’t eat rice!! so cannot grind da sushi
but i eat all the other carbs 
LOL!!
anyway, everything is really good over there . . . i like the tempura station and the kal bi! they have the guy cooking it right there!!
i cannot eat as much as you bruddah . . . maybe just 1/4 of every round!! but then i’m a girl . . . so yeah . . . gotta watch my girlish figure!!
May 13th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Look onolicious…. I’m soooooo jealous! :D! If my keiki was there, he would have “ooohhhhhed” and “aaahhhhhhhed” all the food. He loves to eat!
May 13th, 2008 at 9:16 am
No, no shirts with my $40 (well, my wife’s, but in the end, my $40, lol) Had live music though, playing upstairs. Had really nice lady working the noodle station when we went, entertained my daughter when she was making the udon for us. But the thing I remember the most was the bathroom - had handsoap in nice container and smelled kinda nice, nothing like Simple Green. In fact, I kept telling my wife to smell my hand, she was getting all irritated already.
Actually didn’t think this place would still be in business after some of the reviews, but looks like they’re doing ok. Will definitely have to check it out again.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:27 am
For one little guy…meaning you Lance not the baby, you can grind. Brah, you grabbed some serious amount of plates with some serious food. At least your friend nevah waste money paying for you. In fact I think you put the restaurant in the red. LMAO. Man, those people can wipe out that place. Looks like you went during closing time. The food must be good if everything is all gone. BTW, I prefer shrimp tempura over tempura shrimp too.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Japanese buffets have become rather hohum lately…until I went to Tsukiji for a dinner party a few weeks ago. HO DA GUUUUUUD!!! and something so simple as the udon was so authentic. Tasted just like real Kyoto udon. And choice of crab; snow, king and (was it stone?) crab claws perfectly steamed neither dry nor dripping with water. HO DA GUUUUUUUD!!!
May 13th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I went to Tsukiji with some good friends and we all thought it was ono!!
May 13th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Braddah Lance,
Great fuud review. I’ll definitely take the family there the next time I’m in the islands.
BTW - Now that you’ve been there a few times the manager is going to cry when he sees you busting through the front door.
“Ah-yahhh…Here comes BL ruining my profit margin…again…”
May 13th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
oh yeah…you know that Kyoto Osho one right across the way? it’s kinda same-same like Tsukiji….in da sense dat it’s Japanese buffet. but we tried it once for lunch & neva get 5 shaka reviews…limited selection, sushi was only so-so. den we thought well maybe was just one of those days and they just opened, so we went back about a month later hoping for improvement but ehh….same ting. maybe it’s different for dinner anyone went? but for lunch better to wait in the Tsukiji line!
May 13th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Well then, you nevah see DIS guy cook my mom’s secret recipe kal-bi. Guran’s bombarans going be one of the best you’ll ever have.
Suck it up!… eh, last time I checked, round is a figure.
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Not to rub it in or anything but……….aaaaawwwww.
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The past two times I’ve went they were slammed and every time I pass by it looks full.
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My friends and I have a saying….”Four plate minimum”
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I love udon too so was bonus and now I gotta check out dinner….one of these nights.
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Das why I wear disguise’s.
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Yeah, I went dea too for lunch a little afta dey wen open…not too good. But the 411 about them now is that they no longer have a buffet because of Tsukiji…at least dat’s wat I heard.
May 13th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Eh Lance when people see how much you eat they going collapse. I know if I invite you places and I’m paying we going buffet. You should tell them about the amount of food we pound at the “ALL YOU CAN EAT” sushi buffets we go to. Remember the one in vegas where we came in 1hr before closing and the cook got mad because the 5 of us ordered practically everything on menu. Braddah thought he was going cruise for the last hour. Or the time 4 of us went to Sansei before your wedding and we must of ordered around 20 plates of sushi. The waitress wouldn’t believe we could finish it. That didn’t include the regular dishes we ordered as well. Tsukuji’s is by far a better restaurant then Todai’s and Makino Chaya. Da’s one place I know i going get my money’s worth.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Talk about getting your money’s worth! Good job, BL!! (You sure da manager wasn’t giving you side eye?)
Tsukiji’s is good… maybe we going dea for belated Secretary’s Day lunch!
And, I’m a little late on this, but in regard to the numbers on the RSVP cards… most people I know number them to correspond to their guest list, in alphabetical order… just so da Kwonics don’t get offended when their number is #123 (out of like, 125… not that they know that, anyway)! And, it’s not only ’cause some people write illegibly… some people don’t write their names at all and a lot don’t even bother to send back their RSVP cards! And, on a side note, if you ever end up sitting with people you don’t know at a wedding or something, take it as a compliment. It’s usually close to impossible to keep groups (work friends, high school friends, etc.) together, so if you’re the only one (or the only couple) who’s sitting somewhere else, you may be the only one who 1) wouldn’t complain (yes, people complain all the time!), 2) would make the best of it and would have a good time, and 3) would get along with the other people.