Aside from being considered a lucky fish, tai, or sea bream, is also a premium delicacy, prized for its firm white flesh and refined flavour. It’s often enjoyed raw as sashimi, or made into classic Japanese dishes such as tai-meshi (rice cooked with sea bream) and tai-chazuke. For the latter, raw slices of the fish are placed over rice and then poured over with hot tea or broth, cooking the fish slightly.
For a taste of this premium fish without shelling out for a wallet-busting kaiseki course, head to this tai speciality restaurant just across the river from Nakanoshima. Tokumasu receives its sea bream fresh each day from Ehime prefecture, where some of Japan’s finest tai comes from, thanks to its clean waters and ideal temperatures. Best of all, you can enjoy a set meal highlighting this beautiful fish for as little as ¥1,100.
For a classic preparation, try the sea bream sesame tea rice set, where slices of sea bream sashimi are mixed with sesame sauce and served with a bowl of steaming white rice. Another option features two types of sea bream – one cured with kelp to draw out excess moisture and concentrate its flavour, and another marinated in soy sauce – served atop white rice. For either dish, you can request a comforting sea bream broth halfway through to pour over your rice, transforming it into a traditional ochazuke.
For the ultimate sea bream experience, the Matsuyama Sea Bream Rice Set lets you enjoy the fish in several ways. You can even choose how many slices of sashimi you’d like — seven, ten or twelve — all for the same price. The meal also includes stewed sea bream, a bowl of tai rice, soup, pickles and side dishes.
This is undoubtedly one of Osaka’s best-value meals, a rare chance to savour a beloved Japanese fish without breaking the bank.