Our morning started early, we wanted to reach Ibaraki before noon time so here we were at the road, rented a car to a drive in another prefecture. It took us 2 hours or so to reach the market - our destination for today.
The market we're visiting today is called Nakaminato Osakana Ichiba (那珂湊おさかな市場 or Nakaminato Fish Market in English) located at Hitachinaka City in Ibaraki Prefecture. It was a smooth, not-so-long drive from Tokyo, probably because it's a weekday. However, near the market, we got caught in a traffic jam. Many people were going to the market, including tour buses.
We parked a bit farther, so we had to walk around the neighborhood. We then realized there's another area near the market for a parking that we could just have used, but it was too late already. Next time we'll park there.
The market is just like any other market I've been to - except this one has some of the best and freshest raw oysters. We weren't sure if the entrance to the market was where we entered, but I think that was the end point of the market. We were welcomed by great and big oysters that we couldn't resist, so we gave in and bought some. Our first purchase of the day.
They sell the regular sized and the big sized oysters at 800 yen. When it was our turn to purchase, my partner gave the owner 1,000 yen telling him to give us the biggest oysters from the bunch. Was that a hidden menu? Because he just gave us the best batch of bigger oysters from another container.
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He cleaned and opened the oysters in front of us, and all we had to do was just to grab a lemon, pour soy sauce in it, and take it away. There was a table and some benches on the other end where we could eat. We were standing though since the benches were a bit far. We got 4 oysters and oh my, that was really the best I had in my life!
After the oysters, we proceeded to check the rest of the market.
We stumbled upon a grilling section that sells big shrimps. I got curious so my partner and I had each. It was so salty I couldn't stand eating it. I still finished it though. The shrimp wasn't so juicy anymore, maybe too much grilling.
My partner got uni or sea urchin but it wasn't as tasty as what we had in sushi restaurants so that one was also a miss.
This area also sells raw oysters and while I didn't like how it looked, my partner wanted to try it to compare the quality of the oysters from where we ate first. We bought some normal sized and big sized oysters. I noticed the man serving us wasn't as fast as the first oyster master that the queue became long.
And turned out, it wasn't as tasty as the first time. I don't know why it's different but this one was a not so milky and there's an aftertaste. After comparing, I recommend the first one. There were a lot of stalls selling raw oysters but I recommend the one on the end of the market where we first tried the oysters.
There was a stall selling grilled squid, and we almost gave in. There was a queue that discouraged us to try it.
Instead, we found a sushi restaurant hidden inside the wet market. We didn't wait long, unlike the sushi restaurant by the street that many people were waiting in line.
It was a small kaitensushi, or the conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Each plate has different colors, indicating the price. I couldn't remember how many I ate, but I was a bit full from all the streetfood eating we had that I didn't enjoy much sushi. It was still good though, especially my new found favorite tuna, which was the most popular item on the menu.
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Our stomachs were so full while our wallets were in drought. It was such a contradiction but we didn't regret coming here. This was one of the most unforgettable dates that we have - maybe because of the fresh oysters. 😅
Since it's a market, I wanted to bring home some fish to cook at home. It was hard to decide which one to buy, and some stalls have fewer displays already. It's past lunch time so it's understandable. When a storeowner gave me discounts for 2 different kinds of fishes, that became my deciding factor. 😅
If you need ice for the fish, there's a big ice section in the market where you can freely get the ice cubes you need. It's available for people who bought in the market.
I also wanted to get fruits but in the end, I didn't. The melon looked so tasty but it was out of my budget already.
Before we left the market, my partner got himself more raw oysters. It's so amazing that he could still have room for more while I was couldn't even take another bite.
Before we left, we explored the nearby area. Some people were relaxing while some were fishing. It wasn't so crowded so I really liked it. After a few minutes of taking in the fresh sea breeze and observing the sea, we went home full of smiles and with a full belly. 😌
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Thanks for reading! See you around! じゃあ、またね！
With love,
All photos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.
