Maguroya Kurogin

Maguroya Kurogin まぐろや黒銀 is located further inside Osaka’s Kuromon market. It’s not that hard to miss, as they specialize in selling blocks of toro (wild Japanese bluefin variety, that is). If you are lucky, you might see some giant bluefin tuna heads, and perhaps the smell of some soy sauce marinated bluefin meat that is BBQ’d.
Even if you don’t drop any bills here, you might even drown in your own saliva looking at and smelling the goods.
This vendor is arguably the only bluefin toro specialist around. Can’t afford the pre-​portioned blocks of toro? There are some economic ways of enjoying bluefin here.
You can get the maguro-​don (3 color rice bowl) where there are four cuts of bluefin. Akami (dorsal meat), chutoro, otoro plus one other cut within the region. Limit one per person, and runs for a reasonable 2000 yen.
There are also some nigiri/​sushi boxed sets ranging from 1500 to 2500 yen.
Did I mention wild Japanese bluefin? It’s the kind Jiro uses (well all the top Ginza Tokyo joints really)
Aomori 青森 prefecture Oma 大間 wild bluefin.
To find bluefin that swims to and is caught typically off the NE, on the western part of Japan, is interesting indeed.
To have Oma bluefin in the USA would mean a sushi chef would have to sell two pieces of toro for US$ 50 to $ 80 just to get by, it’s ridiculously cost prohibitive. It’s already very expensive in a restaurant, but this is a retail market, so as pricey as it seems, it’s the best value you can get.
Feel like YOLO-​ing?
Then get a block of Kama toro. It is cheek/​neck meat, depending on how you interpret it. The marbling is pretty ridiculous, but in a very good way.
Bear in mind the vendors and employees here are not sushi chefs. They use those big ass tuna carving knifes and smaller versions to carve slices from the toro blocks they sell that is pre-​portioned. You pick the size/​weight basically, they weight it for you. Do pay close attention to the price tag, those prices are by weight, per 100 grams! You are basically looking at minimum low 3 digits for a plate of the good stuff.
Should you partake in a plate of the good$, let it sit out for a little bit (particularly if during winter time). The toro is usually is still a tad frosted even though it is wrapped and sitting in the display. Or let it linger on your tongue so you allow the fish to melt a little, and chew very slowly (a little soy sauce and wasabi really helps here).
This is one of those experiences in your life you will not forget. It may ruin you for life, but as the girls in Vegas say, YOLO? (Minus the puking on the dance floor and the instagram shots).
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