Once we arrived in Niigata City, Tomomi our gracious host whisked us off to Bandaijima Fresh Fish Market.
Bandaijima is where locals go marketing. It has vegetables, meat and not only fish and seafood.
Our host Tomomi Duquette is Mrs Sake Japan 2024. Tomomi is Niigata native, Japan's current sake ambassador and mentor to Miss Sake Japan 2024.
Fish and seafood from the Sea of Japan and Sado Island, off Niigata. Everything is here and everything is uber fresh.
After browsing the fresh produce market, we proceeded to Benkei Pier Bandai 廻転寿司 佐渡弁慶 ピア万代店.
I was super excited by this set up 😃 Long counter and top quality sushi on conveyor belt (kaiten-zushi).
But, the restaurant was full house and there was also a long line waiting for seats 😯
Fortunately, they still have spillover standing space at the annex shop in the adjacent building 別館 立ち食い弁慶 🙏
A week in Japan, by now I am already used to standing to eat and drink in restaurants 😁 It is very comfortable actually - I wasn't even conscious that I was standing the whole time, once I got the hang of it.
At the Benkei annex shop, the menu was simplified - eight piece ¥1210 or ten select pieces ¥2310 (SGD$20). Seafood soup ¥1210.
Ordering was easy. Eight or ten, soup or not.
We were right out there with full frontal view of the sushi master in action.
We each had the ten piece set.
What makes eating sushi in Niigata special is the fish and seafood are fresh from the Sea of Japan, caught off Sado Island just off Niigata City. The sushi is made with Koshihikari rice from Niigata prefecture, one of Japan's best rice.
Sado Island is famed for its horse mackerel fish.
Every piece looked seemingly simple like Zen art and tasted marvellously delicious. The ivory white, firm tender, sweet Koshihikari rice was the perfect canvas for the natural flavours of the fresh fish and seafood topping.
I needed very little soy sauce and sometimes didn't use any at all to enjoy these pieces. Didn't use any additional wasabi beyond the little which the master already put in the piece.
I've learned by now that it is customary or at least common to end a sushi meal with a miso soup. Here it was an umami savoury seafood miso soup.
We each had a flight of three Niigata sake from sweet to balanced to dry. Sake is an awesome drink, rich with delicious stories and tasty history. I am in love with it. More on what I learned about sake during this trip in another post / article.
So grateful for such an amazing sushi experience. And, I hope one day I can go back for the sit down conveyor belt (kaiten-zushi).
At Benkei Pier Bandai, we get all of the best Niigata prefecture - fish and seafood from Sado Island, Koshihikari rice and Niigata sake! And, at very affordable prices.
If you come to Niigata City, Bandaijima must be in your itinerary.
Thank you Tomomi for bringing us to this wonderful place 🙏
Restaurant name: Benkei Pier Bandai 廻転寿司 佐渡弁慶 ピア万代店
Address (annex shop): 2-13 Bandaijima, Chuo Ward, Niigata, 950-0078, Japan
Tel: +81 505 485 1533 (main shop) ☎ +81252827740 (annex shop)
Hours: 10:30am - 9pm (Weds off)
Written by Tony Boey on 23 Jan 2025
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