Fugu Restaurant: Shibuya

Fugu Restaurant: Shibuya
Originally uploaded by jpellgen

Fugu (河豚, 鰒, フグ?) is the Japanese word for pufferfish and is also a Japanese dish prepared from the meat of pufferfish or porcupinefish.

Because fugu is lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly, says Wikipedia, fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine.

Says J Pellgen, "The deadly fugu (pufferfish) that everyone in the West seems to be so terrified about. I guess there is reason for concern though. One slip of the knife and the poisonous excretions of the fish's liver can seep into the flesh and either paralyze or kill you. Get this... There is no known antidote. That is why a special license is needed to prepare fugu, and also why it tends to be expensive. Also, you may notice that fugu restaurants have locked metal buckets--these are for the toxic waste which must be shipped back to Tsukiji market for disposal!"