Zuboraya Fugu Restaurant: A meal with the Grim Reaper (Osaka Series Part 3/6)

Fugu "Tessa" (Puffer Fish Sashimi)

What would your last meal be?

How about a meal that can actually kill you?

Such were my questions before I embarked on a quest to sample the highly toxic and potentially fatal "Puffer Fish" that is sold quite openly in Japan. The infamy surrounding this fish has spread to a global level, but in recent times it has become quite safe to eat, thanks to the strict guidelines and rules when serving the dish. One criteria before a chef can earn his license to serve fugu, is that he has to cut and prepare the fish in an examination, and he has to eat it himself after he has finished dissecting it.

But for those of us who are still afraid to try it, fret not. I ate it, I came out alive, and now I live to tell the tale.

The parts of the fugu that are poisonous are mostly its internal organs (i.e liver, roe, ovaries,) and these are strictly not to be served under any circumstances. What the chef does is to carefully remove these organs (they cannot be bruised with the knife or else the poison will all leak out and contaminate the fish), and cut the flesh into paper thin slices such that it is translucent, and arrange them into an intricate pattern. I am guessing the term "Tessa" draws its origin from "Tessellation", hence the concept.

So how was the experience you ask?

I am sorry to be anticlimactic, but all I can say is, eating fugu is more for the novelty and the almost non-existent risk that comes with it, rather than the taste itself. The fish is slightly chewy, almost rubbery, and it is virtually tasteless with absolutely no character. The ponzu that came with it was definitely needed to give the fugu a lift.

Fugu Sushi Combination (A mixture of puffer fish maki, hakozushi and nigiri)

But how about if we used fugu in Sushi? Since the puffer fish would fall under the category of the "Shiromi Dane" (White fish topping), maybe the sushi rice it might change the taste profile of it.

Sadly it did not. The rice was a little hard and not seasoned well, and the fugu was just so lifeless in terms of the flavour. At this stage, it just served the purpose of filling my stomach which I did not want to waste the space on, but it would be extremely impolite for me to leave it unfinished.

So there you have it. If anything, it can be considered an item to strike off your bucket list (or if you're not careful, it might actually be the last thing you actually complete on the list).

Tips when eating Fugu:

1) To play it safe, go for the chain restaurant Zuboraya as it is a popular tourist restaurant with reasonable prices, english menus and pictures for you to take reference.

2) If you wish to sample fugu elsewhere, always look out for the license which should be displayed prominently in the shop or restaurant

3) As mentioned earlier, restaurants are not allowed to serve you the internal organs, so exit promptly if you see anything other than the flesh of the puffer fish.

4) If at any point you feel numbness in your tongue, get yourself to the hospital immediately as that is one telltale sign that the tetrodotoxin (the poison that is in the fish) is taking its effect on you. Symptoms can include high fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and weakness in the body. If left untreated, it can evolve to paralysis of the body and eventually death. Tetrodotoxins take only a few hours to manifest itself in the body so please take extreme caution when eating fugu.


Try it if you want, but do manage your expectations, and please do not go out of your way to kill yourself (intentionally/unintentionally). Exercise caution and carry on living to eat.

Zuboraya Fugu Restaurant
1-6-10 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka

Operating hours
Monday to Sunday
1100 - 2300 (Last Order at 2230)

How to get there:

The nearest station to Zuboraya is Namba Station  on the Osaka Subway. Take Exit 14 and it is about a 5-7 min walk to the restaurant. Look out for a lantern in the shape of a puffer fish.