Tempura Expeditions

Experiencing Tokyo would have been incomplete without Tempura. And we would most certainly be untrue to ourselves, if we hadn’t experienced Tempura in all its light battered variety and combinations. So that’s just what we did.

On the first night in Shunjuku, still acquainting ourselves with this multi-faceted district of a thousand coloured lights and train-station exits, we went in search for a small little Udon-Tempura shop.

60 minutes later and terribly lost, we approached a really kind-hearted Japanese lady, who walked us personally to the shop (which turned out to be 5 mins from our hotel!). Helping lost wandering tourists – part and parcel of an everyday business I suppose…

The little shop was made out of a simple udon and tempura station and quaintly furnished with wooden tables and chairs. Canteen style, you order your noodles and when you get your bowl, take a tray and proceed down the counter to select among the variety of tempura laid out.

We were cold, hungry and obviously beyond the logic of calculating the sharing portions, so we just piled them on! The mentaiko udon with a wet egg and generous slab of butter was probably the nicest of the udon available. G also had the daily special – a cheese and butter udon. Together with the freshly fried tempura, it was such a welcoming meal. And after slurping up the noodles, the hot-soup stations provide piping hot soup to wash down the entire meal.

The second stop for tempura was at a little soba shop within Asakusa when we stopped for lunch. This time, we paired the tempura with cold Zaru soba.
This little soba shop is tucked away on a quiet street, away from the buzzling Sensoji Temple and Shin – Nakamise activities.
Once in the shop, we were transported to old-school Japanese tatami dining. The menu was simple, limited mainly to Soba or Udon and a scant choice of tempura.
Exhausting our choices, we pretty much ordered everything listed on the menu. This wasn’t to say the quality of the prawns and vegetables were compromised. Unlike most tempura shops, the ebi prawns were probably the longest prawns, chopped and served on a tempura platter.

The noodles were also freshly made and springy to the bite. Mixed with the quail egg, wasabi and chives, the cold soba dipping sauce provided for a refreshing slurp interspersed with the occasional kick.

Taken twice with such heavy carbos, our next tempura stop, we wanted to the Tsunahachi Tempura chain and have a score of really good tempura. Considering the difficulty we had with the first udon and tempura shop, we thought we should try the one that was easy to find and convenient.

Perhaps it was the expectation, or the fact that it was located within Takashimaya and was acclaimed by few to be one of the better places to have tempura in Tokyo, whatever the case, I was sorely disappointed....

Repeated reminding ourselves to preserve our dignity and observe self-control, we only ordered 2 tempura sets and a side order of sweet potato (naturally) and scallop tempura to share among the 4 of us.
Freshness is most definitely a quality that would never be lacking in Tokyo. But the tempura was honestly nothing to scream about. The skills and execution of the chef was unmistakable – the batter was light and the prawns and scallops just slightly undercooked perfection. But everything was just ordinary. The sweet potato was a little dry and the most disappointing considering that’s my ultimate favourite tempura ever.

I won’t be too quick to condemn Tsunahachi though. To be fair, they really do have a steady and faithful following of tempura eaters. But the next time, maybe we will try to locate the original restaurant in Shunjuku and experience the beginnings of this famous tempura chain.

Well 2 out of 3 still makes a solid tempura experience.

Mentsu-dan (Udon - Tempura)

7-9-15 Nishi-Shinjuku

03-5389-1077

Tsunahachi Tempura
Shinjuku Takashimaya 13F
(03) 5361-1860

OR

Tsunahachi Honten (original restaurant)
3-31-8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
(03) 3352-1012