I was actually aiming for Yoshimatsu Tempura restaurant but the lunch service had ended by the time I reached Ginza. Thankfully Tenichi’s main branch was open all afternoon and I had the entire restaurant to myself. I chose the most basic course and did not have any alcoholic beverages and the bill came up to about JPY 9,800 but given the freshness of the ingredients, having a chef cook them to perfection and serve the food right away and exemplary service, I can’t say it wasn’t value for money.
After the salad and dipping sauce and salts were presented, crispy prawn heads and prawns – everything, including the shells, were fried to a crunchy crispiness so I ate them in their entirety:
I’m very partial to eggplant and this small and cute, round and plump version was very unlike the long thin types I get at home (which we call brinjal) or the big fat types I get in UK supermarkets; the size was perfect for deep frying whole.
Butterflied whole fish
Asparagus
Scallop
Lotus root
Anago (sea eel)
Rice, pickles and miso soup with tiny clams
A local citrus-based (not yuzu) sorbet and green tea
Thanks, Chef!
I actually knew the proper word for ‘waitress’ because of Hanasaku Iroha lol
Its name (literally “number one under the sky”) is rather immodest by Japanese standards and I can’t say that it was the best tempura I’ve ever had but I certainly enjoyed my meal there and will return in the future.
I hope you went to the food court on the basement floor of Mitsukoshi they have the most epically cheap and delicious bentos ever
I missed out on that doh! Will check it out the next time I’m in Ginza though I hope I don’t have to fight anyone for those Ben-to!
Hahaha, slice of life education strikes again. That tempura is looking pretty sweet, and some things you don’t always see (like lotus root, though I’m not a fan of the root typically).
LOL at the Ten-ichi name. Would have been better as giant pompous brush calligraphy.
Thankfully the waitress wasn’t very Tomoe-ish otherwise I’d flirt with her, then get struck down accidentally by her serving tray and then she’d get yelled at by the chef!
I really like lotus root, especially when cooked in a Chinese-style pork bone broth. I’ve had it before tempura-style but this was the first time it was really crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Sadly for giant pompous brush calligraphy, the kanji for ten-ichi is just too simple for great effect even if writ large and loud. They probably need a more complicated character like Hibiki (but that’s already taken haha!)
While only a combined 5 strokes, it can be pretty dramatic when done right! I just noticed they did write it on that one sign, though it’s not my fav style. I guess the problem is the ichi kinda just makes it look like the ten is underlined when written vertically orz.
I like lotus root paste, but something about the taste of lotus root just doesn’t appeal to me. When it’s sliced thin and crispy it’s ok though. Not quite nato and okra level at least.
I’ve never had lotus root paste before… did you mean lotus SEED (no Destiny!) paste? I like the latter in my mooncakes.
Doh yeah seed paste, guess I just am not a fan of the root!