Sticking out like a brick thumb at the southern end of Ginza’s shopping district is the multi-floor shrine to tempura, Tenkuni.  From its humble beginnings in 1885 as a simple yatai stall, it is now a destination for tempura fans.  G and I decided to try Tenkuni based on the recommendation of our Japanophile and tempura-fanatic friend.  While neither of us are particularly crazy over tempura (too doughy and oily), the way Tenkuni served up deep fried cuisine has certainly has made me reconsider my stance on this battered tastiness.

Each floor of Ginza Tenkuni offers different dining options.  The first floor serves tendon (mixed tempura over rice) in a casual cafe style.  The second floor is for sit down (banquet style) kaiseki meals.  The third floor is reserved for private functions.  And oddly enough, the priciest option for fine tempura dining is located in the basement.  This is where we ended up, due to a miscommunication with our hotel concierge.  Although we hadn’t planned for a pricier meal, watching the chefs cook the tempura turned out to be quite an experience.

The average Japanese restaurant tempura is typically of the doughy variety that is more akin to fish and chips.  At Tenkuni- the tempura is the result of expertly fried ingredients with just a thin layer of tempura coating that offers a light crispness before disappearing and allowing the diner to enjoy the taste of the fish or vegetable in all of its glory.  The tempura was so well done that we eschewed the tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce) in favor of a bit of salt and lemon juice.

While each individually fried item was tasty, the real standout of the meal was the tendon that came with my meal.  This was quite simply one of the best rice dishes that I had this trip.  The tempura was a mixture of small scallops and white fish, deep fried to perfection, over a bowl of rice and with just a drizzle of tentsuyu.

While it was fun to experience just-in-time tempura, a return visit to Tenkuni would be to either the 1st or 2nd floor instead.  For tempura fans however, you should do yourselves a favor and try the counter-seating just once to experience what it must have been like a hundred years ago to sit at a small stall and enjoy some of the best tempura made to order.

More photos from Ginza Tenkuni.

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Ginza Tenkuni
8-9-11 Ginza , Chuo-ku, Tokyo
+81 03.3571.1092