5-8-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 3498-3968. Hours: 11:00 A.M.-9:00 P.M. daily. Fast-food sushi by this chain of sushi restaurants. A conveyor belt moves plates of sushi along in front of the customer. You just pick out what you want. Cost is ¥120 per plate. There is a branch of this shop in most major districts. [M-4]
Tempura
While some people claim that tempura was originally a Portuguese recipe, others will say the Portuguese stole the idea from China. Whatever the case, tempura has become one of the mainstays of Japanese cooking. Many tempura fanatics claim the secret to the tempura lies in the oil. The best Tokyo restaurants will use expensive sesame oil, that leaves no after-taste. In Osaka a lighter vegetable oil is preferred. Most tempura restaurants also serve sashimi.
| Menu | |
| teishoku | A set menu that usually consists of ebi (shrimp), kisu (light, white fish), ika (squid), anago (Conger eel), piman (small green peppers), kakiage (shrimp in balls of batter), rice, pickles, and miso soup. |
| tendon, tenju | These two are usually prawns and vegetables served on rice, with a sauce poured over the top. |
You can also order a la carte:
| kaibashira | shell ligament |
| nori | dried seaweed |
| tamanegi | onion |
| shiitake | mushrooms |
| shiso | perilla |
| shishito | a very small green pepper |
| nasu | eggplant |
| kabocha | squash |
| satsumaimo | sweet potato |
| tentsuyu | dipping bowl of soy sauce and dashi fish-stock soup base to which is added grated daikon (white radish) and ginger, the usual accompaniment to tempura |
How to Order
• You can order the set meal teishoku and if you want more, then order a la carte. This is the best and cheapest way.
• Tempura should be eaten while it's hot. The tentsuyu sauce will be in a small pitcher, pour it into the empty bowl you're given, and mix in the ginger and radish. Dip the tempura into the sauce. Don't let it stay there and soak or it will not only lose its taste, but will look disgusting.
TEN'ICHI
6-6-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 3571-1949. Hours: 11:30 A.M.-10:00 P.M. daily. One of the best and most famous tempura restaurants in Tokyo, Ten'ichi has more than ten branches throughout the city. Lunch is from ¥7,000, dinner from ¥8,500. Tendon served until 4:00 P.M. is ¥4,000. [M-8]
TSUNAHACHI
Shinjuku: 3-31-8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: 3352-1011. Hours: 11:00 A.M.-10:00 P.M. daily. [M-7] Shibuya: Daiichi Kangin Kyodo Bldg., 6F, 2-23-3 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 3476-6059. Hours: 11:30 A.M.-10:30 P.M. daily. [M-3] A reasonably priced tempura restaurant with over thirty-six branches in Tokyo, their teishoku set is only ¥1,050. Try a la carte if you still have room for it: hashira no norimaki (shellfish wrapped in seaweed), tamago no kimi (egg yolk), or ice cream (fried!) for dessert.
MIYAGAWA
6-1-6 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku. Tel: 3400-3722. Hours: noon-2:00 P.M., 5:00-11:00 P.M., closed Sun. & hol. This small and unpretentious restaurant right in the middle of Tokyo's most fashionable district serves excellent Osaka-style tempura. Lunch from ¥1,500, dinner courses from ¥6,000. [M-5]
NAKASEI
1-39-13 Asakusa, Taito-ku. Tel: 3841-4015. Hours: noon-3:00 P.M., 4:00-8:00 P.M., closed Tue. Pleasant restaurant preserving the atmosphere of old Tokyo. Situated near Asakusa Kokaido Hall. Teishoku set ¥2,800. [M-12]
TENSHICE
Daisan Seiko Bldg., 2F, 3-6-10 Akasaka, Minato-ku. Tel: 3583-3230. Hours: 11:30 A.M.-2:00 P.M., 6:00-8:30 P.M., closed Sun. & hol. The master of this small and friendly restaurant will personally fry your meal of authentic Edo-style tempura. The lunch special is tendon or kakiagedon at ¥1,300. Dinner courses from ¥7,000. [M-6]
UKIYO
2-1-1 Azabu-juban, Minato-ku. Tel: 3455-2254. Hours: 11:30 A.M.-2:00 P.M., 5:00-10:00 P.M., closed Tue. A simple neighborhood restaurant, the tempura is great and the staff very friendly. Lunch from ¥1,100, dinner course from ¥4,000. [M-1]
Yakitori
A favorite hangout for the Japanese salariman on his way home from work, most yakitori restaurants are technically not restaurants, but nomiya. The art refined is served in more sophisticated restaurants for those who find the under-the-tracks yakitori spots not quite to their taste. Yakitori at its best is skewered bits of chicken, charcoal broiled to the perfect crispy on the outside, succulent on the inside stage.
| Menu | |
| sei-niku | chicken dark meat |
| sasami | chicken breast meat |
| negima | chicken and leeks (other combinations of chicken and vegetables are also served, depending on the restaurant) |
| reba | chicken liver |
| tsukune | meatballs |
| kawa | skin |
| tebasaki | wings |
| piman | green peppers |
| shiitake | large mushrooms |
| negi | leek |
| ginnan | ginkgo nuts |
| uzura | quail eggs |
| Side Dishes: | |
| oroshi | grated white radish with a raw quail's egg on top to be used mixed with soy sauce or as a dip for yakitori |
| nikomi | stew of pork, tripe, etc. |
| kamameshi | steamed seasoned rice with vegetables and a choice of chicken, crab, salmon, etc. |
How to Order
• Order a side dish to eat while you're waiting for the grilled items.
• The grilled food is usually served meat first and vegetables last. You can usually see what's available since seats tend to be at a counter surrounding the grill.
• Some of the dishes are good with fare (a slightly