Review

Ginza Tenharu is where you come to truly understand the depth of this culinary art; a restaurant that reveals the profound artistry of Japanese tempura. The entrance marked only by a small, almost unnoticeable, sign. Chef Takuma Tarumi is a tempura master with almost 30 years’ experience. The restaurant offers 12 counter seats serving a chef’s choice menu; frying ultra-fresh ingredients into tempura, the sound of sizzling oil whetting your appetite. Dining begins with three delicate appetisers; uni and uni tofu, salmon roe with roe jelly, and simmered abalone. Next up, signature Japanese tiger prawn tempura. Then, possibly, dried seaweed tempura topped with fresh bafun uni. All ingredients are air-flown from Toyosu market; when the market is closed, so is Ginza Tenharu. Perfectly executed premium-grade fish, including kisu and mebachi, often with earthy maitake mushrooms or Fushumi shishito peppers. Choose from tempura over rice, tempura with green tea over rice, or tempura with an exquisite house specialty broth with tempura prawn balls and green onions over rice, and bonito broth poured over. The broth aroma blends with the scent of green onion to create an unforgettable flavour. Tempura is lightly fried and never heavy, a testament to chef’s technical proficiency. For dessert, there is usually sweet or mochi ice cream. A dry white Italian wine complements the tempura perfectly.