Abura Hitotsuki

Don’t be surprised if you’re asked to eat tempura with your hands at Abura Hitotsuki. Owner-chef Hiroaki Nakatani believes taste can be enhanced by eating with your hands and, depending on the dish, instructs his patrons to do so. Set in Fukuoka City’s central Hakata district, the shop seats only eight lucky patrons at the counter at each service, meaning that every tempura experience at Abura Hitotsuki is especially intimate. The secret to Chef Nakatani’s success? Precision. Having honed his craft in a famous Tokyo restaurant, the way that Chef Nakatani fries each ingredient is an art, though he admits such perfection requires patience. After honing his skills for a staggering 22 years in the restaurant Ginza Tenichi, Chef Nakatani moved to Fukuoka in 2011 to open Abura Hitotsuki. Here, tempura sheds its heavy, oily image, thanks to Chef Nakatani’s dedication to crafting a batter using special pesticide-free Yame flour, eggs, and water in the perfect ratio. This results in each piece being light and airy; from shrimp to lotus root, each one is a perfect harmony of flavor and texture — and, as Chef Nakatani suggests, sometimes best consumed with hands.