Kitashinchi Sushi Tempura Iwai

The best of two worlds come together at Sushi Tempura Iwai. The restaurant leverages its head chef’s 40-plus years of experience in the craft of both sushi and tempura to bring guests a rare combination of culinary styles. However, Iwai sets itself apart even further by offering not just any kind of sushi alongside its tempura — it uses red vinegar for the shari rice in its Edomae-style sushi, a combination that is elusive even in the contemporary district of Kitashinchi. The tempura is expertly fried to maximize not just the texture of the batter and minimize the oily feeling associated with it, but also the natural flavor of the ingredients encased within. Meanwhile, the chef’s intense familiarity with Edomae-style sushi lets him showcase the mastery of the technique not simply by adhering to the culinary tradition, but also by putting contemporary spins on a time-honored art form. Premium ingredients like caviar, sea urchin and bluefin tuna take their place alongside the finest seasonal offerings at the counter, where the chef turns them into one-of-a-kind creations using both traditional techniques and those of his own invention. Guests lucky enough to reserve seats at the counter should count themselves lucky; the opportunity to observe firsthand a chef of such experience and skill is difficult to come by.