Tempura Koizumi Takano

It’s fairly common for the most delicious foods to be the best hidden, and Tempura Koizumi Takano is no exception. Also called Tempura Takano or simply Takano, it was awarded a Michelin star in the 2016 special edition of the Michelin Guide Toyama-Ishikawa. Hidden in an unassuming office building, the restaurant is headed by Chef Takano Tomoyuki, who trained in the art of tempura for almost two decades in his hometown of Osaka, before opening his own restaurant in Toyama based on recommendation of a fellow chef — a certain Koizumi whom Chef Takano respected so deeply, that he even added said colleague's name to the name of his restaurant. Interestingly, Chef Takano uses 100% safflower oil to fry his ingredients, a marked departure from the white sesame oil that is gaining popularity in high-end tempura restaurants. Naturally, as an Osakan both by birth and by training, Chef Takano batters his tempura in Kansai-style, coating each piece light and thin for maximum crunch and letting them sit lighter in the stomach. Diners can expect different menus for different seasons, but the presence of firefly squid (hotaru-ika) and shiro-ebi white shrimp in spring menus — both foods that Toyama Bay is renowned for — mean that the restaurant sees a deluge of reservations from as early as late February to May. Attention to detail persists throughout the entire course — rice is of the highest grade possible, using Toyama-grown grains which are then cooked in a donabe earthenware pot, giving it an unmatched aroma and flavor. Pairings come in the form of over a dozen local sakes, as well as wines that come from local Toyama wineries, as well as from renowned overseas vineyards like the Kenzo Estate in California.