Tempura Asakusa SAKURA

At Tempura Asakusa SAKURA, it’s spring all year round. A gorgeous array of blushing pink cherry blossoms hang from the restaurant’s ceiling, making every service feel as though it’s taking place at a flower-viewing festival. But instead of sandwiches and rice balls, the fare here is of a much higher pedigree: only the finest tempura is served at the L-shaped counter. Tempura Asakusa SAKURA’s mission is to let everyone enjoy tempura, which is why it’s one of the most accommodating omakase tempura restaurants in Tokyo. First off, the restaurant’s batter is gluten-free, made with rice flour instead of the usual wheat flour. The ingredients are then fried in a blend of vegetable oil, white sesame oil and rapeseed oil, using a special method (supervised by the head chef, a tempura veteran with over 40 years of experience) that causes the tempura to absorb only half the usual amount of oil — resulting in a much healthier feeling and yet just as satisfying crunch. What’s more, having earned its halal certification in August 2024, every service is also halal-certified, including even the restaurant’s signature dish: the wagyu sirloin tempura. Wagyu beef is an extremely rare ingredient in traditional tempura, even among the finest omakase tempura restaurants. After trying a single bite of the wagyu, many wonder why it isn’t done more elsewhere; the satisfying crunch of the tempura shell giving way to the melt-in-your-mouth softness of the wagyu beef is a winning combination. This is supplemented by more conventional tempura, including fresh seasonal vegetables and plump kuruma-ebi (Japanese tiger prawns). English-speaking staff and English menus mean that guests from overseas will feel right at home at the 10-seat counter — so guests not keeping halal can feel free to ask for recommended pairings of craft beer and sake. Tempura Asakusa SAKURA’s chefs and staff hope that visitors will make memories to last a lifetime beneath their restaurant’s cherry blossoms — so go ahead and oblige them.