Tempura Motoyoshi

Contrast is key at this top-end tempura restaurant, located down a minor street in Aoyama. The mix of textures and materials in both the food and the decor keeps each of the senses piqued at every turn of the set-course meal. Live crickets are kept on-site, hidden from view but providing a calming, all-natural ambient soundtrack. Close your eyes and find yourself in a peaceful country field. A wizard of the craft, chef-owner Motoyoshi-san mixes up three different batters each day, of varying densities to match different ingredients. Another inspired personal touch is the way he prepares shrimp tempura: one piece fully battered, and the other with just a light sprinkling of batter, to create contrasting textures. He also keeps a neatly arranged wooden box of his ingredients for the evening. When he presents it at the start of the meal, your anticipation will instantly go through the roof: lotus root sits alongside white radish, contrasting against the deep green of chill peppers and asparagus, with a vibrant burst of pink from the Japanese sweet potatoes. By the end of the meal, you’ll have had more than your fill of these incredible ingredients, with a filling bowl of rice and scallop tempura on rice served to finish.