Tempura Shimomura

Tempura Shimomura enjoys a spot at the top of fine deep-fried dining in Tokyo. This small restaurant — with 10 counter and 4 table seats — serves a heavily seasonal menu with delicious seafood and vegetables, all cooked in a house-blend sesame oil which is temperature matched to each piece. These tempura skills, which earned Shimomura a star for four consecutive years, don’t come easy. The chef trained for over 20 years at a top tempura shop to be able to pull it off. His menu features premium dishes like fugu pufferfish, sea urchin, and sweet potato — slow cooked in the oil for over half an hour to caramelize the sugars and create an impossibly fluffy texture. At lunchtime, some of these delicious tempura bites are available in a tendon rice bowl, meaning you can get a taste of this amazing, world-class tempura for a very reasonable price. However, the few seats available are highly sought-after, so be sure to place your reservation early to guarantee your place. Michelin Guide: 2019-2023: 1 Michelin Star