Enjoy tempura in Aichi Prefecture! 18 popular spots, from specialty restaurants to casual drop-in places

Photograph:kojista55

Tempura Kunihisa is a restaurant about a 15-minute walk from Nagoya Station where you can enjoy tempura and washoku (Japanese cuisine), marked by an exterior that looks like a kura (traditional black-walled storehouse).

Inside, the space has a calm feel with the warmth of wood, and it mainly has counter seating where you can enjoy freshly fried tempura.

Photograph:Amberjack999

They use seasonal seafood brought in from ports in Aichi Prefecture and neighboring Mie Prefecture, along with seasonal vegetables, and fry them in sesame oil.

The course starts light, then shifts to a more moist texture in the second half by changing the thickness of the batter made from egg mixture and wheat flour, so diners can enjoy the tempura without getting tired of it throughout the course.

Photograph:Naomi.818

They also open for lunch by reservation only on limited days of the week, where you can enjoy the tendon set (tempura Rice bowl set). It is a Rice bowl topped with shrimp, anago (conger eel), and several kinds of vegetables, served with a slightly sweet soy sauce-based tare.

Since the tempura selection changes with the seasons, many repeat customers visit in search of seasonal flavors.

Photograph:peach1515

Tenpura Azabu Yokota Meieki Bettei is a sister restaurant of Yokota, a tempura specialty restaurant with its Honten in Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, and it is located about a 1-minute walk from Exit E1 of Nagoya Station in Aichi Prefecture.

The refined and calm interior is said to have counter seats where you can watch the cooking and Private room seating with a sense of privacy.

Photograph:01みー17

Tempura is served as a course meal, letting you enjoy several kinds made with ingredients recommended by the chef.

The kuruma ebi (Japanese tiger prawn) tempura included in every course is said to be fried crisp all the way through, including the head, giving it a nice roasted aroma. At this restaurant, the house style is to enjoy the tempura with salt and lemon juice.

Photograph:KAT-N

You can also enjoy tempura made with seasonal vegetables and seafood, and to finish the meal they serve a small kakiage (mixed tempura fritter) with shrimp and rice. It seems you can also pour dashi over it and enjoy it like ochazuke (rice in tea-like broth).

They apparently change the oil temperature depending on the ingredient and make frequent adjustments while frying to bring out the full flavor of each one.

Photograph:スパマキシマム

Tempura to Nihonshu Asugen is a well-regarded izakaya where you can enjoy original tempura and local Japanese sake from around Aichi Prefecture, located in the basement of a building in Fushimi, one of Nagoya’s leading business districts.

It is also said to be an easy place to drop by when you feel like having a quick drink after work.

Photograph:スパマキシマム

They also serve classic tempura like shrimp and vegetables, but this place has a wide range of original menu items. They also offer meat tempura.

One of their specialties is "Tebatama-ten." It combines Nagoya's famous chicken wings with a soft-boiled egg and fries them as tempura, and it is said to be surprisingly delicious.

Photograph:ケンちゃん大ちゃん

There is also a menu item that turns Ogura Toast, a classic menu item at kissaten (Japanese-style coffee shops) in Aichi, into tempura. Red bean paste and butter are sandwiched in bread and deep-fried, making it a popular item that works as both a meal and a dessert.

They also have a wide selection of alcoholic drinks, including Japanese sake, wine, and sours, as well as All you can drink plans.

Photograph:名古屋グルメ女子R

Tempura Hisago Rashikku Ten is a tempura restaurant founded in Tokyo in 1918, where you can enjoy Edomae-style tempura made mainly with seafood caught in Tokyo Bay in Aichi Prefecture.

The interior has a chic and calm atmosphere, with counter seating and Semi-private room seating.

Photograph:Ternノブ

The tempura is said to be made with high quality Domestic sesame oil for frying, giving it a nice aroma and a light finish that tastes great.

Multiple reviews say the batter is slightly thick with a pleasantly chewy texture. In addition to soy sauce based tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce), you can also change up the flavor with curry salt or matcha salt.

Photograph:mon♡nagoya

At lunchtime, you can order set meals with tempura as the main dish. The tempura combo of shrimp and seasonal vegetables is said to be especially popular.

For rice, the "Tenbara," made by frying small shrimp and mixing them into the rice, is also well liked. The fragrant batter blends into the rice, and you can enjoy it together with the plump texture of the shrimp.

Photograph:kojista55

Tsuki no Niwa is a restaurant where you can enjoy meals centered on the local cuisine of the Hida region in Gifu Prefecture, which borders Aichi Prefecture, along with tempura. It is about a 7-minute walk from Exit 1 of Sakae Station.

The interior has the warmth of wood and a homey atmosphere. It also features several art works by contemporary artists.

Photograph:速水いまいち

The course, which changes its ingredients month by month, starts with Appetizers made with seasonal ingredients, followed by a full range of dishes and tempura made with Hida (region in Gifu Prefecture) ingredients.

The owner, who is from Hida, serves locally harvested sansai (mountain vegetables) as tempura. You can enjoy their distinctive bitterness and aroma.

Photograph:Papupo2022

They also offer local sake from the Hida region, the same area as the ingredients. Hida (a region in Gifu Prefecture) is surrounded by forests, and they say sake is brewed there by making use of the area's wide temperature swings.

They also have a tasting comparison of three kinds of local sake, shochu (Japanese distilled spirit), and wine, so you can enjoy drinks paired with the tempura and other dishes.

Photograph:T.T.T.T.T

Uogashi Honpo Pichiten is an izakaya (Japanese pub) about a 2-minute walk from Exit 1 of JR Nagoya Station, where you can enjoy tempura and fresh seafood dishes.

The interior is simple and stylish, and since there are many large tables, some reviews say it is well suited for lively eating and drinking with groups or families.

Photograph:58n_diary1

They offer a wide range of tempura, including shrimp, squid, seasonal seafood, and vegetables. They also have unusual tempura such as cheese tempura and a unique combination of green pepper and kaki (oyster).

The batter is thin and fried to a light crisp, and you can enjoy it with either salt or a soy sauce based dipping broth, so it seems easy to keep eating one after another.

Photograph:がぅ1029

They also offer a wide range of seafood dishes, including a Large size assortment of sashimi and many kinds of sushi.

The signature item is the "honmaguro (bluefin tuna) futomaki (thick sushi roll)." This nori roll wraps thick-cut honmaguro in vinegared rice. It uses rich, fatty tuna, and you can also enjoy its texture as it seems to melt in your mouth.

Photograph:けんたんのパパ

Tempura Sakaba NAKASHO is an izakaya centered on tempura, located in Chikamachi Lounge, the underground shopping area directly connected to Nagoya Station, and it is open for both lunch and dinner.

The restaurant is on a floor lined with stalls, and the casual, open space has counter and table seating.

Photograph:【みつね】

It seems to be a place many people casually use, whether for drinking from midday while snacking on freshly fried tempura, or for enjoying a tempura-centered meal.

A popular lunch choice is the "Tempura 8-Variety Rice bowl set meal." It comes topped with freshly fried tempura, including shrimp, whiting, and about six kinds of vegetables, with sauce poured over the rice as well.

Photograph:kaoru1315

You can also enjoy unusual tempura items like chicken tempura and soft-boiled egg tempura.

This restaurant is run directly by a fish wholesaler, so in addition to fresh seafood, they are confident in the freshness of all their ingredients. They fry everything in taihaku goma abura (light sesame oil), a colorless oil pressed at low temperature, which makes it taste light and easy to eat.

Photograph:385a0944319

Tempura Shun Washoku Akira, about an 8-minute walk from Sakae Station, is a restaurant where you can enjoy tempura made with shrimp caught in Mikawa-wan (Mikawa Bay), which is framed by Aichi Prefecture’s two peninsulas, as well as pesticide-free vegetables grown in Aichi Prefecture.

The calm interior has a solid, refined feel, and includes counter seats, table seats, and a Private room with Sunken kotatsu seating.

The tempura is said to be carefully fried with the oil temperature adjusted for each ingredient. If you sit at the counter, you can watch it being fried right in front of you.

The course featuring crispy tempura and kamameshi (rice cooked in an iron pot) made with carefully selected dashi and rice is popular.

Photograph:mdoragon

At lunch, the restaurant is known for its wide selection of set meals, including sashimi and tempura, soba and tempura, and more.

The tendon (tempura Rice bowl), topped with tempura made from huge shrimp and anago (conger eel) so large they hang over the bowl, is also popular. Multiple reviews said the rich sweet-savory sauce goes very well with the rice.

Photograph:daiking1154

Tempura de Wine Kato, near the Chiyoda intersection in Naka Ward, Nagoya, is a restaurant where you can enjoy tempura made with fresh seafood and vegetables bought at the market every morning, paired with wine.

In addition to counter seats where you can enjoy chatting with the owner and the lively atmosphere, they also have zashiki (tatami seating) where you can take off your shoes and relax.

Photograph:エッグログ

In addition to standard tempura items like asparagus and anago (conger eel), they also offer a wide range of unusual tempura such as octopus, cherry tomatoes, and cheese.

It looks like you can enjoy a varied lineup of tempura, including canapé-style nori (seaweed) tempura topped with ikura (salmon roe), and fried eggplant topped with prosciutto.

Photograph:グルメウォーカー時々旅行

A lunchtime-only set with 7 kinds of tempura, rice, and soup is popular, and people also like that the tempura is served in several rounds so they can enjoy it freshly fried.

The crispy vegetable tempura comes recommended, as does the hanjuku tamago (soft-boiled egg) tempura, which is also great over rice.

Photograph:ゆうじ88

MasuSARA is a place near Nagoya Port Aquarium, one of Aichi Prefecture’s popular sightseeing spots, where you can enjoy tempura and Japanese sake, and they also serve sashimi made with fresh seafood.

The counter seats facing the open kitchen let you enjoy the lively atmosphere, and they also have table seating where you can relax and enjoy your meal.

Photograph:アジロウ

In addition to the Omakase tempura set, you can also choose ingredients from the display case set on the counter and have them made into tempura.

Creative tempura is also popular here, such as salmon tempura served with tartar sauce and vegetable tempura enjoyed with honey mustard.

Photograph:mio_purin

The specialty is the lunch “kaisendon (seafood Rice bowl) Mountain.” A mountain of many kinds of sashimi is piled onto the plate, and it is said to look just as luxurious as it tastes.

They also have a wide selection of nihonshu (Japanese sake) sourced from around the country, with tasting sets that let you compare 3 kinds and All you can drink plans where you can fully enjoy Japanese sake.

Photograph:名古屋の林檎

Tempura Nomi Kojiman-chi is located along Kobikicho-dori, about a 3-minute walk from Kokusai Center Station. The white signboard and white noren (traditional shop curtain) mark the entrance.

In addition to standing spots and counter seats that are perfect when you want to have just a little to drink or eat, there are also table seats where you can relax.

Photograph:花京院典明

The creative tempura made by the owner, who also has experience as an Italian chef, is said to eat more like fritto with a thin batter.

You can also enjoy tempura with an Italian twist, such as skewered duck and green onion, or shiitake (shiitake mushroom) paired with Gorgonzola cheese.

Photograph:steve513

The "Tempuraya no Agepan" is tempura fried bread topped with nama-hamu (cured ham), and it is said to be finished with a flavor that pairs well with wine.

At lunchtime, the popular set meals center on tempura made with large shrimp or anago (conger eel), and they also come with vegetable tempura.

Photograph:febee

Tempura Stand KITSUNE Imaike Ten, about a 2-minute walk from Imaike Station in Nagoya, is an izakaya where you can enjoy freshly fried tempura in a casual setting.

The space feels like a cafe, with the warmth of wood throughout. It is also open for lunch, and on weekends you can start drinking from noon.

Photograph:ニャローテ

The signature tempura is "tori-ten (chicken tempura)," made with seasoned Domestic chicken and lightly fried in rice oil.

The simple "tori-ten" is said to fill your mouth with the chicken's savory flavor and juicy texture. You can also enjoy "tori-ten" topped with a spicy kick, grated daikon radish, or the restaurant's original tartar sauce.

Photograph:かめかむ

The menu ranges widely from basic tempura made with fish and vegetables to creative tempura dishes. You can enjoy them with rice or alcohol.

They also get good reviews for their many original menu items, such as pairing tempura with cheese or truffle and using yuba (tofu skin).

Photograph:charie1114

"Tempura Yajima. Kachigawa Ten" is a Japanese restaurant about a 4-minute walk from the north exit of Kachigawa Station. It is the second branch of a restaurant whose Honten is in Higashi Ward, Nagoya City.

The interior has a space with a Japanese feel, and they also have counter seats that are easy to use even when dining alone, as well as table seating for larger groups.

Photograph:hanano0422

The menu centers on tempura, with sushi and soba also available. The tempura is fried in an original blend of oils, which gives it a light finish.

They provide a fine powder-like salt that brings out the ingredients' natural flavors when sprinkled on the tempura without making it too salty.

Photograph:まんま3315

The specialty here is kakiage-mabushi (rice topped with mixed tempura fritters), which won the grand prize in a food contest in Nagoya City.

You first eat the rice topped with shrimp kakiage (mixed tempura fritters) with powdered salt, then change the flavor with a special sauce. At the end, you pour dashi (Japanese soup stock) over it and enjoy it like ochazuke (rice with broth), making this a dish you can enjoy with changing flavors and textures.

Photograph:tabelog.com

Ten Shari, Sengyo no Oke-mori to Sosaku Tempura is an izakaya centered on fresh seafood sashimi and tempura, and reviews say that not only is the food delicious, but you can also feel the care put into the presentation.

It is about a 9-minute walk from Imaike Station. The space has a Japanese modern feel, with an atmosphere where you can casually drop in to eat and drink.

Photograph:billy161

You can enjoy tempura made with kome-abura (rice oil), which is said to be good for health and beauty, and lightly coated in a thin batter before frying.

The menu ranges widely from basics to creative items, and popular choices include pork and takoyaki tempura, as well as tempura made by wrapping maguro (tuna) that is good enough to eat as sashimi in nori (seaweed) and frying it.

Photograph:とちおくん

The signature dish is the “sengyo no oke-mori (fresh seafood assortment served in a wooden tub),” which comes with about five kinds of seafood recommended for that day, making it a great way to enjoy a range of flavors.

Along with the tasty sashimi, they also offer a wide selection of drinks to enjoy with it, from beer and highballs to Japanese sake and (assorted varieties available) sours.

Photograph:hiroto15802

Tomatsu is a hideaway-style tempura restaurant about a 4-minute walk from Hisaya-odori Station, and it also offers a wide selection of Japanese sake that pairs well with tempura.

Even though it is in central Nagoya, the space is quiet and calm. It also has a homey feel, so you can enjoy your meal at a relaxed pace.

Photograph:koikeikeike

The tempura is known for using a house blend of flour and canola oil. Some reviews say the batter has a nice crisp texture.

The freshly fried tempura is also said to taste great with just a little salt. Since the tempura has a light texture, it seems hard to stop at just a few pieces.

Photograph:bloom

The lunch "Ten-don (tempura Rice bowl)" is also popular. About seven kinds of freshly fried tempura are served over rice and topped with a soy sauce based tare (sauce). People also like that you can add more tare later.

It also comes with tempura of shrimp, vegetables, and chicken, so it seems quite filling.

Photograph:tabelog.com

"Tempura Soyogi" is a tempura restaurant near the entrance to the Osu Shopping Street in Naka Ward, Nagoya. The owner travels all over Japan to find the ingredients used here.

The interior has a warm wooden feel. There is also counter seating where you can watch the cooking.

Photograph:mr61

They use frying oil blended from rare rapeseed oil made in Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, and rice oil from Mie Prefecture, and fry Special selected ingredients in it.

Multiple reviews also say that even after eating a lot of tempura, they did not feel heavy the next day, so it seems the tempura turns out light and easy to eat.

Photograph:ボンパパ

You can order either a course or à la carte. The seasonal vegetables are intentionally cut into larger pieces so it is easier to enjoy their aroma and flavor.

In addition to tempura, they also serve à la carte dishes such as sashimi (raw fish slices) and grilled items, so it seems like a good place even when you just want to stop by for a drink.

Photograph:こーんぶるー

Tempura to Wine Kojima Kanayama Kita Ten is a restaurant where you can casually enjoy freshly fried tempura and Special wines, and it has multiple restaurants mainly in Aichi Prefecture, with the Kanayama Kita branch about a 3-minute walk from Kanayama Station.

The space is said to feel like a casual taishu izakaya (Japanese-style pub), lined with simple chairs and tables, making it a good pick when you want to enjoy a lively meal with friends.

Photograph:ポンコツちょび

Located in Yanagibashi Ichiba (Yanagibashi Market), known as Nagoya's kitchen, this restaurant has its Honten there and is known for tempura made with fresh ingredients sourced from the market.

A canape-style tempura, made by coating nori (seaweed) in batter, deep-frying it, and topping it with ikura (salmon roe), is the house specialty. The wine is said to be selected by staff with sommelier experience.

Photograph:e3692c

It is also popular as a place where you can enjoy a tempura lunch at a reasonable price. You can try about seven kinds of tempura, and some reviews say they are happy that the freshly fried pieces are served in several rounds so you can enjoy them at their best.

Many people also seem to pair lunch with beer or a glass of wine and enjoy a relaxed meal.

Photograph:スパマキシマム

Tachinomi Uotsubaki Nishikidori Ten is an izakaya Japanese pub located along Nishikidori, about a 3-minute walk from Sakae Station in Nagoya.

The first floor mainly has a standing style with no chairs, making it an easy spot to drop in for a drink, while the second floor also has table seating, where you can casually enjoy tempura and alcohol.

Photograph:ふっかん

The tempura comes in a wide variety, including seafood, vegetables, and chicken. Whether you choose them one by one or order an assortment, you can enjoy crisp, freshly fried tempura.

Another nice point is that each table has a thermos filled with tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce), so you can use as much warm tentsuyu as you like.

Photograph:sammy100

They also offer a wide selection of snacks, including seasonal limited-time dishes and fresh sashimi assortments.

They also have a wide range of drinks, including highballs served in large mugs, sours made with honey, and Japanese sake from Aichi Prefecture.