Tempura @ Tempura Daikokuya, Asakusa, Tokyo

 

When it comes to scenic temples, very few can rival the Sensoji temple located in the heart of Tokyo. Located in the center of Asakusa, this temple has been the checkpoint for many tourists and pilgrims throughout the years. And being such an important checkpoint means a lot of people, which indirectly means a lot of hungry stomachs. As such, this area of the city is famous for its wide variety of restaurants, bars and food shops in various price brackets. In the morning, the famed Nakamise dori comes to life with various vendors and shops. If you would like to have a sneak peak, click here to look into my previous visit 2 years ago. 

What majesty

But when it is at night, everything becomes more subdued. With the darkness covering the city, lights from street lamps and buildings make for an amazing cityscape. Still, people will have to eat regardless if the time. And as such, you will be spoilt for choice. If you are in the mood for something deep fried, then look no further than Tempura Daikokuya (大黒家天麩羅). Literally translated as Big Black Tempura Shop, this establishment has been here for eons. When this restaurant has been around since 1887, that is no exaggeration. 

Time capsule indeed

And the interior reflects that as well. The shop were manned mostly by seniors and the overall decor felt like a blast to the past. A real immersive experience. When it comes to the food, being a tempura restaurant, deep fried entrees are the most obvious. So I went to their tendon, which is their most popular dish. They have other dishes like sashimi but this is a deep fried joint right? And in case you were wondering, that bowl of deep fried goodies and rice stood for a hefty 1600 yen. In it contains one piece of fried fish, one prawn fritter and a mixed kakiage. 

What do we have here???

Despite being a bit steep, the quality for my meal was absolutely top notch. The fried fritters look a bit too dark at the outset. But this is because it was covered in a sweet teriyaki glaze. And the glaze also permeated into the rice at the bottom of the bowl. How about the deep fried toppings? They were really great and a treat to chow on. 

Humongous! 

They were a bit inconvenient to eat as they were massive. As such, I used the upper lid of the bowl as a makeshift dish and place them on top. A good inconvenience I guess, as it means there was great value for money. The batter was well fried and was not greasy at all. 

Fish and chips fancy Japanese cousin. 

It had a satisfying crunch and covered the insides just nicely. The prawn and fish were supremely fresh, but it was classic fare. Everyone has had that before once in their life, especially the fried prawn which has been an iconic representative of Japanese food. 

Look at the size of this thing!

The main star of this meal was however, the kakiage. The kakiage fritter had small shrimp in it and pops when you bite into it. The batter was more dough like and reminded me more of a doughnut or funnel cake. Words that I am using now cannot truly do it justice and it is something you need to have it to believe. 

Well, at least there is a side of veggie to cut the grease. 

In the end, I left the place really happy. It was more than your typical tempura corner and its not located in any typical neighbourhood. I had many a deep fried meal as you can see in the blog, so saying this is as a highly recommended place to be is a serious compliment. So if you are around these parts in Tokyo, you will be doing yourself a favour in trying this historic establishment out. The address is as follows:

1 Chome-38-10 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032

 

A classic look, not too hard to find. 

1 Chome-38-10 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032