"Verdict: The wait was up to five hours when this popular Japanese tempura restaurant opened its first US location in Bellevue. While the dust has begun to settle, reservations are still tricky to nail down—but it’s worth it. Despite a few menu misses (skip the appetizers), the tempura is excellent. And just the thought of their other tasty dishes, like comforting udon carbonara and katsu curry, have us contemplating putting an extra long dentist appointment on our work calendar and heading east. Really, the bottom line when it comes to getting into this tempura kingdom is to arrive at least an hour before they open for lunch or dinner. They do take reservations for more than five people, so if you have a bigger group you may just get lucky without needing to brave the line—that is, if they answer the phone amid dining room chaos. If you can’t get through, it’s okay to just keep calling, and calling, and calling." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley