Kaneko Hannosuke Nihonbashi Ningyocho Branch

Very decent tempura for the price. Though not exactly the lightest batter by any means, the tempura here is not too oily, and is fried a la minute, kappo style. Enjoyed the large rice portion, pickles, and tea as well. As for the tempura, the standout would have to be the diced squid, of which I ordered another a la carte. P.s. Would recommend visiting off-peak as the wait can take some time given that the food is prepared upon order.

This place is usually very crowded but it’s worth the wait to me. Very decent tempura, and good portions for the price. It wasn’t the lightest tempura I’ve had, but some of the selection, like the shrimp and eel, were perfectly cooked and crisp. I think the staff was too busy to tend to us from how many people there were, otherwise I had a good experience!

The best tempura we’ve ever had in our life! Waiting in line for over half an hour didn’t feel long at all compared to what we got to eat. It was perfectly crispy, fresh, fragrant, and naturally sweet—absolutely worth the wait. I’d recommend coming before the shop opens to avoid waiting too long like we did. The menu is just tempura dishes, which are their specialty, and that’s more than enough. We went for the full option set, which included everything—shrimp, eel, egg, and more. They also offer unlimited pickled vegetables and hot tea, which paired perfectly with the meal. The soup, served with a huge crab, was incredibly delicious. We finished everything to the very last bite. We ended the meal with Japanese melon topped with whipped cream—fragrant, sweet, and the perfect way to cleanse the palate. Definitely one of the happiest meals we’ve ever had.

We dined in on a Tuesday night at about 6pm and there was no queue. There are only 2 items on the menu, normal and premium. The portion of it for us was quite substantial. The bowls took quite a while to arrive and when it did, we felt that the tempura could've been slightly more crispier. The sauce was sweet and tasty, and the rice a decent portion. Overall a pretty good spot.

I feel so bougie, we just moved in Ningyocho and we came here on weekdays it wasn’t so crowded. The rice was cooked in a pot instead of rice-cooker their tempura is good. Their lunch menu is very affordable as well. Their service and the atmosphere is very elegant.

It's a small restaurant, always crowded, and you feel rushed, so it's not the best place to relax and enjoy a meal. It took about 45 minutes to get from the end of the queue to the entrance. While you're waiting in line, a waiter will come to take your order, so think about what you want to eat once you get to the end of the line. But I think the value for money is excellent.

This is one of the best tempura restaurants I’ve tried. The ingredients are top quality, and every order is freshly fried. The portions are generous and very filling, all at a reasonable price. The restaurant has a cozy, charming atmosphere. You might have to wait in line for a while, but it’s absolutely worth it! They accept for cash & PayPay only

Kaneko Hannosuke Nihonbashi Ningyocho Branch turned out to be one of my favorite tempura spots in Tokyo. Came in thinking it was just another Instagram spot, but it was full of locals which was a great sign. The tempura was excellent — light, not too oily, and perfectly balanced. The fish tempura in particular was huge, fresh, and something I hadn’t seen before. They also served unique items like a tempura egg alongside the usual selection, which made it stand out even more. What really made it for me was the sauce drizzled lightly over the tempura and rice. Every bite mixing the crisp tempura with the rice and sauce was absolutely spot on. Service was quick and efficient, and while there wasn’t much instruction on how to eat, I picked it up by watching locals (and even had someone next to me kindly explain the sauces). Overall, a fantastic spot if you love tempura and especially seafood. Definitely my go-to tempura place in Tokyo for now.

This place was amazing. When I first got off the subway station I saw a huge line for this restaurant and I got super curious. I saw the menu and it was about Tempura. Since I saw the line to be huge I decided to give it a try and leave it for a chance. The line took about an hour and boy it was definitely worth it. The tempura was superb, super fresh, crispy and well made. It had shrimp, eel, veggies, rice, and many more. I had the chance to sit at the counter right next to the chefs and I get to see how they fry, and prepared the tempura right in front of me and poured soy sauce on it. It was an spectacular show! I definitely recommend to sit by the counter so that you get to enjoy the show as well I'd recommend this place even tho the line is long and huge. It will be definitely worth it! : )

First meal in the city and we started on a VERY high note. Store is small with a handful of seatings per floor but they work through their customers fast and deligently. On the first floor, you'll get to be right by where the actions of cooking fresh tempuras take place. They basically offers two things here: the Tendon and the Premium Tendon which is the same tendon as the first one plus a miso soup and a slice of melon for dessert. You can also choose the amount of rice you want from small, regular, and large. For me, the small rice of the Tendon was more than enough and paired amazingly with their heavenly fresh and crispy tempuras. The tempuras included eel, shrimps, squid, pepper, and gooey egg. All of which was to die for. I'm already ready to be back. Everything was simple yet soso flavorful and fresh. Every bite sent a burst of happiness through you. Add a bottle of Asahi beer to wash everything down. They also have side tsukemono of ginger and daikon that you can grab as you wish. Can't rave about this place enough. Do go try them out!!

We have been here before the pandemic and I just had to come back. Came for dinner there was a long line. At first we were a bit confused where the line started because it splits into 3 different sections. A friendly staff member guided us, other customers new to the place were also confused at first. There's seating upstairs and downstairs. We got seated downstairs. Was served cold tea and then the food. The food was delicious hot and fresh. Portions were great! Inside is clean.

There are two or three Kaneko Hannosuke locations within blocks of each other, and one thing in common is their long lines. I arrived around 11:30am and waited about 30 minutes. The tempura is lightly fried and has a wonderful crisp. I didn't even know you can tempura a poached egg, but they do it wonderfully while keeping a runny yolk. It's delicious when eaten over a bowl of rice with soy sauce. The pickled squid condiment also adds a unique taste. The place is small with counter seating. Most people arrive in groups of two. If you have any groups larger, your group needs to split up. When I eat good tempura, the world stops around me and I am purely focused on the fried goodness, so I don't need to talk in a group. This works out for me here.

Lined up 24 mins before they opened and got in right when they opened. They take the order while youre in line so food came out pretty quick. Goooood!

This place was amazing.. went here more than once and I'm surely going to miss it when I leave. The food portions was huge.. bring an appetite. It requires no dipping sauce. Get there early or get there super late. Wait time is about an hour to an hour and half depending on time of day.

Everything is great. The only problem is the 45 min wait on Sunday noon. But it definitely worth it.

We visit this place like once a year then pandemic hit.. after two good years.. we're here again. Quality and taste is still the same! No need to explain further, it's a must try! Just make sure you come like 30min before 11am cuz the line is so long. We waited close to 2hours for this..

Generous portion of tempura (eel, shrimp, squid, soft boiled egg, Nori and shishito pepper) over a delicious soy sauce base seasoned rice was the best Ten Don I ever had. On the table they provide two different kinds of Japanese pickles and hot roasted (Hoji Cha) green tea. Very well organized and efficient with serving great number of customers. Enjoyed every last morsels of food here. Having sanitary divider for each customers is a great plus. I don't know how it is for dinner but for lunch, expect to wait at least 30 mins.

Best tempura I've had in my life! I love that their menu is just a couple things, because they can just do those couple of things really really well. The Definitely would advise coming early since there are about 8 seats total. (It's a quick meal, so things should move quickly, but nobody likes to wait :) The tempura don comes with shrimp, veggies, and an egg! The egg tempura was game-changing. Soft/runny on the inside and crisp on the outside. Another interesting thing that I hadn't had elsewhere was seaweed tempura. Worth a try if you're in the area and looking for something classic yet different. Also a great value for around $10!

To be fair, this was my first tempura experience. But the bar is now set very high! We ventured with an open mind around 7pm on a Saturday anticipating a wait of the century. Lucky us, we only waited about 20 minutes! The menu is super limited and it's taken in line as you wait. I appreciate restaurants that have a small menu and create those dishes expertly. We were seated with another couple, which was fine by us. The more the merrier. Food was brought out within a matter of minutes. The tendon bowl was enormous! Each piece had a different flavor but I enjoyed it all. My favorite was the soft boiled egg. That gooey-goodness mixed with the rice was drool heaven. You'll be hard pressed to find a better tempura place for the same price (~$9)

I waited in a line almost 1 hour in this crazy humidity. It was worth it. Taste: Pretty sweet but tasty. I like their pickles too. Quantity: What?! Cheating?! The ball looks big but the bottom half is empty. You'll see how shallow. Price: Awesome! About $10 ¥1000!!!! Customer service: Good;) Water and fan and a bathroom outside. Tip: You should grab some drinks at Mitsukoshi department store or prefectural antenna shops before you wait in the queue. Parking lot: No. Location: Close to Mitsukoshi Hoten. 5 minutes walk.

Worth the wait in hot or cold! What did I get There was only one thing to get. The tempura bowl. This had everything in it, one of everything. There is egg, fish, shrimp, scallops (i think), and octopus... Not really sure, but everything that's on the menu as a side. This is fried in Sesame Oil and it was delicious! I love that it was still crunchy and not soggy. There were also some pickled ginger and radish for you to enjoy at the beginning. The ginger was AMAZING Environment Very very small location. Downstairs is more for single persons to eat, as it is at the counter and there is a handful of 4 seated tables upstairs. Big parties can get difficult.... I suggest not going during the peak hours. The peak hours are around lunch and I waited near to 2 hours to get inside.... Niceness of the staff Language barrier... Not much interactions. Was able to make my order and not have any issue... well yes there is only one thing to choose from. I would've liked if they told me that there is already an egg included and that I don't need to worry about that. Dollar It was super cheap! ¥1000 for the bowl of goodness! Yes? Yes yes yes! I have been here 2 times now! Despite the lines.... I am still returning! #WendyWanders

A MUST VISIT. Trust me. One of the most favorite dining experiences for me, especially coming from the US. You'd be surprised to realize how small the place is inside and that you'll most likely be sharing a table with a random person. Which is obviously unusual for us. My recommendation, come early. We arrive roughly 30 min before th he opened, and already had a good amount of people for their lunch rush. All food is made absolutely fresh. All ingredients are super delicate and light. Nothing too heavy or hard on the stomach. We tried other versions of this all through out japan, but this is the still the best establishment.

Protip: Come around 5pm before the dinner rush and you'll be treated with probably the best tempura of your life. Neither my girlfriend nor I are huge fans of deep fried food, but I dragged her out here anyway since we heard great things about Kaneko Hannosuke. In fact, this place is so amazing that you can practically smell the deep fried batter while walking up to the restaurant. Kaneko was located in a small alleyway (as are a lot of restaurants in Tokyo), and we would've struggled to find it if not for Google Maps. Since we arrived pretty early, we were able to secure a seat on the second floor. Note, this place gets packed FAST as it's small, so come early. Not many options to choose from, so you are pretty much limited to getting their set meal. It took around 15 minutes for the food to come, and OH BABY the portion size was huge! We got several gigantic pieces of tempura - included fish, shrimp, egg, and some veggies. Each one was perfectly crisp and very flavorful. Can't forget to mention that this was all over a huge bed of rice too. If you're in Tokyo and want to check out the best tempura, come to Kaneko. You won't regret it, even with a long wait. Your mind will be blown with the quality of the ingredients. I give it an "Omg, I'd travel 2 hours for this" rating. Eat well and prosper,

I waited in the rain for 2 hours; whilst I did so, I was What's App'ing peeps. Turns out LA does indeed have a tempura house with same name. I persevered. If so many locals can do it, ne'er a complaint did I hear ( through intonation), then doggoneit, I would just yknow..when in Rome. The bowls of ten'pura with rice (tendon) and the communal soup ( I shared my table with a Taiwanese lady, and we chatted politely over our lunch) was yummy!! For 1,070¥, I was stuffed to the gills and can honestly say that I have now tasted super tasty tempura. What a bargain! The batter could have been a wee bit crispier, but light and airy and perfectly cooked, it was.

Food: 4.0/5.0 Service: 3.0/5.0 Value: 4.0/5.0 Decor: 2.5/5.0 Overall: 4.0/5.0 Very good tempura donburi. The line wasn't too bad on a Sunday late afternoon at roughly 30 minutes. There's really only one thing to get, namely the donburi with a bowl of miso soup. I'd have ordered another donburi but I guess that's not really a thing. Instead, I'd definitely come again.

Easily the best meal I've had in Tokyo! You'd be quite impressed seeing your bowl of tempura don (even though you've seen it in pictures before). It is a lot of food. They give you like a whole eel! Not just tiny cut up slices. There's also shrimp, squid/scallop mix, fish, okra, a half boiled egg (like they could really do that?!). Even the seaweed had tempura breading. Impressive! The tempura sauce is available at your table. The taste, the crunch, the seasoning - perfect!! As I was eating, I kept questioning how this meal could be less than 1000 yen. I don't understand how they do it. I still don't comprehend. But that makes it even better!! We arrived 10 mins post opening and there were already~ 15 people ahead of us. We waited approx 40 mins to get a seat. This tiny restaurant has 2 floors and maybe seats approx 15 people. You will most definitely be sharing a table with a stranger which is okay because everyone is just so focused on enjoying the good food. I cannot wait to go back!! Don't let the line stop you.

Lunch hours. ~$10. Tempura to die for. Value for money, you're going to be hard pressed to do better anywhere in the city. Arriving at roughly 11:30am, there was a line fifteen or so deep in a light rain. When you're about five parties from the front, they'll come and take your order. Your order, for the record, is the donburi with or without soup. At least as we had it for lunch, there is no other order. The fillet of eel is tender, and honestly it's wild you're getting a piece this big for the price. Alongside the tempura eel, you get a soft fried egg, some fried scallops, and a shishito pepper. If you're in a party of two, expect to be sat alongside or across from strangers. It's a really nice experience!

This is a great Tempura spot if your in the Nihombashi region. We arrived around 1000 on a Sunday and it was about a 25-30 min wait. The lady comes and takes your order while your in line so as soon as you seated you get your oishi food, that'll put a smile on even the most cranky individual. They have soy sauce and tea for drink and dipping. Total for a bowl and some miso soup came out to around 11-12 US Dollars for me. I believe the restraint is yen only!

It's crazy how few reviews this has given its popularity with locals! I saw on TV that the Tokyo location of this place is very popular and has long lines, and decided to check out its Waikiki branch. We went at 3pm and still had to wait about 30min to be seated. The tempura was amazing and very different from what you'd get in the mainland. It is softer, more succulent, and tastier by far. We enjoyed the food very much. The service is a bit slow, but that is okay since their food is so great. I'd highly recommend checking this place out if you're visiting Waikiki -- it's unlike anything I've tried in Japanese restaurants in the continental US! Update: we went again two days later and tried the plate, and it was as amazing as always!

Our friends who are Locals took us here the night we arrived into Tokyo. It's the BEST tempura I've ever had! While waiting in line outside the restaurant, someone took our order. There's a window into the kitchen to watch the cooks fry the tempura while you wait. Within minutes of being seated, our bowls of rice and seafood tempura were served. Shrimp, eel, scallops, seaweed and a fried soft boiled egg. Amazing!!!

Came to Kaneko Hannosuke because it's proximity to my hotel and high reviews and I was not disappointed. First I needed to find the spot which is down a small alley. I looked at photos of the exterior and figured it out. I speak no Japanese, but Tokyo is a very friendly city so not a problem. You come here if your interested in tempura and only tempura. There was no wait on a Monday at 5 I sat at the bar and was given the menu. The main dish is a bowl of rice with a special sauce (delicious) with a couple shrimp, eel, squid, shishitu pepper and the famous tempura egg and seaweed. Amazing!!! Loved it, very reasonable priced. Super friendly staff. This is a cash only restaurant.

This restaurant is my go to place whenever I come to Tokyo. They specialize in ten-don, which is a selection of tempura on a bed of rice. The menu itself is very simple with only a few items, but that is the way to run an incredible restaurant. My first time here in 2015 meant waiting in line for 2 hours but a return visit in 2017 was only 10 minutes. My advice is to visit here right before the rush hour starts in the evening so the tourists are gone, and the office workers has not left the office. The ten-don includes many items like diced squid, shrimp, egg (yes the whole egg), nori, and a filet of whitefish, all battered in tempura. Each item has a unique, subtle, and exquisite taste. The sauce can be added to the side for some more depth as well. They also serve pickled ginger to cleanse the palette. The miso soup as a side order is also really good and full of umami flavour. Overall a must-visit restaurant for its experience and surprisingly low price. There is no English menu but if you just say "ten-don" they will understand.

Came to this restaurant for lunch on a Thursday and we waited for close to 2 hours before we were seated. The restaurant is really small with bar seating on the first floor and some dining tables on the second floor. The Tendon tempura bowl consisted of numerous fresh ingredients. My favourite was the eel tempura as it was so fresh and delicious. This place is excellent, maybe one of the best in Tokyo, but the long wait is definitely Kaneko's biggest setback.

金子半之助 is good for their deep fried Tempura Don. For 950 Yen you would be served this huge bowl of deep fried goodness and it comes with a miso soup too. Better comes hungry. Even as a big eater, you would not be disappointed with the portion. I was struggling trying to eat as much as I can but failed to finished the whole order. I really like the Tempura Egg as it still has a runny yolk as it was deep fried perfectly. But the star of the meal is definitely the rice. So fluffy and soft and still have a nice bite. Line was not too bad as I waited for around 15 minute or so during dinner rush. Highly recommended if you are on a budget and into deep fried food!

Best tempura in all of Tokyo! We wanted to come here again before we left but the line was pretty long :/ So glad we had to get it at least once.

As far as I can tell they only have one main dish on their menu and that's a rice bowl with tempura on it. You get a piece of octopus, fish, two shrimps, one soft boiled egg, some kind of pepper and seaweed. They have a normal size and a large size, which from what I can tell just means you get more rice. Once you mix things around (egg yolk and sauce) there's great flavor. If you want some spice there's a single condiment you can use. I didn't take a picture but it's in a little wooden box. You have to take the knob out and tap the box to get the spices out! As for the environment, there seems to be a constant stream of locals trying to eat at this place. A waiter comes around asking how many are in your party, if you want miso soup, normal or large. Then you get seated as seats become available, sometimes you're sharing a table with others. In my case my husband and I sat at a table with an elderly lady, and when she was done with her food, a couple promptly replaced her. I didn't exactly feel rushed to eat, but this isn't really a place to sit around and lounge while you eat. I saw plenty of couples here and quite enjoyed the food, so it seems fit for couples scoping this place out. As for the food, I don't think I would compare it to other tempura I've had, since it wasn't presented the way I've eaten tempura in the past. I might have liked more flavor, vegetable tempura, a table for my party alone, and a slower paced environment. P.S: I don't read or speak Japanese. I'd say this is foreigner friendly but be prepared to have little English spoken around you.

Excellent. Edomae tendon and miso soup are a must have for first time guests, easy to order past the language barrier and absolutely delicious. Perfect batter/ fry technique, well sauced, topped on a bowl of rice. Simple presentation and perfectly balanced flavours.

Waited in the snow for 1.5 hrs to try the $10 tendon bowl. It was SO worth it! Highly recommend. It was better than the Michelin star tempura I've had in New York... for a tiny fraction of the price.

Best tempura I have ever had in my life and my absolute favourite food dish I had while on my trip in Japan.

Never thought I would say, wow do they know how to make the best fried eel. It was my first time and I am very impressed. Visited from the U.S and will definitely be recommending this place and coming back for my next trip. So worth the wait, fast service, the food is incredible and I was not disappointed. Worth taking an hour on the bus to get here.

We loved the tendon (tempura and donburi) at their Torrance, California store and made sure to check out their home restaurant while visiting Tokyo. It's hard to find without tech savvy young adult help. The 2-story restaurant is located on a small alley. As luck would have it, the waiting line was not long around 1 this Wednesday afternoon and all 4 of us were seated at the counter - front row seats to watch the chefs at work. We ordered the regular tempura #1 dish and two different specials (#3 shrimp and #2 eel combos). With the set came hot miso soup( with clams) and rice. The server used long chopsticks to transfer the freshly fried hot items to the plates right in front of us. Crispy, light and delicious! The only blemish was when the server got our orders mixed up and mistakenly gave piece to another person without even apologizing. Kinda marred a good experience. h

The hype is real, son. We have been to the Torrance location, but as the tourist that we are.. we have to try the og location. We were in line for about an hour. The wait is real, but they are efficient with getting people in and out. 14 seats max upstairs. I believe their kitchen is larger than the seating area upstairs.6 stool seating area in front of the kitchen. Small menu: tempura don, miso, and beer. Tea is on your table with pickles and ginger. Pay at the table rather at the counter. As in most small and popular restaurant, you may be seated with other patrons. But must try, as it is a very famous and delicious tempura (tendon) rice bowl. Their batter is light and crispy. It's a definitely hell yeah. White fish, chopped octopus, shisito pepper, shrimp, seaweed, and the winner: tempura soft egg comprises your bowl. Good lord this was delicious. And all for the low price of 950¥. Location is at the end of an alley, just look for the line. Snack before if you can, cos waiting in line starving is not fun.

In terms of price-to-portion-size, this was the best meal I had in Japan. It was a good thing I saved eating tempura until I came to Kaneko Hannosuke, because the tempura here is flat-out delicious! For 980 yen, you get samples of deep-fried chicken, vegetables, shrimp, fish, and egg. There's also complimentary, unlimited sides, such as pickled smoked radish and yuzu (Japanese citrus) marinated squid that pair nicely with the meal. Topped off with some excellent servers who make sure your tea is piping hot, and you have an amazing meal you won't be forgetting about anytime soon.

Pros: Best tempura I had in a 1-week trip in Japan Light batter--perfectly fried tempura Love the sides Cons: Long wait Cash only Recs: Help yourself to the sides in the jars Note: 50% locals, 50% tourists

Luckily for me, this place was only a 10-15 minute walk from my hotel. I saw that the lines can get crazy, so I went on an off-time, around 4 PM- no wait, but decently busy. I sat on the ground floor bar area where I saw chefs in action and larger parties were seated upstairs. They only offer Tendon- tempura over rice. The batter is not as crispy as those I've had in the States, but it was still amazing and surprisingly not heavy. The shoyu based sweet sauce was a perfect complement, as was the miso soup. The tendon I got (see picture) was just under $10 USD!

I've had some tempura but this place was absolutely delicious. Could EASILY be double the price and I'd still go back. We had to wait an hour but the food did not disappoint. The eel was my favorite (Micah's too). The main meal (currently 980 yen) comes with shrimp, eel, egg, seaweed, scallop and a pepper. No need to order more unless you want it.

What I really love are restaurants that serve a specialty dish and thrives on a simple menu. This is a tempura restaurant, and trust me when I say it's the best tempura I've ever had in my life. Out of all the fabulous meals I had in Japan, the tempura here is definitely one that still haunts my dreams. We arrived early, about half a hour before they open, and made it into the restaurant by the 2nd round of seating. We waited for about an hour. We were seated upstairs in a booth that we shared with 2 women friends. There were some condiments on the table and so we explored. In the pots for self-serve are pickled radish and pickled burdock and ginger, which we made good use of during our meal! Not speaking any Japanese, ordering was easy--tempura don. Miso? yes. The tempura don was only 950￥ and it's a very generous portion. And the miso soup was delicious! The tempura is just perfect. Light and crispy and the tentsuyu sauce is cooked into the batter so it avoids any sogginess and gives it a fantastic umami and savory flavor. It was a variety of seafood--shrimp, some diced squid, a large piece of white fish served with a runny tempura egg (omg) and square of nori. And the rice--the rice was a star. Perfectly textured, fresh. And add in the pickled radish, burdock and ginger--HEAVEN. For such a simple and cheap meal, it lands close to the top of my list of favorite meals in Japan!

Like many restaurants in Japan who specialize or serve only one type of dish, Kaneko Hannosuke only serve tempura! But what makes this place even more unique is the restaurant's secret sauce. This is another one of my favorites during my trip and it definitely set the bar high for tempura! Wait & layout: We came on a weeknight around 7 and the line was already wrapped around the corner. We thought the wait would've easily been 1.5 hrs but the line moved pretty swiftly. You'll be asked to place your order before you get seated inside. The restaurant has 2 levels with bar seating. All orders are prepared downstairs then sent through a food lift if you're seated upstairs. There's coat hangers and hooks under the table since there's not much room in between. Food: Edomae (secret sauce for rice) + tendon (tempura over rice) Each bowl consist of 2x shrimp, eel, chopped squid, soft boiled egg, shishito pepper & seaweed over rice with their secret tempura sauce. Let me start by saying how on first impression, I would've complained and wanted my tempura and sauce separated. And I know that's rude in Japan, so I didn't. However, after trying the first bite, I'm not even mad. The sauce is literally everything! It's light and naturally sweet without being sticky. It complimented the batter really well and doesn't overpower the individual items. The tempura itself was delicately coated. My favorite was the soft boiled egg. They managed to perfect the boil and deep fry! The yolk was still oozing out! A few parts obviously do get soggy but the sauce keeps you busy! In fact, even the rice is thoroughly covered with sauce. And did I mention the portion size ? This one bowl contains about 2 bowls of rice. I watched as the lady on my right wolfs down everything in 10 minutes! Now that's a true local! No wonder there's a fast turn over rate. This place is just simply amazing! *LA tourists: Enjoy the original in Tokyo and in case you missed it, there's a branch in the Torrance Mitsuwa food court!

So we did wait an hour, weekday for lunch. It sucked to be waiting when starving, sign so pack a snack lol Was it worth the weight? Yep! I mean where else in the world - are you going to find perfectly battered and fried seafood + egg?? For ~$9?!?! It is sooo good. It is food that feeds your soul. Food that gives you a hug with each bite. Food that is no frills - and perfect. So in the most popular bowl that is about 9 bucks you get tempura shrimp, eel, squid and egg. You can ordered additional pieces of tempura for 2-4 bucks a piece. Process: there will be a long line outside. There is a man directing the flow. When you are like final 8, then you get to sit on a stool lol. Someone took your order while waiting. So when you are seated, you are just waiting for food. They will give you a check and you pay there. There is an upstairs and downstairs. I think upstairs is better because it's away from the frying kitchen. We shared a table booth with two ppl we didn't know. total 6 or 7 small tables upstairs

One of the best meals we had in Japan. It was the longest I've ever waited for a meal... 2 hours! They give you umbrellas to hold if you're in the sun and some water which I thought was very nice. We came around 12:30pm on a Saturday and was seated at 2:30pm. Even at 2:30pm there was still a line that snaked around. They have English menu now but we trusted everyone to just get the "Tendon". It's a bowl of rice filled with tempura that has been lightly tossed in a "secret sauce" and it's amazing. The tempura is still crispy, even with the sauce and the rice soaks up all the goodness. The tea they give you helps to cut the oil (although it's really not too heavy even though it's fried!). The cups also had dried beans in it and I'd love if anyone can tell me why haha They also two buckets of pickled daikon and ginger on your table which also helps to cut the oil! So good. Since there are a lot of people, if you're a group of two, they'll put you with another group of 2 at a table of 4 to save room and time. Didn't bother us at all and everyone just paid attention their lovely meal. The bowl itself came with a HUGE piece of fish, 2 shrimps, 1 egg (AMAZING), a shisido pepper and I think some squid. I also think there's another branch around the neighborhood and not sure how it's affiliated but would 100% come to this OG one.

Not sure why all the high reviews of this place. I know my two star rating may seem a bit harsh but let me explain. The tempura is here is not terrible but for a restaurant that specializes in tempura and the only item on the menu (other than miso soup) is a tempura bowl, we were very disappointed. In the bowl you get two shrimps, one fish, one soft boiled egg, one nori, three mini scallops, and one string bean all on a bed of rice. The batter was very oily and soggy. Definitely not light and crispy as others claim. The colour of the tempura batter was not very appealing and it's like what you get when you fry with old oil. Wouldn't come back here or recommend it.

Simply can't beat the price for quality. Get the large portion - worth it You will have to wait outside , but the way they run the place, no worries :)

Racist against foreigners. One of the waiters took our order in line, then Waited 40m in line to be told to go back to the end because my friend ran to the restroom and was not present when we walked in. Ridiculous waste of time. saying "sorry, I don't speak Japanese" results in the rude workers continually telling you what to do in Japanese.

I don't agree with the majority of the reviews. The tempura was not light and flaky, in fact I thought that it was too oily. I do wish that there were more veggies on my plate, since I only got a tiny piece. There is no English menu, which was okay, luckily the lady in front of us spoke some English and was able to help us out. Oh and both my friend and I got sick from the oily food.

Some very delicious tempura here. This places is quietly tucked away on a side street frequented by locals that know where the good food is. Be prepared to wait in line, but it's well worth the wait.

The chefs cook to order, was raining lined up twice deep, about 16, but goes fast. Conger eel is a must have, but regular slim soft boiled egg with runny yoke, it's a sister branch of a worldwide chain. Live up to the name, I think it means Golden Tempura, not fluent in Japanese. See the kitchen in action with my photos!

Awesome great value and delicious. We had a short wait. Food quality excellent. I would go back. Hard to find. Follow your nose toward the smell of sesame oil

The tempura was good, but they refused to give us change for the bill. They took our money away, and when we asked for the change, the waiter said no change. They then ignored us when we said we had 3000 yen in change from a bill that was 7600 yen, and we paid 10600 yen. We asked other waiters, who also ignored us. After asking and being ignored for a few minutes, we left. No sure what recourse we had at that point, but beware explicitly ask for change when handing over the money here. No reason for the waiter to mistake a single 10,000 yen bill for exact change. Will not be going back no matter how good the food is.