Tendon Kohaku
Japanese restaurant · Bellevue
233 106th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
Highlights
Crispy tempura fish, shrimp, and vegetables served over rice.
Crispy tempura fish, shrimp, and vegetables served over rice.
"There's been a ton of hype surrounding the first US location of a popular Japanese tempura restaurant. But even with one or two menu misses, it's well worth it. Must-order options include huge portions of silky katsu curry, creamy carbonara that rivals those from local Italian restaurants, and most importantly, the tempura. This signature dish is drizzled in the restaurant’s dashi-heavy kohaku sauce (much thicker than traditional tempura sauce) and situated on a bed of warm fluffy rice. Save room for dessert too—the sweet potato crème brûlée is something that we now lovingly dream about eating. 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, gabe guarente
"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
"Want some perfectly crispy tempura from this renowned Japanese chain? Be prepared to wait, because there are a lot of people who want to know what prawns and mushrooms taste like after they go through Tendon Kohaku’s proprietary deep fryers and a specially blended oil. This is the first U.S. location of the chain, so its June opening was a pretty big deal." - Meg van Huygen, Harry Cheadle
"There's been a ton of hype surrounding the first US location of a popular Japanese tempura restaurant. You may need lots of patience to get a table, but even with one or two menu misses, it's well worth the wait. Must-order options include huge portions of silky katsu curry, creamy carbonara that rivals those from local Italian restaurants, and most importantly, the tempura. This signature dish is drizzled in the restaurant’s dashi-heavy kohaku sauce (much thicker than traditional tempura sauce) and situated on a bed of warm fluffy rice. Save room for dessert too—the sweet potato crème brûlée is something that we now lovingly dream about eating." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente
"This popular Japanese restaurant had a wait time of five hours when its first US location arrived in Bellevue—and the hype hasn’t died down. You may need a remarkable amount of patience to get a table, but it's well worth it. Inside the spa-like dining room, chatty groups dig into tendon sets and attentive waitstaff dart around with very official earpieces. Must-order dishes include huge bowls of silky katsu curry, creamy carbonara that rivals those from local Italian restaurants, and most importantly, the tempura on a bed of fluffy rice and drizzled in their dashi-forward "Kohkau sauce." Save room for dessert, particularly the sweet potato crème brûlée that we now lovingly dream about." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente
