Tendon Kohaku

The Hottest New Restaurants in the Seattle Area, November 2024

"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

The 25 Best Restaurants & Bars In Bellevue

"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

The Hit List: New Seattle Restaurants To Try Right Now

"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

Seattle’s New Restaurant Openings

"This Japanese spot specializing in tempura rice bowls has locations all over the world, and just opened its first US location in Bellevue. Current wait times can get up to five hours, though—it’ll take patience and a day off to get your hands on that tiger prawn tempura at the moment. We tried Tendon Kohaku and added it to the Hit List. Read our thoughts here." - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo, gabe guarente

Tendon Kohaku Just Opened Its First U.S. Location in Bellevue - Eater Seattle

"Tendon Kohaku is a Singapore-based tempura chain that recently opened its first U.S. location in Bellevue. The restaurant is known for its perfectly crispy, crunchy fried food, achieved through proprietary deep fryers and a specially blended oil. The menu includes a variety of tempura sets, including the signature Kohaku Tendon set, the Premium set, and a vegan option, all served with sides like miso soup and pickled cabbage. Diners can also enjoy desserts like matcha parfait and unique 'bouncing cat puddings,' as well as a selection of hot and cold drinks. Chef Hideki Tsukao oversees the training of local chefs to ensure the quality and authenticity of the dishes." - Jay Friedman

Hung Tran

Google

Tendon Kohaku in Bellevue downtown is one of the most talked-about spots in the area, and for good reason. Despite being open for some time, the long lines persist, reflecting its popularity. They now offer online reservations, but be prepared to book months in advance. Without a reservation, arriving early is a must. We came just a few minutes before opening and still had to wait two hours to get seated. The decor is charming and exudes a Japanese vibe, making the experience feel authentic. The staff are welcoming and helpful, especially if it’s your first visit—they’re happy to walk you through the menu. Their specialty is tendon, a dish featuring tempura served over rice. The menu offers various options, and each dish is carefully prepared, which likely contributes to the long wait times. The portions are generous, leaving you fully satisfied. Their appetizers and dessert options are also worth exploring, with some unique and flavorful choices. While they do offer takeout, the tempura isn’t quite the same when eaten later, so dining in is ideal to enjoy the full experience. Overall, the food is undeniably delicious, but the long wait times make it a place I’d save for special occasions rather than frequent visits. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend giving it a try—you can decide afterward if it’s worth returning regularly.

Malinee Boonnantakul

Google

Steak was so yummy , perfectly cooked. The desserts were amazing, not too sweet. Green tea ice cream is a must. My favorite is bouncing cat, creamy coconut flavored and less sweet.

Dani Y

Google

It's okay, but I didn't understand all the hype about this place. I had big expectations because I've seen a lot of social media videos saying how delicious everything was. I do agree everything is very instagrammable, so if you are a content creator, go for it. The sweet potato creme brulee was too sweet for me, and the matcha soft serve that looks like spaghetti, too bitter. (Yes, I have very sensitive and obnoxious taste, I like balanced flavors - I'm a beer judge). I do like the matcha softserve by Yoroshiku in Seattle (I think it's called Hokkaido) for reference. The tempura was ok but didn't blow my mind. I wouldn't recommend going without a reservation: the virtual line gets long. We reserved a table in advance. The service is good, everyone is super nice and polite. It was my birthday and I didn't get any surprise or treat, just so you know if you're planning a special occasion dinner. The server did wish me a happy birthday, though. They bring the check right away, but I've seen that in many places around here (not my culture). To summarize, the place is ok to just try the fun desserts, but I wouldn't repeat it.

Y T

Google

I thoroughly enjoyed the food here; the premium sets, salmon katsu, and sashimi don were all absolutely fabulous. The overall experience was excellent, with top-notch food quality and a welcoming atmosphere. The only downside is its popularity, which means you'll likely have to wait even with a reservation. Additionally, the wait for food can take a bit longer, and once the dishes finally arrive, you might feel a bit rushed to finish your meal. While the staff is not rude, the time between receiving the food and being politely asked to leave feels a bit too short, as they try to accommodate the next guests as soon as possible.

Steve Le

Google

Looks like food in Japan but doesnt taste as great. More like food chain taste. But the deserts are great as in Japan. Would recommend here for desserts. Auto Tipping culture needs to stop- 20% was auto calculated onto our bill- $60 tip was added without asking if we were happy with the service or not.

Laya P

Google

We've been wanting to try this place since it opened, but have always shied away because of the long wait times. Our friend told us that they started taking reservations, so my boyfriend got lucky and was able to snag a 2pm reservation on a Tuesday. We got sat in the back dining area, which seemed nice since they had covered booths. We went to this restaurant on an empty belly - we didn't eat breakfast that morning since we wanted to try a variety of dishes here. Upon ordering, our server pretty much cut us off and told us that what we had ordered was plenty and that we shouldn't order anymore... That made us feel uncomfortable. This was our first time encountering a restaurant that pretty much denied you from ordering a certain amount of food. Which I didn't understand, because as a business wouldn't you want customers to order a lot since that's more money for your business? And we knew we would have leftovers for later, so it wasn't like we were trying to finish it all there. We ordered 2 apps, 2 entrees & 1 to share/bring home. + we came here on an empty belly, so we were pretty hungry. We got our food & then was told last call for the kitchen was 2:45, which was only 15-20 min after we got our food. Since we got our food around 2:20ish, we were trying to hurry and eat since they closed at 3pm. And then when it came time to order dessert; yet again the server cut us off and only allowed us to order 1 dessert. My boyfriend and I each like ordering something different so we can try each others. But the server basically told us 1 is good enough to share. After eating our dessert it was about 3:05 when we paid. We honestly didn't have time to enjoy our food really, since we were trying to be mindful of the restaurant's time. But when we walked out to the main dining room we in fact saw 4 other parties still eating.. and they had all been sat/eating already when we arrived to check in for our reservation... So I don't see the point just rushing us out when they had plenty of other customers still there.. Maybe they should have a time limit listed if they want customers out fast. I'm glad they do reservations now because I would not come here without one. The service & food was overall not worth it IMO. Like the food was good, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it again. If you don't want to rush your customers, maybe don't offer a reservation time so close to the closing time. This is definitely a "one and done" type of restaurant for us. Which is disappointing because we've been looking forward to visiting.

Susie Kim

Google

Huge portions!! Fresh seafood ❤️ crunch panko!! Loved all the different options beyond tendon, and their dessert was also delicious. Wait was long; 30-45mins for weekday dinner. Service staff was great!

Jacqueline

Google

Honestly, I just wanted to go to try out their matcha ice cream I saw someone post about, but their food turned out to be pretty good as well. I got the Kohaku Dashi stock udon, which I would get again. The noodles are soft, the meat was perfectly cooked, and the tempura shrimp was delicious. I would've finished it all and drank the broth if I wasn't saving room for dessert. The egg in the soup I would've liked over medium because it was a little too runny. The seasonal Uni Toro Caviar was a great experience, I liked it more than I thought I would, it's fun to try if you've never tried caviar before, and there were no overwhelming ocean flavors. The beef Steak Aimori was good but was more rare than medium-rare, the plate was 'upgraded' to the Tencha set and the kombu dashi broth cooked the meat a little more, a worth-it add on in my opinion. I tried both the iced and hot version of their Houjicha latte, and although there are no nuts in the drink, it gives off a nutty flavor, I preferred the iced. Now, for dessert, I ordered the jiggly Coconut Pudding cat because how could I not, and it came with a calligraphy paint brush and food safe 'ink' to draw on your cat. The coconut pudding was delicious and came with crystal boba pearls. The Match Soft cream was uniquely made and semi sweet. The matcha on top was a little too overpowering, so I probably wouldn't get it again, but it was fun to try.

Zack R.

Yelp

First, parking sucks so park in soma tower or get there before 5 (open parking, no line) I love some good tempura. The only other place around on par with TK is Kiku, as they both have a crisp airy outside without any grease taste or feel to weigh it down. There were lots of unique options here but we went with a few simple standards and loved it. I got some extra veg with my set as it was a bit small for how hungry I came in...but then we ordered dessert and left absolutely stuffed. My wife said the poke tendon was fresh and flavorful, and my beef was similarly perfectly sliced cooked and seasoned. For dessert I love how distinct the items were. Mont blanc (was that the name? Like a pressed taro paste extruded into noodles over ice cream?) was new to me, but that crembrule in a sweet potato? Mind blowing. Seriously, the creaminess of the potato with the charred edges bring all the flavor of Taiwan/Japan coal roasted sweet potatoes and the you add the sugar and ice cream? I usually don't like crembrule because the top tastes overly burnt but this was smooth and flavorful and everything came together in blended flavor. Definitely going back, though always at a time I can avoid the crowds. The host was excellent at seating us and managing my wife's late arrival, and our server was extremely attentive to water, extra orders, and checking in on us.

Yesenia E.

Yelp

The wait was about an hour on a Monday night at 7pm. We signed up with our names and left to the mall to kill time. Once we got a text message to return, we checked in with the host and they quickly sat us down. The server did an amazing job explaining the seasonal items on the menu. The food was Delicious The ambiance was amazing. Beautiful decor. Cute for a casual date or dinner amongst friends. When it was time to pay the server tightly held to the machine so one was forced to pick the tip they suggested which I did not like.

Orawan S.

Yelp

The best of our Seattle trip lists. Everybody's in our group is so impressed. Foods are delicious and fast. Tempura is not oily at all and the rice was soft and perfect cooked. Tempura sauce is not too sweet and the selection of desserts is great. Service was excellent and fast. Definitely be back when revisiting Seattle and highly recommended!!

Tori L.

Yelp

We had a reservation so got seated right away. Parking is very tight & limited. Sorry to say but to me, this place is overrated. The prices are much higher compared to the ones in Canada. Carbonara was ok, just little too salty. Curry was ok, little spicy but could've used more sauce. The salmon was ok but portion was too small. Their tendon was fine, nothing special. Best thing about this place is their desserts. We loved all the desserts.

Hung T.

Yelp

Tendon Kohaku in Bellevue downtown is one of the most talked-about spots in the area, and for good reason. Despite being open for some time, the long lines persist, reflecting its popularity. They now offer online reservations, but be prepared to book months in advance. Without a reservation, arriving early is a must. We came just a few minutes before opening and still had to wait two hours to get seated. The decor is charming and exudes a Japanese vibe, making the experience feel authentic. The staff are welcoming and helpful, especially if it's your first visit--they're happy to walk you through the menu. Their specialty is tendon, a dish featuring tempura served over rice. The menu offers various options, and each dish is carefully prepared, which likely contributes to the long wait times. The portions are generous, leaving you fully satisfied. Their appetizers and dessert options are also worth exploring, with some unique and flavorful choices. While they do offer takeout, the tempura isn't quite the same when eaten later, so dining in is ideal to enjoy the full experience. Overall, the food is undeniably delicious, but the long wait times make it a place I'd save for special occasions rather than frequent visits. If you haven't been, I highly recommend giving it a try--you can decide afterward if it's worth returning regularly.

Sarah J.

Yelp

I went on a Sunday evening, and the place was packed. You need one member of your party to check in inside to get in the reservation list. We waited for 2.5 hours before getting a table, but it was worth it! Our server was sooo nice! He explained the best way to eat the dishes and then how to take the tea and add it to the leftover rice to enjoy. To start, we got the spicy tuna sashimi, which was absolutely delicious!! Loved the spicy mayo, onions and avocado. Then, we got our tendon sets, which we had upgraded. I would skip the upgrade as it wasn't really worth it in my opinion. I didn't really like adding the tea to my rice. The kohaku tendon was great! Tempura was all super fresh and not greasy. You could tell the quality was good. The beef tendon set was my favorite. Lastly, we got the creamy hokkaido uni udon. This was super creamy and rich - while it was good I wouldn't get it again. Overall, great food and experience. I'll be back again for the beef tendon and spicy tuna sashimi!

Ferdinand C.

Yelp

Always a wait at this establishment - why? Because their whole menu is a "must order" or at least try! Get there before they open. Sure, you'll wait; but, better to wait the few minutes before opening rather than come when it's busy and wait two hours! The servers were friendly & knowledgeable. The place was clean. They have private dining rooms in the back for parties.

Mercy H.

Yelp

his place is worth the effort! We arrived at 10:25 am for an 11 am opening and were the first ones there. You have to be intentional about visiting Tendon Kohaku as it's a bit out of the way, but trust me, it's worth it. This is a franchise from Tokyo, and you can tell from the quality. All the ingredients are imported from Japan - top-notch! Everything on the menu looked incredible, and we were not disappointed. The tendon itself was delicious. Service was excellent, and the prices were reasonable for the quality. Tendon Kohaku was a definite highlight of our Seattle trip. You absolutely must try it!

Jacques I.

Yelp

Tendon Kohaku is a great addition to the Bellevue dining scene, offering tempura dishes, which is their specialty. I'm glad I was finally able to try it and see what the fuss was all about. To get a reservation online is a challenge. Word on the street is that most people line up before it opens to snag a spot. I walked over for lunch one day, knowing I wasn't going to get in, but was able to make an early dinner reservation for the same day for two people. We came here for dinner, and were seated immediately with the reservation. Throughout the entire dinner, people were lined up at the entrance, waiting to get in. My partner ordered the beek steak aimori tendon set while I had the thick cut rare salmon katsu and ikura don set. We both had the o-matcha for drinks. If you like matcha, you will love the o-matcha, which is straight up matcha powder and hot water. It was fragrant, strong in flavor and delightful. I recommend. Our food didn't take long to get and overall, it was good. My partner liked that the steak was medium rare and liked the pumpkin tempura the best. My thick cut rare salmon katsu was good, and the ikura don set came with a soft-boiled egg and a mayo that they mix together, to make the sauce for the salmon with salmon eggs on top. My dish was good, but a little too indulgent. Because the salmon was so delicious on its own, the egg and mayo sauce on top spoils the taste of the salmon. I would recommend putting this sauce on yourself versus the staff demonstrating how to make the sauce and putting it on the salmon. Less is more in this case. For dessert, my partner and I shared the mont blanc, which was a purple potato flavor, and the best part of my dining experience here! It was light yet so flavorful from the purple potato. We enjoyed every last lick of it. Tendon Kohaku gives you something different in Bellevue, which I dig. But it's not worth the wait. I'd come back here again when the hype down down and would be open to ordering something different. The menu offers a lot, so I'm confident that there's more to love here.

Beatrice H.

Yelp

I have come here on 3 separate occasions. The food is great, the space is cute, the service has good and bad days, and parking is a challenge. The location is close to bellevue downtown and easy to find. However, parking is tricky since the lot is small, spaces are tight, and local parking places now are monitoring. I would recommend to plan to arrive early to find parking. The ambiance is nice, bright and well decorated. The seats are well spaced and comfortable with many cozy booths and a section in the back for more private parties. The food itself is DELICIOUS. They have a good variety that would meet different diet restrictions. Do note they will not substitute or trade any items which is unfortunate. They are known for their tendon which is a plate of various crispy fried items. Everything they fry is crisp, juicy and well seasoned. We tried a few tendon, the udon, and the curry katsu platter. It all was very tasty! My favorite was the curry katsu with omurice, it was one of the better curry katsus in this area. Their dessert is also great if you enjoy sweets and unique. Service was not consistent. The last time we went it was great, but the time before our waiter hovered and rushed us out. The food usually arrives relatively fast, but on one occasion they forgot to provide some utensils. Overall, definitely a good place to visit. I would recommend reserving as the wait can be long. The food is good, service is decent, parking is challenging.

Wendy K.

Yelp

Had lunch her this past weekend with friends to celebrate the holidays. Many of them had been wanting to try this place. We had reservations right when they opened since there was six of us it was a great idea and glad my friend booked it cause the line was long and it was pouring rain we we arrived about 15 minutes early. Service is great very attentive and helpful answering questions about dishes. The space is aesthetically very nice. I'm very particular about my temperature as I worked in a Japanese restaurant. I ordered a dish that had tempura since they are known for it. Is it the best tempura I've had? No but my expectations may have been higher than most. I think if I were to return I would get something that doesn't have the sauce on it I'm not used to that type of tempura, the sauce was on the sweet side. What I'm used to a lighter lacy tempura with Tentsuyu on the side for dipping. Myself and one of friends had the Sashimi Amori Tendon set. The portion is generous and appreciate that it comes with miso soup, tsukemono and a tiny chawan mushi. The rest ordered the Creamy Hokkaido Uni Udon, Akiaji Tendon Set, Mentaiko Cream and Ikura Udon with Uni and the Thick Cut rare salmon katsu and ikura don. Some of is split the Uni Toro Caviar, and two of us tried the Shiso Uni Tempura. If I came back it may be for one of the udon dishes. I do have to say some of the photos look a little different plating wise than what comes out but all the items were there. Think most of the table enjoyed their meals but consensus was that some dishes could be more affordable somewhere else. The friend that had the thick cut salmon cause didn't care for the tartar sauce mixture that came with though the table side preparation was a nice touch. What we enjoyed a lot was the dessert one of my friends ordered the Bouncing Kitty Coconut Pudding fun and interactive and tastes good to. We bought a couple of warabi mochi and one order of the red bean. Which runs about $1 for two pieces of warabi. I commend them for have a presence in Bellevue and being so popular.

Ginny C.

Yelp

I'm obsessed with a different dish every time I come. This time it was the seasonal tendon with soft shell crab , tempura shiso leaf, and toasted chestnut omg. I also got the black truffle grilled steak which was delicious! There was a lot of truffle in the rice and great flavor. I added on the uni which I didn't think was worth it. I got tiny pieces so will be skipping that. Also got the brûlée sweet potato with soft serve. It was so special! Will get that again. I loved everything but taking off one star for consistency. Sometime visits it's perfect and some visits the tendon was soggy and batter was peeling off from the katsu salmon. Still an amazing spot though!

Kevin Roi C.

Yelp

Went here for my partner's birthday during our Seattle trip! Ever since it opened, this place had been on our radar for quite some time and a good amount of our friends have been hyping this place up so you know we had to try it! Service here is EXTREMELY good. All the servers are attentive and are ready to assist you with any of our needs. They will approach you in case you need help/questions. Since we had a bar seating, i was able to watch the kitchen staff do their thing and they are very well organized. Everything has a system here which makes service extremely efficient. Now, onto the food! matcha/hojicha latte: Not too sweet, more of a tea aftertaste. Match/hojicha more noticeable. Matcha might be more grassier/bitter than most people are used to, but i like it. Matcha powder hadnt fully dissolved in the drink. cappracio: Fresh quality, especially with the orangle slices and cabbage. A refreshing appetizer to have before your main course karage: Light batter, very flavorful with the lemon, not too oily. Fewer pieces than expecting, but then again this was an appetizer piece Mentaiko Udon w/ Uni: Uni was soft and creamy. A slight spicy aftertaste to it. Perfect balance to umami, creaminess, and slight kick to it (spicy) in the end. Truly, a must have if youre looking for a light meal here. mont blanc matcha ice cream w/ chestnut mont blanc: I didn't know what I was expecting, but the chestnut was extremely creamy and soft (like its paste). matcha soft serve had a strong matcha flavor to it so it may be off putting to those who are used to a sweeter matcha flavor. coconut cat: coconut cat was like a pudding with some kuromitsu syrup at the base. It was very fun to design the cat with their edible ink Sweet potato creme brulee: MUST TRY!! They give you a vanilla soft serve on the side which pairs well with the sweet potato. Tastes like they also add in some custard to the sweet potato which makes it even more creamy. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant if you are ever in the Seattle area, but I would recommend you line up EARLY because it goes on a first come, first serve basis and people here do come early to wait in line.

Erin H.

Yelp

Been wanting to try this new spot, and I was able to snag an RSVP on a random Tuesday night! Even though I had a RSVP, we still had to wait a little to get seated, but there were people who were waiting outside without RSVP for way longer! Staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes, and the ambiance was nice. The food itself I ordered was just a little too heavy and fried (but this was as expected) for my taste, so I would learn more towards the udon next time. Price point is expensive, but the portions for the entrees are very large, so the value was still okay enough. I ended up taking half my bowl home as leftovers since I was feeling so full!

Cindy H.

Yelp

The food plating at this restaurant is very esthetically pleasing to the eyes and camera which is what drew me here in the first place. The wait however was not worth it. They don't take reservations currently, only walk-ins and at 830 pm, the wait was still over an hour. We didn't get seated until about 920pm. Food did come out quick. We got the steak and sashimi tendon set and upgraded to the tencha set which came with broth and some additional sides. I would say though for over $30 a set, it wasn't worth it. There's was way too much rice. The rice ratio was more than the meat ratio. The tempura though were fried perfectly, they also gave a lot of tempura. I think the highlight for me was only their dessert. The matcha mont blanc ice cream was really good. Not too sweet and you can taste the highway quality matcha used.

Erin W.

Yelp

Finally, we made it to this place today! We arrived around 2 PM on a Thursday and waited for about 15-20 minutes. Despite it being late lunch hour, it was still very popular and crowded, especially since they would close at 3 PM before reopening for dinner at 5 PM. The staff was super friendly and attentive, and we appreciated the lovely interiors and decor. The tempura shrimp was perfectly cooked, and I really enjoyed the shiitake tempura as well. Overall, great value! Just need to come at a less busy time to avoid waiting too long. Parking was convenient, with a lot that had reserved spots for restaurant guests.

Ellen C.

Yelp

Service is 5 stars. We were able to make a reservation for groups 5+. Parking is not easy, so would recommend the earliest reservation possible. The food was good but not sure I'd wait in line to eat here. For a group of 5, we were seated in a private booth which we enjoyed as it was easy to talk. The dessert was just ok. We got the jiggly cat pudding and the ice cream. Overall good food but I probably would not come back. Service again was amazing.

Nina H.

Yelp

Delicious food and good service but slightly overhyped. Had to make a res a month in advance. They have maybe two dozen parking spots but it's still difficult especially this time of the year with the Snowflake Lane festivities. The tempura was tasty but I wasn't expecting the kohaku sauce, both me and my friend thought there'd be tempura dipping sauce. The rice was yummy and the perfect texture. Lots of protein for the bowls. The sets come with small portions of chawanmushi, miso soup and pickled vegetables. I'd like to come back to try the udon and other desserts but I can wait a few more months...

Sophie C.

Yelp

I have been here twice now! Once during the summer when it first opened where I lined up at 4pm for 5pm opening first wave seating and the second time, 4:20pm for again 5pm opening first wave seating, so it's definitely died down a little bit! Come early if you're inpatient, don't want to wait hours, but want to try this place out! Service was super friendly and quick, they gave us the option to order while we were waiting to make things faster. The food was amazing both times! The tempura was fried to perfection, crispy yet soft to bite into with their incredible sauce. The steak was made medium rare per my liking and was super flavorful! My family also got the dashi broth udon which was also yummy, not particularly special but nice on a cold evening. Definitely get the tempura if you come here! Each set was super filling (came with rice, mini steamed egg, miso soup, and salad), coming in around under $30. For the amount of food, it was well worth it! I have so tried their mentaiko cream and ikura udon (not pictured) but would recommend that as well if you're into seafood! Also, I have to give them props for the ambiance. Felt like I was transported back to Japan with their interiors. For my first visit, we were seated in a private booth with curtain, felt like a private japanese dining experience! This time around, we were seated out in the open dining space with multiple customers which added to the lively feel of the place!

Vivian T.

Yelp

Was back when we had to wait for the restaurant to open for dinner! Everything came out fast and fresh. I loved the tempura. The little chawanmushi was good too. Did feel like the waiter was making us feel like we had to finish and leave fast so they could sit more people. Ordered the tencha set but gave us the regular tendon set instead. Had to make sure they didn't over charge us. The restaurant itself was well decorated. Feels like I was back in Japan for a little bit. Will definitely come back when less busy.

Bethany M.

Yelp

I highly recommend reservations for this place - it is SO busy, alllll the time. That being said, the hype is justified. We sampled appetizers (all good!), each ordered a tempura OR curry rice set (the omurice upgrade is worth it - the egg is perfectly cooked), and a selection of desserts to share. So stuffed! The portion sizes are very, very generous. The tempura batter is light and crisp, for the most part (perhaps a bit heavy on the mushrooms, but otherwise evenly applied). Everything in a meal set arrived at the table screaming hot, which I love. The only item I'm not sure that we would order again was the sweet potato brûlée - not my favorite, it's very starchy and it's reheated to a lukewarm temp. Not nearly as delicious as the Montblanc; next time I would re-order that with only the vanilla soft cream as the base (the matcha soft cream a little too intense when combined with the matcha chestnut topping). Service is very convivial - the staff really take care of you. There is limited free parking available in the lot adjacent to the restaurant.

Allison A.

Yelp

I have come here time and time again because of how delicious and consistent the food is each time. The interior is so cute and well designed, taking a modern approach on traditional Japanese food. The service is absolutely lovely here, each time they are always so welcoming and friendly. I take all my friends here I want to impress, would definitely recommend! The steak and carrot dish was probably my favorite, I seldom crave meat like this but this is always the dish I crave with the melt in your mouth steak and soft carrots and carrot chips! Sooo delicious!

Brenda S.

Yelp

I recently visited this restaurant, which is located in a corner strip with limited parking. The interior is smaller than other outlets but clean and bright, which was a nice touch. Unfortunately, my dining experience fell short of expectations. The tendon I ordered was overly oily, and the fry was darker than usual, which affected the overall flavor. Additionally, the restaurant's heater was not working, and I had to wear an extra coat while eating--something I don't expect to do indoors. That said, the service was attentive, and the staff were apologetic about the heating issue, which I appreciated. While there were some positives, the food quality and lack of comfort were disappointing this time around.

Calista C.

Yelp

Super beautiful restaurant with beautiful plating!! MAKE SURE TO GET A RESERVATION, even on a weekday night - the wait at 6 PM on a Thursday was an hour for any party size. Since we had a reservation, we were seated after 10 minutes of waiting. Reservations open a month in advance every day. Service was super friendly, very fast, and they helped us pour the toppings for the salmon! Highly recommend their Mont Blanc dessert, especially the purple sweet potato version. We ended up with extra filling for the uni caviar, so I recommend getting the extra toast. Softshell crab was also a standout in the tendon!! So juicy highly recommend. Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted wonderful - this is much better than Tendon Kohaku in Vancouver :)) a must visit

Alice K.

Yelp

Love that they have a to-go option! The hojicha latte wasn't too sweet which was perfect for me! The matcha ice cream was good but slightly too bitter on the top for my taste. The sweet potato creme brulee was a nice surprise but I would have appreciated a little more of the crunchy sweet top in proportion to the sweet potato underneath. Overall we enjoyed the dessert. It is a bit spendy but a nice treat for date and novelty dessert!

Kana S.

Yelp

We read yelp reviews suggesting to arrive early at opening so we arrived at 10:40 am on Saturday and there was a line already. The staff gave us a ticket with the table number and a QR code for the menu. They took our orders while we were still in line outside . Once they opened, we got seated in the first round. The whole process at the opening was efficient. We ordered Beef steak aimori tendon. It came with miso soup, mini chawanmushi (steamed egg) and pickled cabbage with yuzu. Chawanmushi (steamed egg) was so tiny. It is the smallest I've ever seen. While the flavor was good, it was luke warm. Steak was very tender and good. Tempura was good as well but it was cold. The whole thing including rice was cold (not fridge cold but cold like it was sitting out for some time) by the time it was served. I think it would have tasted better if they were served hot. Additionally, the sauces on the table was very cold ( they were probably just taken out of fridge because it was right after opening). Adding cold sauce made the already cold food even colder. It was very disappointing experience.

Thaila N.

Yelp

Definitely one of the best tempura spots I've tried! The portions are perfect for one person. Each tempura piece was crispy and not too greasy. My favorite pieces were the chicken and pumpkin! You can pick either normal or spicy sauce, and they also provide both sauces on the table without asking. The regular sauce was sweet and umami and loosely similar to teriyaki. I love that it comes in a set with miso soup and small sides/apps, which were all delicious. The thing I was most excited for was dessert. And they did not disappoint!!! I got the Purple Sweet Potato Mont Blanc. It was similar to a parfait, as the mont blanc sat atop vanilla soft serve ice cream with corn flakes at the bottom. The vanilla ice cream had a strong vanilla flavor, which was a perfect contrast to the less sweet and nutty mont blanc. The corn flakes made the dessert even more amazing by adding the crunchy texture! It was a bit pricey for dessert, but definitely worth it. We arrived at about 5:30pm on a weekday and was told it would be about a 30-45 minute wait. Once you put your name on the list, you can leave and come back within 15 minutes of getting the text that your table is ready. We were surprised when they texted that our table was ready in about 5 minutes from when we put our name on the list. There is a small lot for parking, but there were spots available. You can also park at the mall, which is what we did and had no issues. At this time, they don't do substitutions to the sets on the menu. But you can ask to put some items on the side. You can also order additional pieces of tempura. I have to come back to try more of the dessert menu!

Jason Y.

Yelp

Tried coming here around grand opening July 2023 without a reservation and had to wait 3.5 hrs.. decided to leave and check it out another time. Fast forward 6 months and finally got a group of people who were down to go and made a reservation for a Saturday at 6pm. Apparently, the wait for walk in is still 3 hours 6 months later sooo.. Anyways, got to the restaurant, checked in and had to wait till our whole party was there to be seated. Parking is a nightmare. They have a small lot and it's usually always full so you have to park around the neighborhood Looking inside, you would think there is only a few tables. Little did we know that they had a whole back room full of tables. Pricey but the food was good. I had heard mix reviews about some of the tonkatsu being oily but it was pretty good when we went. Ordered 4 tendons, 1 uni caviar app, 1 creamy uni udon, and a few drinks. Got some dessert as well. Overall, pretty solid. Def not a place you can come all the time because of the wait and the price but a good treat every now and then.

Stephanie C.

Yelp

I wondered how any person can eat so much tempura without feeling sick of biting into oil, and that was basically my experience. Tendon Kohaku is worth trying at least once. The curry is fantastic and they make the best matcha from Sugamoto. Good flavors on the tempura but it's definitely not the best I've ever had; they're full of oil. Sauces are good but a kind of sweet that can become overwhelming. The staffs have always been nice and friendly, especially with dealing with so many customers, but it's hard to dismiss that half of our orders tend to come out wrong and intertwined. Lived up to the influencer hype? Never usually does. Traffic has died down since its opening and they take reservations now (call, don't do it online). I'd recommend booking days, even weeks, ahead for a table. Otherwise expect a 2-3 hr long wait even on weekdays. They seem to do seating slots, so most tables start at the same time.

Jenny D.

Yelp

We arrived around 10:25am on a Sunday morning and were seated in the first round. We had a great lunch and everything tasted great but nothing was super special. For drinks we tried their strawberry matcha, which we wish had a stronger matcha flavor. The uni mentaiko udon was okay, it was a little heavy and unfortunately not our favorite. However, the tempura was delicious and I would come back for that! The sweet potato Crème brûlée dessert was good but the soft serve melts too fast. Glad I tried it but I probably would skip it next time. Service was attentive and friendly. Our food came out timely. Waiting in line 30 mins prior to opening was not terrible but I wouldn't do it again. I would definitely come back to try their other dishes but I would not go out of my way to come here until it becomes less crowded.

Leilani Q.

Yelp

Wowza, some tasty food with good textures! Got lucky in making a reservation two days prior. It's tough to make a reservation because there is no easy way to view all available reservation times on a certain day. Sat down at our table about 5min after checking in. Premium tendon set (anago eel): wow this bowl was packed with so many tasty items! Standout favorite tempura were the eel, basa fish, shitake, and onsen egg. I recommend trying some tempura first, then adding some additional spicy sauce on top. There's extra sauce and chili flakes at each table. Recommend this bowl for sure! Purple sweet potato mont blanc with matcha soft cream: overall the flavor of the matcha was too overpowering for me and was on the edge of being bitter. The sweet potato on top was very much a potato texture and added a slight sweetness to the overall dessert. I enjoyed the sweet potato chips on top. I didn't like this dessert as much as the sweet potato creme brulee. Speaking of!! The sweet potato creme brulee has the perfect crunchy sugar top, creamy custard, and soft sweet potato. This was served with the vanilla soft cream which was a wonderful pairing! Loved it!!

Michael X.

Yelp

I'm always excited to see new restaurants opening in the Bellevue area, as this city isn't really known as a place to experience new and delicious additions often. Tendon Kohaku, when it first opened, had 2-3 hour wait times just to get seated, and though it has improved since it first opened, I would still recommend getting a reservation just in case before visiting. Parking situation can be difficult directly in front of the restaurant, but luckily there are plenty of parking spots nearby from the Chipotle and Safeway lots, so can you park there and walk on over. We got a couple of items, which I'll review down below: Aimori Tendon Sets ($27 each): To be honest, I thought that these sets were underwhelming for the price. The positives: For the beef steak, the beef itself had decent flavor and a good texture. It was hearty and meaty, which contrasted with the tempura nicely and went well with the rice. For the sashimi aimori - the fish contrasted well with the rest of the bowl too. Similar texture and food profile between the two dishes, so you wouldn't need to worry about missing something if you didn't order the other. The downsides: For the beef steak, the beef steak was served lukewarm - I wasn't sure if this was the intended serving temp, but it made the bowl underwhelming. For the sashimi, the fish didn't really taste higher quality or any fresher than grocery store sushi, which was disappointing. The side dishes were nice, but if you really think about it, they weren't too elevated as you expect coming to a restaurant. I think out of the soup, cabbage side, and steamed egg, I personally thought the steamed egg or mini chawanmushi was a nice addition. I just think that the other comparable Japanese establishments I've been to have had better quality for the same or less price. Ube Mont Blanc ($14): I haven't had mont blanc ice cream before, so I was excited to try this dessert! The mont blanc ube portion had very light ube flavor. I think the starchiness of the ube came through the most as it the spaghetti ice cream had sort of a slightly chalky aftertaste. Maybe this is just how mont blancs are and I didn't know, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the topping. The soft serve itself below was standard - good vanilla and matcha flavor. I thought that this was novel if you haven't tried it before, but I wouldn't order it again. I think that Tendon Kohaku suffers from style over substance. The ambiance of the restaurant? Very aesthetic with a charming personality. The food that the restaurant serves? Not too amazing unfortunately. Though there are many rave reviews of this place, I think that this restaurant is being viewed through rose-colored glasses because the ambiance and advertising was done so well. I'm glad I was able to check out Tendon Kohaku, but I'm not sure if I would be a repeat customer. (3.5 stars)

Ellie W.

Yelp

My girlfriend and I have been thinking to try out this place. Both of us love Tendon. When we looked it up online, we learned that there's always a waiting line. In order to make sure that we could get in, we decided to be there 30 minute before it opened. Somehow we were a bit late due to the traffic, so we arrived around 20 minutes before it opened. There was already a line, but not super long. About 5 minutes before opening, the staff came out to ask how many people in each party and handed us a small tag. It looked like 5 people after us were able to make it for the first round of seating. Maybe because we were kind of the end of the first round, we didn't get to sit at a table. We ended up sitting at the counter, which is not quite convenient for us to find a spot for our coats and purses although the eating space was quite spacious. I wish they had built some space under the counter for us to put our belongings. I ended up wearing my purse at all time during the lunch. The restaurant was generally clean and nice. As soon as we sat down, the waiter came to get our order. We already decided what to order while waiting outside, so it was quick! Both of us ordered Tendon and some Japanese sweet potato dessert. The tendon set came with tendon, miso soup, and some side dishes. Everything was pretty good. In fact, we were very full after finishing our tendon sets, but we already ordered our dessert, so we had to finish it. We got sweet potato creme brulee and vanilla soft cream with sweet potato toppings. Both were so delicious! I first thought I couldn't finish it since I was so full, but it turned out that there was always a spot in my body for dessert. I would love to come again! Hopefully next time I will be able to sit at a table.

Laura G.

Yelp

Akiaji (Autumn) Tendon Set: I loved the variety of tempura offered in this set; the sauce was delicious with the rice! The enoki mushroom tempura was mostly fried through on the ends. My favorite tempura in this set would probably be either the salmon or the kakiage. Our server, Jon, was very attentive and friendly! Overall, great service. Reservations are definitely recommended as there are a lot of people. We were seated shortly after our reservation time.

Vy M.

Yelp

Only 2 weeks since visiting for the first time, I decided to bring my family because the food was so good...unfortunately, the service is still lacking in some aspects. Our server was Robert again and he was amazing, I'm so glad we were helped by him! Since we waited about 2.5 hours last time, I decided to make an advanced reservation this time but shockingly we still had to wait 30 minutes AFTER our 8pm reservation before we even sat down. The manager, Pat, came out about 10 minutes past our reservation time and told us he was cleaning our table so it'd be another 5-10 minutes. After 10 minutes, we went back in to ask the hostess who told us they're still waiting on "3 tables to get their dessert." After we sat down, Pat told us that they would get us free dessert to make up for the wait. The gesture was nice and I understand they're busy, but don't lie about cleaning our table thinking that would make us feel better. Now for the food, I'm still a big fan!! We had to get the Beef Steak Aimori Set again because it's so good! My favorites from this time were the Pork Katsu Omurice Curry and Mentaiko Udon with Uni. The appetizers were good but nothing too special. If you like matcha, I highly recommend trying their drinks and ice cream. I enjoyed the parfait but I've had ones with more in them, so this one was a little underwhelming. Everything being said, I would still recommend and will still look forward to coming back but I think I'll be waiting a while so they can iron out their issues.

Erika B.

Yelp

This place had such delicious food and the ambiance made you feel like you were in Japan. I highly recommend going right when they open. There is long lines. They do have their own parking. We went on a monday and they happen to already be out on uni. Very sad but we still got to try their creamy udon. It was so good. And you must try their creme brulee sweet potato!

Gina T.

Yelp

Tasty tempuras and yummy desserts. There's also something special about the rice here that tastes different than the typical white rice -- they're plump and crispy.

Denise W.

Yelp

We ordered 2 signature tendon kohaku sets and 1 Mentaiko udon. Would rate this place higher than their Vancouver locations both in terms of taste and in terms of service. Our server Scott was so attentive and nice. He took our order before we even entered the resto. We arrived in line at 4:45 and were one of the first 4 groups to be seated promptly once doors opened at 5 PM. Mentaiko Udon: very creamy, chewy noodles and lots of eggs. Definitely bursting with umami flavour. Would order again without hesitation. 10/10. Udon is ever so slightly spicy as a disclaimer. Tendon Kohaku: the don comes a chanwanmushi, miso soup and a pickled cabbage with a hint of yuzu on top. Came with a large variety of tempura ( chicken, squid, shrimp, corn, pumpkin, mushroom, string beans). Chicken was tender af. Rice was also very soft and delicious. Ambiance: very nice environment for a date night. There are bar tables and booths. Nice lot and nice Japanese decor. Will be back if I'm ever in Seattle. Itadakimasu! Edit: if u leave a Google or Yelp review you can get a matcha or vanilla or both ice-cream for only $1. It was so good!

Rosette T.

Yelp

I've been to the Vancouver BC location of Tendon Kohaku a few times, and have always had a great experience so when I found out they opened a location in Bellevue I was excited! The menu here has slight differences compared to their other location, but the quality is consistently good. I tried the beef steak tendon on my last visit, and it was delicious! The beef was cooked medium rare and it also comes with some tempura which had a crispy batter and isnt overly greasy. The restaurant itself is small, which adds to the long waits to get in, especially during peak hours. I would recommend getting there right when it opens. One nice feature is the sitting rooms in the back, which are great for accommodating larger parties if you're with a group and it makes you feel secluded from the other people in the restaurant.

Frank L.

Yelp

This review is based ***solely*** on the take out experience. I do not concur that the portions are generous (again, this is a review for take-out). So many reviews say the portions are good, but perhaps they give less portion when ordering online? If so, they should not charge the same for in dining vs. online to go. I find the take out portions to be borderline "just enough" and depending on your mood and appetite, 1 entree could leave you wanting. The online ordering experience is great, fast, efficient, and the food is ready quicker then the quoted time. So be very aware not to show up 60minutes after ordering if you are the type to want to eat your food as quick as possible after it comes out the kitchen. Only did take out twice here because really, a 2hr wait to dine in is not going to happen. The restaurant cleanliness, and decor is excellent. Typical Japanese standards of which I absolutely love. The food itself, A-OK, closer for sure to good then it is to average. I do feel there is a bit of extra fad or lard or something added in the cooking style that I taste/feel afterwards, nothing crazy, just slightly noticeable. Maybe one day when the hype wears down, an in dining experience will be done, but until then, the take out is only to be had when you are just average hungry as the portions are not that big.

Teresa Z.

Yelp

Worth the wait if you wait under 1 hour. Tempura was lightly fried and delicious and the menu was extensive. Service was great and automatically added 20% service fee for our group of 5. Would come here again and try to make reservation in advance.

Christy C.

Yelp

Was very excited to try this place after failing to get a table multiple times since it's always packed. The ambiance is great with a lot of intimate big booth options in the back. I did find it to be quite cold in the restaurant though. Service was friendly but lacking attentiveness. Half our party was waiting for their meal set for nearly 20min after everyone else was served. The yuzu sencha was interesting and slowly grows on you but our first pot came out lukewarm and we had to hail down to get a refill. The udon cod roe was our favorite dish - very creamy and perfectly cooked udon. Unfortunately, tempura sets were too sweet for our taste and the green beans were a bit fiberous / older beans. Overall, a steep price point for what we got.

Jimmy S.

Yelp

The wait was quite a long wait. I recommend reservations or come early and put your name on the wait list and kill some time. The staff was super nice and attentive and very knowledgeable about the food and suggestions. We got the seasonal tendon and the kurobota pork katsu curry with rice. Unfortunately the tendon was a roller coaster. Some items like the shiitake, shiso leaf, Chestnut and maitake tempura were great. However, the soft shell crab and some others were surprisingly and disappointingly cold and the chicken tempura was a tad bit dry. The rice and sauce were decent. The pork katsu curry was very good, the curry wasn't too salty and the katsu was fried very well.

Lynn L.

Yelp

The tempura bowls at this place are freshly made and crispy! It is light and delicious without being overly oily and has a great variety of tempura options. It was an adventure looking through the bowl and trying everything! I especially liked the udon which was creamy and filling. They do reservations now which is so helpful because of their popularity leading to long wait times. It's stunning inside and it's an inviting environment to be in. Overall would come back with friends because it's a great dinner option in Bellevue!

Annie T.

Yelp

I remember the waiters were super nice and offered to explain each component of each dish, and help us mix them which was much appreciated. However my lasting impression was that it was extremely overhyped and not worth the wait.

Keith G.

Yelp

Download their menu using the QR code outside but why don't they have paper menus. Order in line for faster service in the cold, noisy, and well designed cute establishment. Avoid tough beef dishes that they didn't offer to adjust when pointed out. Check your bill as they offer to tip on the amount with tax.

Christina C.

Yelp

Make reservations! Very nice staff! We got here early and were waiting outside and they came out and asked us to wait inside because it was cold. Parking available but it gets full. Our seating were at 2 pm and it's still very busy. Got a table for 8 in the back. Lots to choose from. Ordered multiple tendons and an udon. And a chicken karaage to share. Chicken karaage was very good! Golden brown and flavorful. Enough for each of us to have a piece. I had the sashimi tendon and it was awesome. Comes with cabbage, miso soup and a steamed egg dish. Presentation is awesome. My daughter had the vegetable tendon and loved it and said we need to come back again. And she's picky! Do a review to get $1 soft serve! So good after a great meal!

Tiffanie C.

Yelp

We arrived at 7 PM for a party of six, and found plenty of free parking in front. Though we had a reservation, the restaurant was quite busy, so we weren't seated until around 7:25 PM. We were placed in a private section at the back, which offered a cozy ambiance. For our meal, we ordered the seasonal tendon set--one with beef and the signature version, all with the restaurant's signature sauce. The food was delicious, with a light and crispy batter that wasn't greasy or heavy. My personal favorites were the perilla leaf and pumpkin. Service was excellent; our waiter was patient, friendly, and very helpful in guiding us through the menu. For dessert, we tried the cat pudding, which was light and a perfect way to end the meal. Overall, it was a great experience, and I would definitely return. Next time, I'm looking forward to trying the udon carbonara!

Nora J.

Yelp

Came here for dinner with two friends on a Thursday night and really enjoyed the food! I got the beef steak aimori set. I loved the tempura and the cook on the beef was good for medium rare! I liked the sides they give you as well. The sweet potato creme brûlée was so yummy! The only downside is the wait (had to wait an hr) but thankful there's things to do around like get boba or go to bellevue square to pass the time. The parking lot is a decent size but I could see the parking lot getting full. I'd come again but maybe not for a while due to the wait time.

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