Tempura Series Gunma Edition: Visiting Tempura Kuruma in Tatebayashi City The day has finally come to enjoy the tempura at Kuruma, and I couldn't be happier! I was eagerly looking forward to this since making the reservation.The restaurant has 8 counter seats (with private table seating available), and once everyone arrived, we were ready to start.It would be a challenge to review everything, so I’ll share just a few highlights.From the very beginning, I was continuously surprised and impressed. The combination of octopus and fuki (butterbur) was intriguing. I never expected to eat bonito with mustard, but it paired perfectly with the completely fresh and non-fishy bonito.Then we began with the tempura of kuruma ebi (Japanese tiger prawn). We compared two types: one lightly fried and the other fully cooked. Even though they were the same shrimp, the flavors were different, and the sweetness varied.Next was the king of squid, aori ika, perfectly cooked. The asparagus from Yamagata was hot, tender, and delicious.Now we have hamo (pike eel), which is delicious at this time of year. I enjoyed it with a touch of plum, and it was wonderfully fluffy without any grittiness.The koshiabura from Hokkaido had a refreshing bitterness that was superb. And then there was ayu (sweetfish), which had just been swimming moments ago, now beautifully presented on the plate—delicious!I savored the umami of the clam, wanting to keep chewing on it forever.As for the anago (conger eel), they filleted a live one right in front of us and immediately fried it, replacing the oil and using fresh tempura batter. This dedication to quality resulted in an anago tempura that was incredibly tender and simply astonishingly delicious—something you won’t find anywhere else.For the final dish, I chose tempura rice tea, which I enjoyed smoothly.For dessert, we had Hyuganatsu (a type of citrus). I learned that you eat the fluffy white skin along with it, which adds a nice balance of acidity.There’s so much more I could write, but you absolutely must try this place. The quality for the price is truly exceptional! (I can’t eat here frequently, but I definitely want to return for this amazing tempura.)It was a great meal!