Tempura Koizumi, a tempura restaurant located a 15-20 minute walk from Nomachi Station, is highly rated for its diverse tempura dishes that utilize fresh ingredients from the Hokuriku region. It has been selected as one of the top 100 tempura restaurants from 2022 to 2025, and also received a Tabelog Bronze award in 2026.Online reservations have been available for just under a month, making it relatively easy to book a table and visit. The chef, who honed his skills in urban areas of Kansai and Kanto, started this restaurant after initially struggling to source quality ingredients. Now, he showcases the best seasonal ingredients in his tempura courses, representing the unique flavors of Hokuriku.Here’s the menu we enjoyed:-----------------------------◾️ Jun-sai We began the course with a refreshing vinegared dish featuring seasonal jun-sai (Japanese wild vegetables). The addition of summer vegetables like micro tomatoes and okra made for a light and crisp flavor.◾️ Sashimi Before the tempura, we enjoyed a dish of sashimi featuring akai ika (red squid) and ara (a type of fish). Ara is known as a premium fish, and its firm texture and sweet white flesh were quite impressive!◾️ Kuruma Ebi The lunch course kicked off with tempura, starting with kuruma ebi (sweet shrimp) wrapped in a light, crispy batter. The texture was delightful, with a slightly chewy bite.◾️ Sora Mame The tempura of sora mame (broad beans) offered a fluffy texture and unique aroma, complemented by a gentle sweetness. They used large, impressive broad beans.◾️ Hatahata Hatahata, a fish without scales that is popular along the Sea of Japan, is becoming rare due to declining catch numbers, making it a special treat in tempura form.◾️ Botan Boufu This dish featured botan boufu, a type of wild vegetable that is not commonly seen. The bitterness of the wild vegetable paired perfectly with the oil of the batter.◾️ Aori Ika The tempura of aori ika (bigfin reef squid) was aged for about ten days to enhance its flavor. The crispy texture and the sweetness that emerged while chewing were simply irresistible!◾️ Renkon A classic dish, the renkon (lotus root) tempura was fried until the skin was crispy. The crunchy texture combined with its stickiness and sweetness was elevated by a touch of salt.◾️ Iwa Nori This dish featured tempura of iwa nori (rock seaweed) topped with white shrimp and salty caviar, creating a complex blend of flavors when enjoyed in one bite.◾️ Zucchini The tempura of zucchini was hot and juicy, and when dipped generously in tempura sauce, it achieved a perfect balance of saltiness and the refreshing taste of grated daikon.◾️ Manju-gai Tempura of manju-gai (white clam), favored in Hokkaido and Hokuriku, offered a deep umami flavor and a wonderful chewy texture.◾️ Onion The onion tempura was sweet and perfectly sized for easy eating. The concentrated sweetness of the onion spread gently in the mouth.◾️ Anago The anago (conger eel) tempura was prepared right in front of us. It was not only fluffy but also had a delightful bounce, with a rich layer of fat that was simply the best.◾️ Tendon We concluded with a tendon (tempura rice bowl) featuring a generous serving of kakiage (mixed tempura) and white rice. The combination of various ingredients' sweetness and umami with the fresh, crisp rice was outstanding!◾️ Dessert The course ended with a rich milk ice cream featuring the delightful texture of buckwheat groats.-----------------------------After the meal, the chef warmly engaged with us, creating a wonderful atmosphere at this tempura restaurant. I highly recommend visiting!Thank you for the meal!*Instagram Gourmet Account https://www.instagram.com/shunsuke.naka/ (Over 10,000 followers!)*Gourmet Blog https://syn-gourmet.com*Comprehensive Links https://lit.link/syngourmet
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