Hello everyone, thank you for your hard work! (￣^￣)ゞI’ve also started a blog!! Nice to meet you all!!https://nakazaki-kenji.jp/Today, I visited Tempura Asanuma in Nihonbashi. It’s been since last December since my last visit. The restaurant is becoming increasingly popular, and it’s been hard to get a reservation lately (・・；)Let me briefly introduce the restaurant _φ(･_･**About Chef Tsutomu Asanuma** Born in Yamagata Prefecture in 1994. Originally, he didn’t aim to be a chef as his father was a sign painter, and he wanted to be an artist when he was young. However, he decided to utilize his keen sense of smell and taste, which were the only things his father praised him for, and after graduating from junior high school, he enrolled in culinary school. Although he wasn’t good at sushi and tempura due to his dislike for raw and fatty foods, he was inspired to become a tempura chef after trying tempura at "Ginza Tenichi" recommended by his mentor. He was amazed to discover that tempura could be so flavorful without causing heaviness in the stomach. After graduating from culinary school, he joined Tenichi. Under the guidance of his seniors, who advised him to "learn by watching" and "listen to rakugo (Japanese storytelling)", he developed not only his tempura skills but also his communication abilities. After working at the Imperial Hotel and Nihonbashi Takashimaya, he became independent and opened his own restaurant in Nihonbashi, a place known for its famous eateries, on September 16, 2022. He proposes tempura that emphasizes the harmony between the ingredients and the batter, themed "Enjoying the Flavor of the Batter".**Restaurant Concept** He opened his restaurant in Nihonbashi, drawn by the history of Edo food culture. Knowing that Edoites used to dip their tempura in thick sauce, he experimented with a technique opposite to the thin batter he learned during his training. By incorporating air bubbles into the batter, he achieved a fragrant and light texture. He starts with "Hatoshi", a Nagasaki specialty, to convey the port where tempura was introduced from Portugal.**Commitment to the Batter** He uses "Super Violet", a finely milled flour that is less likely to develop gluten. After resting in a -23°C freezer for about two days to dry, he mixes it with eggs and whips it like a sponge cake. Only the meringue-like part with air bubbles is used for the batter. This results in a "light and textured batter" that is airy inside, providing a delightful crunch and melting in your mouth.**Commitment to the Tempura Sauce** In his hometown of Yamagata, there was a culture of eating tempura with soba sauce, so he mixes katsuobushi dashi, dark soy sauce, sugar, and hon mirin in a unique blend. At first, people laughed, asking, "Are you serving soba too?!", but now some customers drink it all up, saying, "This tempura sauce is delicious!" He uses 100% light sesame oil for frying. He truly aims for traditional tempura (^_−)−☆I got off at Nihonbashi Station on the Ginza Line and walked a few minutes from Exit B2 to the restaurant.Upon entering, Chef Asanuma and the male staff welcomed me. The service and explanations were polite, making for a very comfortable atmosphere (^_−)−☆ Plus, the staff were quite handsome (//∇//)I sat at the counter and greeted Chef Asanuma. He showed me the vegetables of the day, and I was excited to see a variety of them (//∇//)I started with a drink, ordering Sapporo Lager Aka boshi d(￣ ￣). When it comes to tempura, beer is a must!! After that, I enjoyed an AKAYANE highball (＾Ｏ＾☆♪Now, let’s start the tempura course!! I’m looking forward to what kind of tempura awaits!!**Hatoshi** This is a signature dish. Hatoshi is made by sandwiching shrimp paste between slices of bread and frying it. It was introduced to Nagasaki from China during the Meiji era and later became a part of the traditional Shippoku cuisine in Nagasaki, eventually becoming a common household dish.The outside is crispy and fragrant, while the shrimp inside is plump and has a delightful texture!! The shrimp is packed with aroma and umami, making it incredibly delicious!! The flavorful salt enhances the sweetness even more ( ◠‿◠ )**Kuruma Ebi** This is also a signature Kuruma Ebi. I had two pieces with different cooking methods. The first one was enjoyed with salt. The texture of the batter and the flavor of the rare-cooked shrimp were distinct!! The shrimp was so sweet it felt like it would melt in my mouth!! The second piece was enjoyed with tempura sauce. The batter was slightly thicker. This tempura sauce is truly rich in flavor, just like the sauce served at soba restaurants!! It’s incredibly delicious!! For soba lovers, this tempura sauce is a delightful surprise (//∇//) Dipping it generously makes the batter even tastier as it absorbs the sauce!! The shrimp’s umami becomes even more pronounced!!**Eggplant** Today’s eggplant is from Kumamoto Prefecture. It’s cut thick, so it’s piping hot!! The outer batter is firm, while the inside is soft and juicy!! The sweetness of the melting eggplant is irresistible!! While salt is good, the tempura sauce pairs perfectly (//∇//)**Kisu** The flavor is so concentrated that you wouldn’t believe it’s Kisu, thanks to the salt curing!! The texture that falls apart in your mouth is wonderful!! Eating it with grated Japanese radish and tempura sauce adds even more depth to the flavor!!**Snap Peas** These are seasonal snap peas. I enjoyed them with salt and soy sauce. When you bite into them, the aroma bursts forth, and they are incredibly sweet!! While salt works well, the soy sauce enhances the sweetness even more (//∇//)**Clam** This is a huge clam (　ﾟдﾟ) I enjoyed it with black shichimi salt. It’s incredibly tender and sweet, bursting with flavor!! The umami of the clam is concentrated, and the more you chew, the more flavor comes out, which is fantastic!! The aroma of the sansho pepper in the black shichimi enhances the umami even more!! This was truly impressive (　ﾟдﾟ)(　ﾟдﾟ)(　ﾟдﾟ)**Water Eggplant** This is a refreshing cucumber and water eggplant salad with plum dressing. The water eggplant is juicy, and the cucumber is crunchy, while the acidity of the plum dressing refreshes the palate ( ◠‿◠ )**Corn** Although they are fried together, the technique is amazing!! They hold together perfectly (　ﾟдﾟ) The sweetness and aroma are outstanding!! This is the first time I’ve experienced tempura that captures the fragrance and sweetness of corn so well!!**Spanish Mackerel** This large Spanish mackerel is fried with shiso leaves. I enjoyed it with tempura sauce and grated Japanese radish. It’s hot, fluffy, and incredibly delicious!! The fat is rich, and the aroma of the shiso is a perfect complement!!**Asparagus** These thick asparagus look delicious. I enjoyed the tips with tempura sauce and the base with salt. They are full of aroma and sweetness, making them incredibly tasty!! They are juicy and piping hot (//∇//)**Scallop** I enjoyed the freshly fried scallop wrapped in seaweed with soy sauce, reminiscent of isobe-yaki. Since it’s seasoned with salt, the umami of the scallop is concentrated!! Even though it’s seasoned, it’s still quite juicy, which surprised me!! The aroma and fragrance of the seaweed and soy sauce are also fantastic (＾Ｏ＾☆♪**Potato** This is a 20-month aged "Meikuin" from Tokachi. It’s fried multiple times from the beginning of the course and then rested. It’s hot, moist, and incredibly sweet!! The aroma is also wonderful!! The skin is crispy, and this is amazing (　ﾟдﾟ)**Anago** Finally, the long-awaited Anago!! Dipping it generously in tempura sauce while it’s hot fills my mouth with the aroma of the batter and the umami of the Anago, bringing happiness!! The batter is firm, so it doesn’t get soggy even when soaked in tempura sauce. Yet, the Anago remains moist and juicy, which is impressive (￣◇￣;)**Kakiage** At the end, you can choose between a rice bowl or tempura over rice, and I chose tempura over rice. Today, it’s filled with plenty of asparagus!! It’s refreshing and flavorful, making it delicious!! I finished it quickly and smoothly d(￣ ￣) The red miso soup with clams was satisfying until the end!!Every piece of tempura was a perfect harmony of the ingredients and the batter, making it incredibly delicious!! As always, I was thoroughly satisfied with the robust tempura!!Here’s what I had today:1. Hatoshi 2. Kuruma Ebi ① 3. Kuruma Ebi ② 4. Eggplant 5. Kisu 6. Snap Peas 7. Clam 8. Water Eggplant 9. Corn 10. Spanish Mackerel 11. Asparagus 12. Scallop 13. Potato 14. Anago 15. Tempura over RiceDipping it generously in the flavorful tempura sauce, reminiscent of soba sauce, makes both the batter and the ingredients even more robust, which is why I love this tempura (//∇//)The signature Hatoshi was as crispy as ever, with the shrimp being plump and delicious!! The Kuruma Ebi was fried rare, showcasing its incredible sweetness!! The eggplant was cut thick, soft, and piping hot, making it incredibly tasty!! The fluffy Kisu, the snap peas bursting with aroma and sweetness, and the huge clam with concentrated umami were all amazing!! The corn surprised me with its sweetness and aroma!! The fluffy and fatty Spanish mackerel paired perfectly with the aroma of shiso, while the thick asparagus was delightful with its fragrance and sweetness. The thick and rare scallop was refreshing with seaweed and soy sauce, and the creamy potato was easy to finish despite its size. The highlight was definitely the Anago!! Thick and juicy, it paired perfectly with the tempura sauce!! I wrapped up with a refreshing tempura over rice!!The tempura here is truly different from others!! Even after eating all this, the price was only about JPY 17,000, which is a great deal (　ﾟдﾟ)At 31 years old, Chef Asanuma is continuously improving his skills!! I’m really looking forward to what’s next (＾Ｏ＾☆♪Thank you, Chef Asanuma and the staff, for today!! I look forward to my next visit (＞人＜;)