Tempura Matoba (てんぷら的場) Kanazawa

金沢「天ぷら的場」で、銀宝がまな板に上がると、場の空気がすっと引き締まる。
細長い体に海のぬめりをまとい、背びれは鋭い。初めて見る客は、この魚が天ぷらの白眉だとは思わないだろう。だが職人は知っている。天ぷらは素材の派手さではなく、油と火が本質を引き出せるかで決まる料理だ。
銀宝は冬の終わりから春先にかけてだけ現れる。生きたまま油に入れれば衣が弾け、魚体がすっと立つ。噛めば、まず上品な甘み、続いて皮下の膠質がもたらす奥行きのある旨みが広がる。その一切れで、天ぷらとは何か、江戸前とは何かが腑に落ちる。銀宝を知らずして、天ぷらは語れない。
#天ぷら
#金沢グルメ
#てんぷら
#tenpura
At Tempura Matoba in Kanazawa, everything changes the moment ginpō hits the board.
The room quiets. Oil crackles. Attention sharpens. This fish does that.
It’s slim, slick with the smell of the sea, almost severe in appearance.
If you don’t know tempura, you might wonder why anyone cares.
But tempura isn’t about spectacle.
It’s about control—heat, timing, restraint—and whether they can unlock what’s already there.
In Edo, people used to say ginpō was born for tempura.Come spring, they’d eat it even if it meant going into debt.That doesn’t sound romantic. It sounds honest.Ginpō appears only briefly, late winter into early spring.
Into the oil it goes. The batter splits. The fish lifts.Gelatin melts under the skin.
The first bite is clean, almost sweet.
Then comes depth. Quiet, persistent umami.
No drama. No excess.In one piece, you understand what tempura is meant to be.
Miss ginpō, and you miss the point.
tenpura
金沢「天麩羅的場」的板前，銀寶（海泥鰍）一現身，江湖便靜了下來。它不喧嘩、不張揚，卻自帶一股內勁，讓人不由得收斂呼吸。
細長的身形，覆著海的黏滑氣息，背鰭如刃。初見之人多半疑惑：這般模樣，竟是江戶前天婦羅的絕頂高手？然而老匠人心中有數——真正的高手，從不以外表示人。江湖流傳：「此魚，為天婦羅而生；江戶之人，春來即便負債，也要一嚐銀寶。」
銀寶只在冬盡春初現身，如隱世高人短暫下山。活著入油鍋，衣裂如掌風，魚身立起，皮下膠質甦醒。入口先甘後勁，層層推進，令人恍然明白：何謂天婦羅，何謂江戶前。
不食銀寶，難言登堂入室 Less

Tempura Matoba, Kanazawa
July, 2025

A remarkable new tempura restaurant, @tempura_matoba, has opened in the Higashi Chaya district of Kanazawa.

Formerly of Tempura Motoyoshi in Tokyo, Matoba-san has moved to Kanazawa to take advantage of the outstanding local ingredients, often driving for hours each morning to get the best right from the source.

His light batter, precise frying, and a serene space combine to really show off what this region has to offer.

Highly recommended. Less

The charming town of Yamanaka Onsen, near Kanazawa, offers more than hot spring resorts and lovely landscapes: it’s a treasure trove of traditional Japanese arts and crafts. I visited for the first-ever Yamanaka Onsen Arts & Culture Festival, which showcased contemporary art installations dotted around the city.

The highlight was an extraordinary dining experience that brought together local culinary talents and artisans. Hiroki Matoba’s (@tempura_matoba) tempura was simply exquisite, while Kotaro Kitamura of @yamanakaonsen_meigetsuro presented refined kaiseki dishes. Kazayuki Kuchide and Junichiro Mitani (of Enuma Station and Kocho) surprised with innovative fusion creations.

Each dish arrived on handcrafted tableware, introduced by the artisans themselves, and Yusuke Shimoki from @washubar_engawa_yamanakaonsen brought everything together with brilliant sake pairings.

Many thanks to organizers @hanamurasaki_official!

#YamanakaOnsen #JapaneseCraft #japantravels #ishikawasake Less