TENBOSHI

Tenboshi is a small (10 seat) tempura restaurant that offers a set menu featuring a variety of fresh fish and vegetables. Think of it as an Omakase of tempura. Offerings range from the normal (shrimp, calamari, eel) to the exotic (cod testes). It’s an amazing two hour experience. Prices are reasonab...le and reservations are essential.

Visited January 2020

The food was okay but it’s absolutely disappointing that the restaurant used cheaper ingredients for tourists but higher priced ingredients for the locals.

Visited December 2019

Having lived in Osaka for over 20 years, believe me I have had dozens of opportunities to eat tempura. Most places have very similar and safe (boring) ways of preparing and experiencing tempura. Tenboshi is the exception. Tenboshi serves tempura for those want more than the usual experience. It s...hows in the types of tempura they serve and their extensive sake and wine lists with which to enjoy tempura with. Yet they still are able to successfully follow the key tenet of Japanese cuisine. They keep it simple. And best of all, they speak English which makes it a good bet for international travelers. Sticking to the simple theme, most visitors at Tenboshi have a choice of two courses. One comes with horse meat. One does not. Not wanting to eat animals that I enjoy personal relationships with, I declined the horse meat course. Next, the waiter helped me pick a nice glass of sake, very mild and subtle, almost like water, but packing an alcoholic punch. The sake menu was in Japanese, but I just asked about different ones on the menu and the waiter patiently and graciously described them to me before I decided. The wine list had English, but I am in Japan so... What proceeded after the picking of the sake was my course. It took two hours to finish and I was quite full afterwards. It started off with a platter of appetizers and proceeded with serving after serving of various types of tempura. I cannot remember everything, but the course included gingko nuts, prawns, both head and tail, a mountain stream minnow, lotus root, piman pepper, green bean and other proteins and vegetables. It was a tempura journey that was very well-guided by the chef who would provide brief instructions such "shio", which means "salt" or "tentsuyu" which means the brown dipping sauce for tempura. Sometimes he would say either were okay. Flavors were delicate and yet very particular to the type of tempura being served. The course ended with a light dessert and water and tea. You also had a choice to buy more tempura off the a la carte menu if you were still hungry, but I was definitely full by the end. Some other customers had their favorites and ordered them at that time however. I would have to say that this is a superior experience for tempura in Japan. If you are person who likes to eat at a higher level once in a while. This would be the place for you. Most Japanese food at this level is out of reach for tourists because it would require some Japanese knowledge that might bar you from ever finding or enjoying such a place. So, for people like you, I recommend this place highly.

Visited September 2019

Delish tempura mix which are fried to a crisp and still pulpous inside. There are numerous outlets which we came upon and it was almost always tempting to go for quick bites!

Visited June 2018