Housed in a century-old traditional sukiya-style wooden teahouse formerly used as an ochaya where geisha parties were once held, Tempura Endo Yasaka serves what is arguably the world's best tempura. Waiting staff in delicate light blue kimonos wait outside for guests at their appointed time of arrival. A flight of stone steps and lantern-lit stone pathway welcomes guests into a traditional, relaxed setting representative of old Kyoto. The main dining area seats around 16 people, but the best seats in the house are those nearest the fryer, which is covered with a beautiful copper hood. Yasaka Endo’s style of tempura is tied to kaiseki ryōri - a traditional multi course cuisine - and the meal moves through a series of carefully orchestrated courses, with a focus on seasonal Japanese ingredients coupled with an extensive selection of fabulous sake. Guests can choose from one of three set menus, including the sensational six-course Tempura Kaiseki Yasaka menu, which includes an appetizer; seasonal sashimi; omakase tempura; salad; a main course choice of rice topped with mixed tempura fritters served with akadashi red bean paste soup, and pickles followed by dessert. The delicately seasoned original dipping sauce, made with a secret recipe and carefully selected salt, enhance the natural flavours of the dishes, and the premium quality cottonseed oil made from the finest ingredients guarantees the most amazingly crisp, light and healthy tempura. The opening dish of corn tempura is Yasaka Endo’s signature dish, but the Hokkaido Sea Urchin tempura in laver, should be too. When it arrives, the paper thin edible seaweed crust allows you to scoop it up just in time before it melts away in a burst of umami bliss.
Greeted as we arrived, we were escorted into Yasako Endo through the lantern-lit stone pathway
Marble counter table setting with lacquer tray, chopsticks and cut crystal glasses
Fresh Yuzu welcome drink to whet our appetites for the Tempura Kaiseki “Yasaka”
Chef's Sashimi: Red Snapper, Hamachi and Toro
Our sake lady
Chilled Jurakudai’s Junmai Daiginjo Sake
Lovely vintage sake cup
Fresh Kyoto-style corn tempura
Salts for seafood tempura - green Tsujiri Matcha salt and salt with ground rice
Housemade Tentsuyu dipping sauce for vegetable tempura,
made from dashi soup stock, mirin and soy sauce
Kamonasu: Luscious Kyoto heirloom aubergine tempura
The chef fries one piece at a time and serves the tempura immediately
Sweet meaty prawn head tempura
Japanese Kuruma Tiger Prawn Tempura
Outrageously delicious sea urchin wrapped with laver tempura
Lotus Root Tempura
Shiitake mushroom and minced prawn tempura
Lake Biwa Ayu and green bean tempura
Shiso vinegar sauce for the Ayu
Japanese paper napkins
Chef preparing our Hokkaido scallops with caviar tempura
Scallop and Caviar Tempura
Sea Bream wrapped with shiso leaf tempura
Gingko Nut Tempura
The wonderful sous chef who worked hand in hand with the chef to serve the tempura
piping hot from the copper domed fryer
Shishito Pepper Tempura
Conger Eel Tempura with Ponzu and Lime
Salad of pea sprouts and crispy sweet potato, diced thin-as-a-thread, flash fried
and served with with Japanese plum dressing
Little decorative pot with shoyu sauce
Chef frying our Kakiage of mixed vegetables and shrimp tempura
Tendon with Kakiage: shrimp and root vegetable tempura on rice
Tencha with Kakiage: shrimp and root vegetable tempura on rice
served with special Japanese tea
Japanese pickles — known collectively as tsukemono — cucumber, Shibazuke (mix of chopped cucumbers and eggplant that has been salted and brined with red shiso) and umeboshi
Akadashi: Red bean-paste soup
Matsutake mushroom tempura with shaved truffle
Grapefruit Granita
Yasaka-no-Tsuki: Tempura of Sweet Beans
Edo period woodblock print of woman enjoying shrimp tempura by Yoshitoshi Oso
(Tempura Kaiseki Yasaka Dinner + Sake for 2: ¥37,422)
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