Tempura Kondo

“I’d like to deliver the true taste of tempura to our customers” is the chef of Tempura Kondo’s desire to pursue the masterpieces of tempura. The restaurant has attracted Ginza’s foodies with its light texture of tempura made with a perfectly prepared batter. According to the head chef Fumio Kondo, tempura is not only a deep-fried dish but also a steamed dish, because the heat and moisture bring out the deep flavor of the ingredients. Even after the tempura is removed from the hot oil, the residual heat continues to steam the ingredients inside to maximize their distinctive flavor. After all, the skills to measure the time of residual heat is also required.

Traditionally, Edomae (Tokyo-style) tempura uses only seafood, and fried vegetables were rare in upscale restaurants. However, Mr. Kondo was determined to establish tempura as a distinct food category and created tempura courses using carefully selected local vegetables. His signature sweet potato tempura, shaped like a stump and over 10 cm long, is deep fried slowly for about 30 minutes to seal the moisture and sweetness inside.